8 Days Vacation Covering 2500+ Miles In CO-SD-WY-UT-CO (USA)

“8 Days Vacation and 2500+ Miles Road Trip Covering Some Must-visit Attractions in Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah”

It’s been a while, we were thinking of a vacation outside Florida. Ongoing Fall season with the hints of coming winter was a perfect time for vacation. Being Floridian, we hardly get to experience autumn or winter. Earlier we went on a Road Trip to North Carolina and witnessed mesmerizing fall colors. This time we were thinking of places where we will get to see some fall or snow. So we did some research on places to visit and best times to visit them. Planning is the key to a perfect vacation, hence we always try to research and plan ahead. Here are some tips to plan a successful vacation.

Yellowstone National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park were some of the choices. Keeping in mind, tentative road closures and weather conditions, we locked the dates for first week of October. We then thought of extending the trip and covering more places at one go. So we came up with a plan which involved a loop through states CO-SD-WY-UT-CO in US.

Destinations on map :

We booked round trip flight tickets from Tampa to Denver and decided to rent a car from Denver Airport. We prepared an itinerary for the vacation that involved 2500+ miles in 8 days. It did sound insane at first but we still went ahead and planned the most exciting trip for us!! Check how to prepare travel itinerary here.

Day-wise Trip Details :

Below is the day-wise list and short info of the attractions we visited. Click on the links to read about the detailed experience.

Day 1 – Saturday:

Fly Tampa to Denver and Visit Pikes Peak Summit & Garden of Gods in Colorado

Pikes Peak is the most visited mountain in North America, located in Colorado, U.S. The 19-mile Pikes Peak Highway leads to the summit. The scenic highway is safe to travel and provides plenty of opportunity to enjoy breathtaking scenery.

Garden of the Gods is a National Natural landmark and is located in Colorado Springs,Colorado,US. The attraction is free for public access. It provides a gorgeous view of the unique towering sandstone rock formations.

Day 2 – Sunday:

Visit Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park located in northern Colorado attracts huge number of visitors every year. Trail Ridge Road and the Old Fall River Road are must see. It’s one of the stunning parks in US with plenty of photo opportunity year round. Scenic beauty, wildlife and outdoor adventures makes it a great family destination.

Mountains View at Rocky Mountain National Park

Day 3 – Monday:

Visit Mount Rushmore National Monument and Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway in South Dakota and Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved into Mount Rushmore located in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. It features giant figures of four most prominent American presidents – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Spearfish Canyon is a deep but narrow gorge carved by Spearfish Creek. It’s located just south of Spearfish, South Dakota, US. It is a beautiful drive any time of year especially in fall season. Waterfalls like Bridal Veil Falls and Roughlock Falls are must-sees along the route.

Devils Tower (also known as Bear Lodge Butte), located in the Bear Lodge mountain range, is 1267 feet tall igneous rock formation. In addition to being a geologic wonder, it’s proclaimed as nation’s first national monument.

Day 4 – Tuesday:

Visit Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the world. This huge park boasts waterfalls, canyons, rivers and most prominently hot springs and geysers including its most famous, Old Faithful. One can spot variety of wildlife like bison, elks and antelopes.

Day 5 – Wednesday:

Continue Exploring Yellowstone National Park

There are several geyser basins. Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most changeable thermal area in Yellowstone.

Mammoth Hot Springs are a must-see feature of Yellowstone National Park. It was created by the deposition of calcium carbonate over the years.

Day 6 – Thursday:

Visit Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwest of Wyoming. Teton mountain range and Jackson Hole valley make this, the most spectacular place. It’s linked to Yellowstone National Park. Some of the best features of the park include huge wildlife, lush forests and awe-inspiring beauty.

Day 7 – Friday:

Visit Arches National Park in Utah

Arches National Park is located in Utah. Delicate Arch, Double Arch etc are the most famous and massive sandstone arches. Other geological formations include Balanced Rock towering over the desert landscape.

Day 8 – Saturday:

Visit Denver Downtown and Return to Tampa

Downtown Denver is the fun district in Denver, Colorado. Some of the popular features include, 16th Street pedestrian mall, Larimer Square, Civic Center Park, etc.