I did a national park road trip out west from Michigan… x2! Detroit, Indiana, Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho

Hi there!

 

There are truly soooooo many different ways that you can do a road trip out west from Michigan!

So consider below a starting point to give you ideas… the places I went on a road trip out west from the Detroit area!

 

 

For both of the road trips west, time on the road from leaving Michigan to driving back was around 3 weeks.

I did more than just national parks.

It’s possible to make it shorter.

It is all about your time, interests, and more!

It will depend on a lot things, including how much driving you prefer to do, how many stops you want to make along the way, and how much time you want to spend in one location to take it all in at a slower pace!

Of course the more time you have will always be better!

But ideally, you’ll have at least 2 weeks to do a road trip out west when you’re driving from Michigan.

It will take you 2-3 days one way just to get to South Dakota or Wyoming.

So again, this is just to get you started!

Note that in addition to the “official” national parks (called “national park” in the name), there are national monuments, national memorials, national lakeshores, and more nationally designated sites also operated by the National Park Service.

 

 

National park road trip out west #1: Dakotas road trip

Detroit Michigan to Indiana to Chicago to Wisconsin to Minnesota to North Dakota to South Dakota… and back

In August 2021, I did a road trip out west to North Dakota and South Dakota from Michigan.

There is one official national park in North Dakota, and there are 2 official national parks in South Dakota.

 

National parks to visit for your road trip out west to North Dakota and South Dakota:

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
• Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota)
• Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
• Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)

 

For Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, and Jewel Cave, you can stay in one spot and do day trips. You need to plan ahead for the cave tours because they sell out early in the day.

 

 

Staying in Custer State Park would give you the best outdoors experience and a good location to do those day trips. There’s regular lodging, regular camping, and some camping cabins.

The big city nearby is Rapid City SD, but it would be more convenient to stay in a smaller town around Custer State Park.

While you are in the area, you may also be interested in the Mammoth Site National Natural Landmark.

 

To get you started on more detailed road trip itinerary planning out west to South Dakota, take a look:

• 10 days in South Dakota
• Best places to visit in South Dakota for VIEWS!
• Best campgrounds in South Dakota to see the best of South Dakota (tent camping and RV camping)
• Things to do in Badlands National Park for views
• Things to do in Jewel Cave National Monument
• Things to do in Wind Cave National Park
• Things to do in Theodore Roosevelt National Park for views

 

 

National park road trip out west #2: Wyoming road trip

Detroit Michigan to Indiana to Chicago to Wisconsin to Minnesota to South Dakota to Wyoming to Idaho… and back

In September and October 2021, I did a road trip to out west to Wyoming from Michigan.

There are 2 official national parks in Wyoming.

 

 

National parks to visit for your road trip out west to Wyoming, along the way, and beyond:

• Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota)
• Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
• Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)
• Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming)
• Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
• Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)
• Craters of the Moon National Monument (Idaho)

 

 

To get you started on more detailed road trip itinerary planning out west to Wyoming, take a look:

• Driving from Chicago to Yellowstone National Park
• 7 days in Wyoming
• 3 days in Wyoming national parks
• One day in Yellowstone National Park
• One day in Grand Teton National Park
• Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument for views
• Driving from Yellowstone to Idaho
• Things to do in Craters of the Moon National Monument

 

 

 

From Wyoming and Idaho, if you want to drive more and make time for it, you can head south to the Utah national parks, including Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

And then further south is Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona!

Adding in Utah and Arizona would make it a MUCH longer road trip though!

 

 

Still undecided about a road trip out west?!

Michigan also makes for an amazing road trip destination!

• National lakeshores in Michigan with amazing views
• Best places to visit in the UP
• Lake Superior camping spots in Michigan
• Michigan waterfalls road trip
• Michigan lighthouse road trip

Also to the south in Tennesee and North Carolina, Detroit to Gatlinburg TN and the Smoky Mountains is around a 9 hour drive:

• Things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the most visited national park in the country)

Also to the south in Kentucky, Detroit to Mammoth Cave is around a 7 hour drive:

• Things to do in Mammoth Cave National Park

 

HAPPY DRIVING OUT WEST FROM MICHIGAN!