How we packed up three kids, zero reservations, and chased Yellowstone across the American West — and why it became the trip of a lifetime
In August of 2020, we loaded up our three kids, a tent, a small ice chest, a bucket of camping gear, and headed west toward Yellowstone. No reservations. No itinerary. Just a family that needed to breathe.
It’s no secret that 2020 was stressful for the entire world, but our family was carrying an extra layer. We’d been navigating sick family members for months, and two days before we left, Todd received a phone call that his job had been eliminated. This trip wasn’t just a vacation — it was a lifeline. And the open road has a way of delivering exactly what you need.
Our oldest had wanted to see Yellowstone for years. Making that happen for him felt huge. What followed was 12 days, five states, some of the most spectacular landscapes in this country, and a snap decision in Jackson, Wyoming that sent us through the night to Utah. Here’s everything — exactly how we did it, what we’d do again, and what we’d do differently.
Stop 1 · South Dakota
Sioux Falls
Overnight camp · Gateway stop · Campendium App find
Our first overnight was purely logistical — we arrived after dark and left after sunrise. We found our campground through the Campendium App, which quickly became one of our most-used tools on the entire trip. We didn’t spend much time in Sioux Falls itself, but it’s a solid stopping point to break up the long drive west before the real adventure begins.
Family tip:
Download the Campendium App before you leave home. It makes finding campgrounds on the fly incredibly easy — especially when you’re traveling without reservations. Filter by amenities, read real reviews from other road trippers, and find spots in minutes.
Stop 2 · South Dakota
Badlands National Park
Day visit · GuideAlong audio tour · Kid approved
Pulling up to the Badlands and seeing those white canyons for the first time is just incredible. The landscape hits you all at once — jagged spires, layered canyons, an eerie silence broken only by wind. All three kids were completely in awe. That doesn’t happen often.
App we love:
Download the GuideAlong App for your Badlands drive — it’s like having a personal tour guide in the car. We used it for every park on this trip and it is worth every single penny. Buy the tour before you arrive so it’s ready to go when you pull up to the entrance.
Bonus Stop · South Dakota
Wall Drug
Iconic American roadside stop · Non-negotiable
You have to make this stop. Todd initially said we didn’t have time, but all those billboards along the way made a pretty compelling argument. Wall Drug is one of those great American roadside wonders you need to experience at least once. Google it before you go so the kids know what’s coming — the anticipation of seeing those billboards alone is half the fun.
Order this: The Bison Burger and fries. Non-negotiable. You can thank me later.
Stop 3 · South Dakota
Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Horse
Half to full day · Walk the full base · Museum included
I’ve heard from people who found Mt. Rushmore underwhelming, and from people who were blown away. Both times I’ve been, I’ve liked it. The key is not just looking at the faces — walk the entire base of the mountain and spend time in the museum learning how it was constructed. The history makes the experience.
Movie night prep:
Watch Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) before you visit — it was partially filmed at Mt. Rushmore and is a classic road trip movie. A great way to build excitement with older kids before you arrive.
Crazy Horse hit differently than Mt. Rushmore — and I mean that as a compliment. The Crazy Horse Memorial is the world’s largest mountain carving, still under active construction today, fully funded by private donations. It was initiated in 1948 by Chief Henry Standing Bear who wanted the world to know that Native Americans had heroes too. Seeing the progress that had been made from my first visit in 2002 to 2020 was remarkable. This is one of the most important stops on the entire route for our family.
Stop 4 · Wyoming
Devil’s Tower & Little Bighorn
Day stops en route to Yellowstone · History-rich
Devil’s Tower is a fascinating and unique stop. Walk the paved trail around the full base — it’s easy enough for little legs but gives you a real sense of just how massive it is. Our kids loved scrambling on the large boulders nearby. It’s one of the best stops on the route for getting everyone out of the car and burning off energy.
Little Bighorn Battlefield is a small site — you don’t need a full day — but if you’re even a little interested in American and Native American history, it’s absolutely worth the stop. It connected meaningfully to everything we’d learned at Crazy Horse and added another layer of depth to our kids’ understanding of this chapter of history.
Family tip: These are amazing to see & I had *always* wanted to see them when I was a kid, so that’s why we went a bit out of our way to see them. You can skip them if you want to spend more time in a different area.
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Stop 5 · Wyoming / Montana
Yellowstone National Park
4 nights · 5 days · One of my favorite stops of the entire trip
Our oldest had been asking to go to Yellowstone for years. Years. Getting to watch him — and all three kids — experience it for the first time was one of the greatest parenting moments I can imagine. This was also my second time visiting and I loved getting to see it through their eyes.
“The first drive into Lamar Valley when the bison came into view made the car go completely silent.”
Where We Stayed
We split our Yellowstone time between two very different bases. For the first two nights, we stayed at the Big Moose Resort in Cooke City, Montana — a small, economical, beautiful property right at the Northeast entrance (the Lamar Valley / Silver Gate entrance). Don’t expect cell service. It was the perfect basecamp for that side of the park and put us right in prime wildlife territory.
From there, we moved to Bridge Bay Campground for two nights. Full transparency: night one was rough — no trees, tents packed together, loud neighbors. It felt more like a music festival than a national park. We found a cancellation in a different section the next morning, moved spots, and night two was everything camping should be. Elk wandered through at dusk & sunrise. Absolute magic.
Campground tip:
If you can get a spot at Canyon Campground — grab it immediately. It sells out incredibly fast. Bridge Bay works well if you’re flexible about your site location — don’t be afraid to move if your first spot isn’t great. The GuideAlong App for Yellowstone is essential: ~480 stops in the app and we hit at least 400 of them. Worth every penny.
Must-See Stops in Yellowstone
Don’t leave without seeing these
- Old Faithful
- Grand Prismatic Spring
- Roosevelt Arch
- Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
- Mammoth Hot Springs
- Lamar Valley — best wildlife viewing in the park
Wildlife tip for families:
Get your kids in their pajamas at dusk and do a Lamar Valley wildlife drive. Bison, elk, eagles — it feels absolutely magical. We saw every animal in the park except a bear and a wolf. Which means we have to go back.
Stop 6 · Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park
1 day · Jenny Lake · Cascade Canyon · Hidden gem of the trip
We only had one day in the Tetons and we made every minute count. The Cascade Canyon trail is the most beautiful mountain pass I have ever seen. We hiked nine miles total. If you’re on a time crunch, at minimum do Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls to Inspiration Point and catch the ferry back across Jenny Lake. The kids will talk about that boat ride for years.
“Three gigantic moose on the trail, right beside us. Todd and the kids didn’t even see them at first. I whispered his name and pointed.”
Those moose were enormous and very close. We took photos carefully from a distance on our way out. They are dangerous — please do not approach them. We watched a group of hikers doing exactly that and it made everyone nervous. Give wildlife space.
Our one regret:
Our kids begged to swim at Jenny Lake and we said no because we were hungry and wanted to get to Jackson. Just stop and let them swim. They still bring it up. A 30 minute stop of swimming would have been worth it every time.
Stop 7 · Wyoming
Jackson
Dinner stop · Hand Fire Pizza
We grabbed dinner at Hand Fire Pizza after hiking nine miles — we were so hungry that it may have tasted better than it actually was or it genuinely was great pizza. Probably both. The food was really good. The staff were noticeably less than thrilled about having kids in that evening, which I didn’t love given that our kids were quiet and well behaved. Food was worth it — just know what you’re walking into if you’re going with little kiddos.
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And then we changed the plan entirely.
Stop 8 · Utah
Salt Lake City & Moab
Snap decision · Night drive through Idaho · Best detour of the trip
Somewhere between Jackson and what was supposed to be a drive toward Denver, we made a snap decision: we were going to Utah instead. I had always wanted to see Arches National Park. We drove through Idaho in the dark, had an insane encounter with a massive and arrived in Salt Lake City at 1:30 in the morning, completely wiped. We explored until checkout at 11:00 AM and then pushed south toward Moab.
We found a super cute motel in Moab and spent the next day at Arches. In 2020 ticketed entry wasn’t required — it is now, so book your entry through recreation.gov before you arrive. The GuideAlong App for Arches is essential too — it shows you all the best stops, teaches you the park history, and helps you find the right trailheads.
Don’t miss these in Arches:
- Delicate Arch — hike it, but go early if you’re going in summer months & take tons of water
- Double Arch
- The Windows Section
- Skyline Arch
- Balanced Rock
Don’t make our mistake:
Canyonlands National Park is right next to Arches and we deeply regret skipping it. We were too focused on getting to Rocky Mountain National Park. If you have an extra day, go to Canyonlands. You won’t regret it.
The ending we didn’t plan · Colorado
When the Mountains Have Other Plans
We had planned to end the trip at Rocky Mountain National Park. Wildfires across Colorado had other ideas. We rerouted our entire drive to Denver to get around the smoke, and by the time we arrived, air quality alerts were stacking up. We got a hotel and waited, hoping things would clear. They didn’t.
We did get to spend some time in Colorado Springs to see Garden of the Gods. We celebrated our youngest turning 5 at the city park. And fun Arkansas trivia, there’s a Walmart Supercenter on a road named “Razorback Rd” — it’s a fun stop as an Arkansan.
But in the end, we had to make the call to head home to Bentonville. I won’t pretend I wasn’t heartbroken. I didn’t want it to end. Not even a little.
It had been the best 12 days. Zero reservations. Only wished we could keep going.
The kids had seen bison roam free across Lamar Valley, hiked beside moose in the Tetons, stood under Delicate Arch in the Utah desert, and watched elk walk through their campsite at dusk. Todd needed to get home to start the job search. We pointed the car east and drove home — happy, road-worn, and full in every way that matters.
Apps & Resources We Swear By
GuideAlong AppGPS: triggered audio tours for the Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Arches. Like having a personal tour guide in the car. Buy every tour that applies to your route — worth every penny.
Campendium App: The best way to find campgrounds on the fly when you’re traveling without reservations. Filter by amenities, read real reviews, and book in minutes.
recreation.gov: Book Arches ticketed entry and Yellowstone campground reservations here. Do it the moment reservations open — Canyon Campground sells out immediately.
Booking.com: Our go-to for finding family-friendly hotels on the road same-day. Filter by family amenities and sort by rating. We never got stuck without a room. We mostly stayed at Hyatt Places because they have a fold out couch & can fit our family of 5. Plus, they have top notch breakfasts!
Trip at a glance
- 12 days total
- 3 kids · ages 4, 8 & 11
- Bentonville, AR start
- Zero reservations
- Mix of camping & hotels
- Several states covered
Gear we packed:
- Ozark Trail tent (you have to give Yellowstone your tent size & your car size- so know those)
- 2 air mattresses
- Sleeping bags
- Small camp kitchen: Coleman Stove, Lantern
- Small ice chest
- Refilled groceries as needed
- BEAR SPRAY – do not hike in any of those national parks without it!
We are light campers & we camp on the go, so we don’t have a huge set up. We honestly set up camp, sleep, take down camp, & move on to our next destination.
What we ate
Lots of sub sandwiches, chips, sodas, and fruit. Refilled groceries in small amounts along the way. Practical over fancy — no regrets. We made the occasional restaurant stop (ate at a steak house in Wyoming that was terrible), but it was rare. Though self admittedly we were sick of eating out of an ice chest by the end & we made a lot of Chick Fil A stops.
Would we do it again?
Zero reservations, zero regrets. The flexibility made the trip. We could follow our instincts, stay longer where we loved it, and pivot entirely when the mood struck — which is exactly how we ended up in Utah.