Road Trip! Pile in Junior Rangers and Let’s Go!

Whether you are 9 or 95, we believe you’re never too old to become a National Park Service Junior Ranger, and this road trip offers some spectacular badge and stamp opportunities for family friendly adventures. This summer we set off on the ultimate road trip to explore the wild west, venturing as far as the Dakotas. Along the way we found out not all of Washington is covered in the cliche Pacific Northwest greenery, that there are towns out there that post “population 15” and that Nebraska still has fiddle competitions. Explore this brief overview of our itinerary to help you plan your next family road trip! Clickthrough to the related content for in-depth reviews, tips and travelogue tales.

By the Numbers

• 10 Days

• 11 States

• 8 National Parks and Monuments

• 4 Junior Ranger Badges (More Available)

• 4100+ Miles

The Itinerary: An Overview

Day 1: Seattle, Washington

Nearby National Parks: Mount Rainier and Olympic

The beautiful Pacific Northwest the view is hard to beat at times, weather permitting. Seattle specifically can be considered a playground for both parents and kids alike complete with multiple museums and attractions at the Seattle Center and the original Starbucks store conveniently located at 1st and Pikes the gateway to the city’s famous Pikes Place Market. Take a walk through the market and see fish flying, flowers in bloom, uniquely crafted items, taste seasoned jerky, and get your touristy swag to start your trip. Both Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks are stunning sights to see but they are in two opposite directions and both take a day or more to fully take in depending on your adventure goals.

Days 2-4: Somers, Montana

Nearby National Park: Glacier 

This is where the actual calculation of miles starts to expand a bit if you notice the 4100+ miles compared to the 3100 that is listed on the mapped out snapshot. We did not include all of the driving we did throughout all the parks into that map which adds a good amount of mileage to your trip. Somers, Montana is an absolutely gorgeous destination and home of Flathead Lake which is the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area that is west of the Mississippi River. Framed by tall mountainous scenery it is an ideal location to create amazing memories just be careful of the unpredictable weather and don’t get caught out on the water in inclement weather. Glacier National Park is a short 40 minute or less drive away depending on your location and offers some beautiful lake views as well with the unique turquoise tint of glacial runoff. Check for road closures as the Road to the Sun may not open until mid-year based on winter conditions.

Montana PIT STOPs!

Don’t forget to build in a little buffer time for some pit stops! There are a good amount of rest stops available since this is trucker country but you may want to consider some of the  side-trips if you have the time. A few gems we found along the way included:

• 5000 Silver Dollar Bar (Lincoln) – Quick stop with chochkies and bar that features silver dollars along the walls, even buy your own silver $  with your name engraved that will be hung forever for all to see.
• Old Montana Prison (Deer Lodge) –  This small-town gem looks like an old-timey castle which is cool for a simple drive-by. Or you can venture inside the gates for to access five museums from classic cars to yesterdays playthings.
• Lewis and Clark Caverns (Whitehall) – This requires some planning as cavern tours are 2 hours in length. The drive there was a scenic loop that runs along a winding river that alone is worth a quick side-trip.
• Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman) – Planetarium, full dinosaur fossil displays, and live crocodiles! Event walk inside an authentic homestead from 1890 and learn about how which is free to all who visit.

As you can tell there is not just one single must-go to pit stop through Montana there are many. Near the western portion of the state you will also find excursions that you can book from ropes courses and zip lining to white water rafting.

Days 5-6: Flagg Ranch, Wyoming

Nearby National Parks: Grand Tetons and Yellowstone 

The drive from Somers to Flagg Ranch is lengthy but beautiful. If you get up early enough you may even get to extend your time in Yellowstone National Park, which you pass right through on your way to Flagg Ranch if you choose to stay in the Headwaters Lodge and Cabins. It offers fresh drinking water to fill up your containers, RV hookups, formal lodge rooms, a restaurant, small convenience store, and one-room cabins. Ours had a bunk bed with a twin on top and a full on bottom but other options are available. This campsite and lodge is literally the only destination between Yellowstone and Grand Tetons (Our TOP PICK for Best National Park) but offers an easy drive to Yellowstone’s neighbor to the south and allows you to save a little cash by bypassing a park entrance fee which we found quite interesting. If you come up from this direction, passing through Grand Tetons, then you will have to pay both park fees.

Day 7: Dickinson, North Dakota

Nearby National Park: Theodore Roosevelt and its Painted Canyon

There are only two national park service locations in North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, dedicated to the great president and nature-enthusiast who led the charge to inspire conservation, and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site a little farther north. The national park offers scenic driving routes throughout the park with expansive views of a rugged system of buttes and canyons. You can even see badlands from various viewpoints. There are hikes and small walks all around the park including those leading to a petrified tree and dino fossils. We learned on our trip that the weather in the Dakotas can be unpredictable so keep tabs on the forecast and an eye out for lightening if you get caught in a storm! We recommend staying at the Comfort Inn in Dickinson for an epic indoor water park complete with a water slide for kids of all ages.

Day 8: Rapid City, South Dakota

Nearby National Parks: Badlands, Jewel and Wind Caves, Mount Rushmore

The southwest region of South Dakota that is home to a cluster of national parks and monuments is so incredibly family friendly that its near impossible to pack into a travel brief. Badlands is by far one of our favorites for its amazing mix of prairie grass and eroded canyon displays, Jewel Cave has more diverse cavern features than Wind Cave that has mostly box work. There are so many attractions lining the road to Rushmore that you’ll definitely need to pick and choose in order to pack everything into one day. Mount Rushmore is just as majestic as it is in all the postcards and pictures you’ll find online, but be prepared for more crowds than at other parks and unfortunately your annual park pass will not work and you will have to pay to park.

Day 9: Salt Lake City, Utah

Nearby National Monuments and Historic Sites: Timpanogos Cave and Golden Spike 

The drive from Rapid City to our chosen destination, Salt Lake City, was the longest leg of the trip at 10 hours. By the end of any long trip we were feeling the effects of car-lag and ready to be home so it’s not surprising that our commentary here is a little lean. During the winter, the activities are pretty self-explanatory with slopes just outside the city, but in the springtime we warn you, it can be HOT! When we arrived in early June it was a sweltering 100 degrees! There is of course the Great Salt Lake which to this day brings back memories of making learning to float so easy due to the salinity of the lake being far higher than the ocean. It is ironic that I have those memories though because although you can swim in it, many choose not to because of the amount of shrimp and flies buzzing around. I’d still say its worth a look though. If you head south I highly recommend stopping by the many other national parks like Zion and Bryce Canyon for some added adventure.

Day 10: Sunny Southern California

Nearby National Park and Monument: Joshua Tree and Cabrillo

Although it may not be your home base it is ours, and for the sake of your traveling pleasure there are a million places and things to see in sunny southern California that are family friendly. Joshua Tree National Park is our local weekend getaway located about two hours east of Orange County with ideal desert landscape and of course its namesake trees. Cabrillo National Monument is a bit more south in the San Diego region and an easy stop for any SoCal family adventure. Then of course the list goes on to the happiest place on earth in Anaheim and Legoland in Carlsbad. This is just a snapshot of the many things SoCal offers families, as you’ll hear from many others Sunny Southern California can very well constitute a dedicated vacation to maximize your experience.