llinois to South Dakota trip

Okay, I'll look at that. Although the max speed on our motorhome is 70 (just really won't go faster than that!) And even though we have a bathroom onboard, we make the kids stay buckled up and stop at restrooms along the way. (With 7 of us, that's always a long stop. Plus stopping to nurse the baby.

We took the motorhome to Florida last year and the trip home when we didn't have time to stop much was miserable.

True, it is different traveling in a motorhome than a car, and with that many people you're sure to require more frequent breaks. Then, there's the time setting up & tearing down each morning. So, that's a consideration.

Still, that's a pretty straight shot there & if you get early starts, I think it's a good chance to make some miles. For us, we can cover 600 miles a day pretty leisurely in the car going East (IL, KY, TN, GA) or 700 going West (MO, KS, NE, SD, WY, etc). The giant gaps between major cities is a real help here as is the lack of traffic. My BIL and I cranked out 1,085 miles one day, but that was pretty hard driving and no kids :lmao:

Anyway, you don't need to cover nearly that much ground, but do look into stretching a bit more in the early part of your trip. OTOH, if you have enough time to take it more leisurely, do so :) Rawlins to Yellowstone OTOH, is going to be a much tougher stretch than say Kearney to Rawlins IMO. That will take you through Grand Tetons National Park and lots of great scenery. And there's no interstates here, and a lot of 2-lane roads and some mountains. If Rawlins is the jumping off point, I'd make Jackson Hole your destination that day. In the Tetons, be sure to check out Jenny Lake. If you have time to explore Jackson Hole, it's a neat "Frontier" town :)

In Yellowstone, you'll definitely want to see:
Old Faithful (and the attractions in this area will consume 1/2 a day)
Grand Prismatic Spring
The Mud Pots
Mammoth Hot Springs
The upper & lower falls
and many other things.

If you have binoculars and a spotting scope, they will come in handy for spotting wildlife along your trip. By the time you get to Cheyenne, you will begin to see antelope (and to a lesser extent, mule deer) EVERYWHERE, and all times of the day. If you try to stop though, they'll run off. They're used to moving cars. Stopping cars means hunters, and they know not to hang around for that. They're less skittish in the National Parks, as you'd expect.

Grizzly bears are a reality in Yellowstone and you should look into the food storage recommendations before you get that far. You may or may not see one on your trip, but they are definitely there - ditto for any campgrounds North of Rawlins or anywhere within 100+ miles of Yellowstone.

You're coming into Yellowstone from the South and this gives you a pretty good chance to explore the park tracking North. This will take 3 days to do properly, maybe 4 - especially if you like to get out and explore on foot. Leave the park through the Northeast exit toward Red Lodge, MT. The views on Beartooth pass are spectacular!! You'll be moving slowly through here. IIRC, you have to detour a bit off the highway to get to Custer National Battlefield. It's a great historical stop, but not at all scenic. Then, you'll dip back down into Wyoming as you head East. Devil's Tower is your last stop in WY before you get into SD. Devil's Tower to the Badlands could easily take 3 days to explore. :)
 
I don't know anything about Yellowstone, but I do have something to add about Kearney, NE. We've been through there a few times on the way to New Mexico and the first surprise we found is that it is pronounced "Carnee". :)

The other surprise was the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument (www.archway.org). It is an arch that goes up over the interstate and inside is a museum about settlers moving out West. The website has some information, but there is better information in the reviews & photos on tripadvisor.com.

IIRC, the Cabela's Headquarters is in or near Kearney. Also, there is the World's Largest Truckstop somewhere in Iowa along I80.

If you're interested in a more scenic route than I-80, you can detour North out of Grand Island through the Sand Hills of Nebraska. But, that will put you at a point where you will do a LOT of lonely roads into Yellowstone and pretty much bypass Cheyenne, and Jackson Hole (if that matters to you).
 
Wow! Seems like we could easily make this a 3 week trip, IF only we had the time!

I investigated the campgrounds in Yellowstone and since we're going in Early June, and want a place we can reserve there are only two or three choices.
We plan 3 nights here, but will likely camp at Fishing Bridge the last 2 nights (would rather stay farther north the last night, but the campgrounds are either not open yet or don't take reservations.)

We didn't plan time for Jackson Hole, but looking into that now.
 
Take sweatshirts and jackets. We went in early June and had a few nice days, but then it turned cool. You should be good to go with layers.
 

Wow! Seems like we could easily make this a 3 week trip, IF only we had the time!

I investigated the campgrounds in Yellowstone and since we're going in Early June, and want a place we can reserve there are only two or three choices.
We plan 3 nights here, but will likely camp at Fishing Bridge the last 2 nights (would rather stay farther north the last night, but the campgrounds are either not open yet or don't take reservations.)

We didn't plan time for Jackson Hole, but looking into that now.

If you are planning on early June, be prepared for snow and road closures (especially the section of the road from Canyon to the NE corner of the park - that is usually the last section opened). We went for Memorial Day quite a few years ago when we lived in Montana and the lake was still frozen and just starting to break up.
 
How big is your RV? If you have a larger unit it is very late to be making plans to go to Yellowstone for this summer. Not sure how far out in advance they book, but it's my understanding they book out a year in advance.

I love South Dakota, but I also lived there for a year and a half.
 
We were able to get reservations for the 3 nights we were looking for. June 2nd-5th! I hope the weather won't be too bad!

Are the roads in Yellowstone all passable in motorhomes? I'm thinking they must be since there is RV camping at many of the campgrounds.

Upon making camping reservations online, we noticed that we could make reservations for restaurants 60 days in advance. Are there restaurants that are particularly good? We will probably just make our own food unless their is something especially worthwhile.
 
If we are able to get to Jackson Hole WY by the end of Day 3, what should we see and do there before heading on to Yellowstone? I want to arrive in Yellowstone before dark. We're camping at the Madison campground there the first night.

One more question (for now)... I've heard there is no RV parking by Old Faithful. Where can we park to see it?
 
All the main roads in Yellowstone are suitable for RV's. As previously mentioned, the NE entrance that I talked about being so scenic might be closed entirely early June though due to snow. So, you may need to take another route on your way out. Some high elevation roads don't open until July if there is a lot of Winter snow.

There are side roads that are not RV friendly, some 4wd only. The main attractions can all be accessed with RVs and some walking :)
 
Jackson Hole is a neat frontier town, but I have to admit that other than photo ops, I can't remember anything specifically that needs to be done there unless you want to do a float on the Snake River. The Grand Tetons will also provide numerous photo ops, and probably some wildlife sightings :). The only bear I saw on my 1991 Yellowstond trip was actually in GT NP.
 
I think we'll also do a stop for groceries there before heading to Yellowstone. I'm pretty sure we can't fit more than 3 days worth of food in the motorhome.
 
We made this trip from Illinois several years ago in late June...perfect weather! Our trip was about 12 days total. I suggest adding Custer State Park, near Mt. Rushmore to your itinerary. Also, if you are going to Yellowstone you should go to the Grand Tetons as well. Soooo pretty and lots to do. June was nice because there was lots of baby animals everywhere. You will have very hot weather in the bad lands and much cooler weather/snow in the parks. Plan accordingly!
 
We made this trip from Illinois several years ago in late June...perfect weather! Our trip was about 12 days total. I suggest adding Custer State Park, near Mt. Rushmore to your itinerary. Also, if you are going to Yellowstone you should go to the Grand Tetons as well. Soooo pretty and lots to do. June was nice because there was lots of baby animals everywhere. You will have very hot weather in the bad lands and much cooler weather/snow in the parks. Plan accordingly!

Good advice!

Our amended itinerary has us ending up in Jackson Hole on the evening of Day 3. I want to get groceries, do laundry, and see the pioneer town before heading out to Yellowstone and arriving at camp (Madison campground, 17 miles north of Old Faithful) before sunset. Will we have time to see the Grand Tetons?

Wow! How did you manage to do all of this in 12 days? Will you tell me what your itinerary was?

Right now, I'm feeling like the kids are going to go nuts driving so long to destinations, sleeping in the same place we are driving, and driving through state parks (of course we'll get out and explore too and also see plenty of roadside attractions along the interstates.)
 
The Black Hills is one of my favorite spots on earth. Scenic drives, fantastic hikes, great rock-hunting. If you're looking for a good rv park, I'd suggest Rafter J Bar in Hill City. We stayed there for a couple of weeks a few years ago and loved it. You can hike right out of the park into the state forest and collect quartz to your heart's desire. It's also convenient to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer National Park and Deadwood. If you're towing a car, be sure to drive the Needles Highway.....in the car, NOT the motorhome.
 
I have my itinerary at home and will be happy to share it with you later today/tomorrow. Many of the activities really don't take much time. Corn Palace-an hour tops, Badlands--drive through about 2 hours, Custer State Park-drive through about 2 hours. We spend a full day at Mt. Rushmore and then went back for the evening show...highly recommended!

I think basically we drove 1.5 days (including the Bad Lands)
2 days in Keystone/Mt. Rushmore/Custer Park
2.5 days in Yellowstone
2.5 days in GTNP
2.5 days driving home (this was the WORST part of the trip. We took the southern route through the Quad Cities and then back where we live in East Central Illinois).

I will know for sure when I see my itinerary again. It was an amazing trip! I suggestion you get the book from Frommers "National Parks of America's West" (Or something like that). I ordered mine used on Amazon...well worth it. I also had a book on Wyoming, I think it was from Moonstone, or something like that. Great insider info! Also from Amazon.
 
Good advice!

Our amended itinerary has us ending up in Jackson Hole on the evening of Day 3. I want to get groceries, do laundry, and see the pioneer town before heading out to Yellowstone and arriving at camp (Madison campground, 17 miles north of Old Faithful) before sunset. Will we have time to see the Grand Tetons?

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It takes a while to drive from Jackson Hole, through the Tetons, to Old Faithful. Many hours, especially if you stop. You can camp in the Tetons, which I recommend. Check out some of the books I suggested or look at a map. The drive may look shorter than it is; you will have to stop for animals and go slow on the curvy roads. We enjoyed GTNP more than Yellowstone! We went on a rafting trip/float one morning. AWESOME!
 
Sat. Day 1--Depart Danville and travel 10 hours to Sioux Falls, SD. We went a bit out of our way and visited the "Field of Dreams" in Iowa. It was only about an extra hour or so of travel and well worth it for a lunch break since we had never been before!

Sun. Day 2--Travel 5.5 hours to Rapid City via the Corn Palace/Badlands (enter at Interior, exit at Wall--Wall Drugs is a must stop for a break and ice cream). We went to Bear Country, a drive-thru zoo; don't do it! We stayed in Keystone at a lodge/cabin.

Mon. Day 3--Mount Rushmore in the morning, Alpine Slide in the afternoon. Then we took a break at the cabin and returned to MtR for the night-time show.

Tue. Day 4--Custer State Park/Crazy Horse (just a drive-by)/Tour in Jewel Cave

Wed. Day 5--Traveled (8 hours-ish) to YNP, we stayed in cabins in the middle of the park for 2 nights. 1st night we just drove around after dinner and saw some wildlife.

Thu. Day 6--Drove the north loop of Yellowstone, into Montana for a few minutes, and back to the cabin. Took us most of the day, stopping for all of the sights along the way (geysers, stinkpots, animals, springs, formations, etc.).

Fri. Day 7--Drove the southern loop of YNP towards the Tetons; took about 4-6 hours with stops (Old Faithful, waterfalls, etc.) . We stayed in cabins at Colter Bay. Drove to Jenny Lake that evening to watch (and see!) moose and have dinner.

Sat. Day 8--River Float on the Snake River in the morning, saw more animals/sights in the afternoon/evening.

Sun. Day 9--Traveled 9 hours to Ogallala.

Mon. Day 10--traveled 10ish hours to Davenport. We could have gone the three more hours to make it home, but we stopped for the night and stayed with friends.

Tues. Day 11--Drove 3 hours home.

I wish we would have had 1 more day in GTNP, and even 1 more in YNP. Otherwise, a great trip! Great weather. However, our friends went the same week a year later and there was a foot of snow in YNP!!!

Let me know if you have any other questions! Book your campgrounds/cabins NOW!!!!! :)
 
You have gotten a lot of great info so I won't repeat. I only saw one plug for the zoo in Omaha but it was amazing! We only went thru the aquarium and rainforest but its well worth a stop. The Henry Dooley zoo great stop along the way there or back! We went 4th of July a few years ago and had to buy jackets so be prepared! Beautiful country! We did a sunset horseback ride in the badlands it was awesome.
 





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