American Parks Trail: Self-Launched – Salt Lake City to Denver (9 Days)

Fly into Salt Lake City International Airport and pick up your hire car — budget around £40-55/day with companies like Enterprise or Budget booked in advance. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in downtown SLC. In the evening, drive or walk to a viewpoint overlooking the Great Salt Lake at sunset. Head out for dinner on foot — Salt Lake City's downtown has great affordable dining options. The Wasatch Range looms dramatically to the east and makes for a stunning backdrop as you settle in.

🚌Hire car from SLC airport — book in advance via Rentalcars.com or similar; ~£45-55/day

🛏The Avenues Hostel (Salt Lake City) or similar budget hotel downtown — ~£30-45/night per person sharing

• →Pick up hire car at Salt Lake City International Airport
• →Check in to hostel or budget hotel in downtown SLC
• →Drive to Great Salt Lake overlook at Antelope Island State Park (~£8 entry per vehicle)
• →Explore downtown Salt Lake City on foot
• →Dinner at a local restaurant — try Pago or Red Iguana for great value

Start the day with a self-guided visit to the Utah State Capitol building — free to enter and worth 30 minutes of your time. Then head north on US-89 through the stunning Logan Canyon, a scenic drive of about an hour through dramatic limestone cliffs and forested gorges. Stop at Bear Lake Summit for sweeping views over the turquoise 'Caribbean of the Rockies'. Grab lunch at a roadside café near Bear Lake before continuing north into Wyoming. Arrive in Jackson in the late afternoon and explore the famous Town Square with its iconic elk antler arches. Browse the boutique galleries and shops, then grab dinner at one of Jackson's many options — Pinky G's Pizzeria is excellent value.

🚌Self-drive hire car: Salt Lake City to Jackson via US-89 (~5 hrs, ~320 miles). Fuel cost ~£30-35 split between travellers.

🛏Hostel X Jackson or Anvil Hotel (budget option) — ~£35-50/night per person sharing

• →Self-guided visit to Utah State Capitol (free entry)
• →Scenic drive through Logan Canyon on US-89 (free)
• →Stop at Bear Lake Summit scenic viewpoint (free)
• →Lunch near Bear Lake at a local café — ~£10-15
• →Explore Jackson Town Square and elk antler arches (free)
• →Browse boutique galleries and shops in Jackson

Buy a combined Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park pass (~£30/vehicle, valid 7 days — great value). Head north on US-191 through Grand Teton National Park, stopping at iconic viewpoints like Schwabacher Landing and Snake River Overlook for those classic Grand Teton mountain shots. If you fancy a float down the Snake River, book independently via Mad River Boat Trips (~£40pp). Continue north into Yellowstone and check into your accommodation near the park. In the evening, walk the Norris Geyser Basin boardwalk as the sun sets.

🚌Self-drive hire car: Jackson to Yellowstone South Entrance via Grand Teton (~2 hrs, ~90 miles). Fuel ~£10 split.

🛏Madison Campground (Yellowstone, book via recreation.gov ~£18pp) or Yellowstone's budget cabins at Roosevelt Lodge (~£45-60pp sharing)

• →Purchase 7-day Grand Teton & Yellowstone combined pass (~£30/vehicle)
• →Drive through Grand Teton National Park on US-191 with stops at Snake River Overlook and Schwabacher Landing
• →Optional: Snake River scenic float trip via Mad River Boat Trips (~£40pp, book direct)
• →Enter Yellowstone National Park
• →Evening walk at Norris Geyser Basin boardwalk

A full day to explore the wonders of Yellowstone on a classic self-driven loop. Start at the Upper Geyser Basin to watch Old Faithful erupt (eruptions roughly every 90 minutes — check the predicted times at the visitor centre). Walk the boardwalk trails past the rainbow-tinted Grand Prismatic Spring and colourful bubbling mud pots. Drive north to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and hike down to Artist Point for breathtaking views of the Lower Falls. End the afternoon driving through Hayden Valley — the best spot in the park for bison, elk, and if you're lucky, wolves and grizzlies. Bring binoculars.

🚌Self-drive within Yellowstone — full loop ~80 miles. Fuel ~£8 split.

🛏Same as Day 3 — Madison Campground or Roosevelt Lodge cabins

• →Watch Old Faithful geyser erupt at Upper Geyser Basin (included in park pass)
• →Walk Grand Prismatic Spring boardwalk trail (included in pass)
• →View colourful bubbling mud pots at Fountain Paint Pot trail
• →Drive to Grand Canyon of Yellowstone — hike to Artist Point overlook
• →Wildlife drive through Hayden Valley (bison, elk, bears, wolves)
• →Pick up a free Junior Ranger booklet from any visitor centre for a fun self-guided framework

Drive east out of Yellowstone through the dramatic Shoshone Canyon on US-14/16/20 — one of America's great scenic drives, carved between towering volcanic rock walls. Stop in Cody and visit the Buffalo Bill Centre of the West, one of the finest museums in the American West covering art, natural history, Native American culture, and the legend of Buffalo Bill (entry ~£18pp). Continue east into the Bighorn National Forest via US-14 for epic mountain scenery. Tonight, stay at a ranch or budget motel near Ten Sleep or Ucross for an authentic Wyoming experience. Many ranches offer dinner and a fire pit for guests.

🚌Self-drive: Yellowstone East Entrance to Cody to Bighorn Basin (~3.5 hrs, ~180 miles). Fuel ~£18 split.

🛏Twin Creek Cabins or a budget motel near Ucross/Ten Sleep — ~£35-55/night per person sharing. Or camp at Tie Flume Campground in Bighorn NF (~£10pp)

• →Drive through Shoshone Canyon on US-14/16/20 (free, scenic)
• →Visit Buffalo Bill Centre of the West, Cody (~£18pp, book direct or via museum website)
• →Scenic drive through Absaroka Mountains and Bighorn National Forest on US-14
• →Check in at a budget ranch stay or motel near Ten Sleep/Ucross
• →Evening campfire — many ranch stays and campgrounds offer fire pits

Head east on US-14 toward Devils Tower National Monument — a striking volcanic monolith sacred to many Native American tribes. Entry is ~£18/vehicle. Walk the 1.3-mile Tower Trail that circles the base, offering incredible perspectives of the towering columns. Continue east into South Dakota and the beautiful Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway — a stunning 22-mile drive through limestone canyon walls draped in pines, with waterfalls and wildlife. Arrive in the Black Hills area and check in. If you want to ride horses, book independently with one of the many local stables in the area (~£40-60 for a 1-2 hour ride).

🚌Self-drive: Bighorn area to Devils Tower to Black Hills (~3.5 hrs, ~200 miles). Fuel ~£20 split.

🛏Spearfish Canyon Lodge (mid-budget) or Spearfish KOA cabins — ~£30-50/night per person sharing

• →Visit Devils Tower National Monument (~£18/vehicle entry, valid 7 days)
• →Walk the 1.3-mile Tower Trail loop around the base
• →Drive Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (free, ~22 miles)
• →Optional: Horseback ride with a local Black Hills stable (~£40-60pp, book direct)
• →Optional: Trout fishing on Spearfish Creek (Wyoming fishing licence ~£10/day)

Drive south-east toward the Oglala Lakota Nation and visit the Red Cloud Heritage Center (formerly Oglala Lakota Living History Museum) near Pine Ridge for a powerful and important perspective on Native American history and culture (~£5-10 suggested donation). Continue to Badlands National Park — one of America's most otherworldly landscapes, a vast moonscape of jagged spires, eroded buttes, and fossil-rich prairie. Entry is ~£20/vehicle (valid 7 days). Drive the 30-mile Badlands Loop Road, stop at multiple overlooks, and hike the Notch Trail or Door Trail for up-close views. Stay in or near the park tonight.

🚌Self-drive: Black Hills to Badlands NP (~2 hrs, ~100 miles). Fuel ~£10 split.

🛏Cedar Pass Lodge inside Badlands NP (~£55-70/night per person sharing) or Cedar Pass Campground (~£10-15pp). Budget Cedar Pass Campground is especially atmospheric.

• →Visit Red Cloud Heritage Center / Oglala Lakota cultural site near Pine Ridge (~£5-10 donation)
• →Enter Badlands National Park (~£20/vehicle, 7-day pass)
• →Drive the 30-mile Badlands Loop Road with overlook stops (free with pass)
• →Hike the Notch Trail (~2.5 miles round trip, moderate) or Door Trail (~0.75 miles, easy)
• →Wildlife spotting — bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and pronghorn are common

Drive west back into the Black Hills for two of South Dakota's most iconic sights. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is free to visit (there's a parking fee of ~£10). Walk the Presidential Trail loop for the best close-up views of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Then head south to Crazy Horse Memorial — an even more monumental ongoing carving of the Lakota leader. Entry is ~£12pp and includes access to the Indian Museum of North America. In the evening, check into Custer State Park where bison roam freely. Celebrate your penultimate night with a self-cooked dinner at camp or dinner at the State Game Lodge.

🚌Self-drive: Badlands to Mount Rushmore to Custer SP (~2.5 hrs, ~110 miles). Fuel ~£12 split.

🛏Custer State Park Campground (~£12-15pp) or Blue Bell Lodge cabins (~£40-55pp sharing)

• →Visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial (free entry, ~£10 parking fee per vehicle)
• →Walk the Presidential Trail loop for close-up views (free)
• →Visit Crazy Horse Memorial (~£12pp, book direct at crazyhorsememorial.org)
• →Explore Indian Museum of North America at Crazy Horse (included in entry)
• →Drive the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road (~18 miles, £7/vehicle entry) — bison herds, burros, pronghorn
• →Celebration dinner at a local restaurant or self-cooked at campsite

Pack up and begin the final drive south through Wyoming and into Colorado, arriving in Denver in the afternoon. Return your hire car at Denver International Airport. If your flight doesn't leave until tomorrow, Denver is a fantastic city to explore — the 16th Street Mall, RiNo Arts District, and the Museum of Nature and Science are all worth a few hours. Denver's craft beer scene is world-class; try Wynkoop Brewing Company for a farewell pint. Denver International Airport is well-connected to the city centre by the University of Colorado A Line train (~£8 one way).

🚌Self-drive: Custer State Park to Denver (~6 hrs, ~380 miles). Fuel ~£35-40 split. DIA train to city ~£8pp.

🛏11th Avenue Hotel & Hostel Denver or Denver International Hostel (~£25-35pp) if staying an extra night

• →Scenic morning drive south through Wyoming and Colorado on I-25
• →Return hire car at Denver International Airport
• →Optional: Explore Denver's 16th Street Mall, RiNo Arts District, or LoDo neighbourhood
• →Optional: Denver Museum of Nature and Science (~£15pp)
• →Farewell drink at Wynkoop Brewing Company or a craft bar in LoDo
• →City centre to DIA via University of Colorado A Line train (~£8)