South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer
United States
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See natural wonders in South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park on this seven-day small group adventure that packs plenty of wonders into a short amount of time. Uncover the beauty of Badlands National Park before you travel to Mount Rushmore, spot buffalo in Custer State Park and continue to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Get a taste of the Wild West with a stop in Deadwood and an overnight stay in Cody. Then, spend two nights at Yellowstone National Park, where you’ll spot wildlife, watch Old Faithful spray water into the air and join a wolf-tracking expedition. With easy to moderate walks, comfortable accommodation and a knowledgeable leader, this nature focussed adventure is big on beauty.
Availability
From 24/05/2025 to 18/09/2026
Departure dates & prices
Dates
Availability
Price
What's included
Jump in a jeep to safari with an expert guide and see buffalo up close, along with pronghorns and elk, in Custer State Park.
Marvel at the iconic monument of Mount Rushmore, where a short walk will take you up close to this famous mountain sculpture.
Join an expert naturalist guide on a wolf-tracking expedition at Yellowstone National Park in the wee hours of the morning – home to Old Faithful Geyser and the Grand Prismatic Spring.
Get a taste of the wild west during visits to Deadwood and Cody, two towns famous for their role in the USA’s Gold Rush era.
By travelling on this trip, you’ll learn about our Intrepid Foundation partner, the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance.
Donations help them create inclusive and equitable opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) tourism businesses.
Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.
Breakfasts Included: 6.
Lunches Included: 2.
Dinners Included: 1.
Cabin (2 nights),Hotel (4 nights).
Private vehicle.
Age: min 15.
Group Size: 1 - 12.
Badlands National Park – Hiking.
Badlands National Park – Scenic Drive.
Custer State Park - Buffalo Safari.
Custer - Crazy Horse Memorial.
Black Hills - Mount Rushmore.
Deadwood visit.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument -guided tour with a Crow Nation Guide.
Cody - Leader-led orientation walk.
Yellowstone National Park - Southern Loop Featuring Old Faithful Geyser & Grand Prismatic Spring.
Yellowstone National Park - Northern Loop Featuring Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone & Norris Geyser Basin.
Yellowstone - Wolf Tracking Expedition.
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Itinerary
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1 - Rapid City Welcome to South Dakota! Your adventure starts at 10 am with a welcome meeting in Rapid City. After, take a short drive to the iconic Wall Drug Store - drawing millions of visitors every year, it's hard to believe this store won over customers in its early days by offering something as simple as free ice water. Take some time to wander around and grab some lunch before heading to Badlands National Park. Have your camera handy to capture the sweeping prairie grass plains and dramatic rocky pinnacles. If you're lucky, you'll spot bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, chirping prairie dogs and American bison. Take a short hike on one of the scenic trails before continuing to your lodge in Custer. Your home for the next two nights will be a cabin where you can immerse yourself in the Western feel of this historic-style accommodation. Tonight, you'll have a group dinner at the lodge to settle in and get to know your fellow travellers.
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2 - Custer Enjoy breakfast at the lodge, then it's time to jump in a jeep and go wild on a buffalo safari. Trek through the Custer State Park in an open-air jeep as your expert guide shares historical and educational facts and helps you spot pronghorns, elk and buffalo. After, you'll visit the Crazy Horse Memorial - the largest mountain carving in the Black Hills (widely considered the Eighth Wonder of the World in progress). Then continue to the famous Mount Rushmore to walk the Presidential Trail - this is a great spot to grab a photo! Tonight, you're free to grab dinner at your accommodation or a nearby local restaurant.
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3 - Sherridan Have a final breakfast in Custer, and then drive north to the city of Deadwood. Made famous for playing host to Wild West names like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, many of its Gold Rush-era buildings are preserved to this day. Your leader will take you on an orientation walk, and then you'll have free time to do some exploring of your own - why not get fitted out in a new cowboy hat? Regroup for an included lunch, and then head back out on the road heading to Sherridan. It's a long afternoon of driving, so sit back, relax and enjoy the rolling prairie views. Check into your accommodation, and then settling in for the evening.
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4 - Cody After breakfast, drive to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. There, you'll join a Crow Nation Guide for a tour that provides an Apsaalooke perspective on the conflict. With a tribal historian at your side, you'll traverse the battlefield and learn how Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors defeated the US Army on the Greasy Grass at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Grab lunch after your visit, and then make your way to Cody, Wyoming. Join an orientation walk with your leader around the quintessentially western town, scoping out the best spots for a BBQ dinner or your own pair of cowboy boots.
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5 - West Yellowstone Depart Cody and drive west towards Yellowstone National Park - one of the country's most popular, expansive, and beautiful national parks. When you arrive at Yellowstone, you'll head straight for a visit to the Old Faithful Geyser - a must-see for any trip to the park, Old Faithful is a cone geyser with striking colours and a predictable geothermal eruption (hence the name). Watch as it sprays over 4000 gallons (14,000 litres) of boiling water into the air, then be hypnotised by the startling colours of the Grand Prismatic Spring. After, you'll check into your hotel in West Yellowstone.
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6 - Yellowstone National Park Today after breakfast, you'll continue to explore the gorgeous Yellowstone National Park, looking out for grizzly bears, wolves, buffalo and elk roaming free. Visit The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (a great spot for photos) and then explore the Norris Geyser Basin - the hottest and oldest geyser in the park. Tonight, you're free for dinner, so maybe get your group together and say a pre-final day goodbye over a couple of drinks.
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7 - Yellowstone Wolf Tracking You'll be up before the sun this morning, but it's for a good reason! You'll head back into Yellowstone to join a wolf-tracking expedition with an experienced naturalist guide. There's no better place than Yellowstone to see these magnificent animals in the wild. Your guide tracks the movements and behaviour of Yellowstone wildlife almost daily and knows the best places to find the animals. There will be top-of-the-line binoculars for everyone and high-powered spotting scopes, so no one will miss out. Afterward, travel to Bozeman, where your adventure ends at around 4 pm this afternoon. If you'd like to stay in the area for longer, just speak to your booking agent.
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