Great Plains Roadtrip Part 2: The Western Expanse
Introduction
This post continues with part #2 of the Great Plains Road Trip.
In this chapter, we begin heading south from Medora, North Dakota, passing through South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and into New Mexico. Along the way, we’ll drive through the heart of the plains into the mountains, seeing lots of natural and historic sites along the way.
Strategy
During the actual trip, I followed the tips and tricks described in these guides.
In the year leading up to the trip, I positioned for a road trip by:
- Earning a 90k signup bonus from a Chase Ink card.
- Earning Hyatt Globalist status from a 20 night status match challenge.
The Journey
Leaving Medora, ND, I drove down 85 toward Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It’s a pleasant drive, passing by towns like Deadwood and Sturgis.
Mount Rushmore
Just before arriving in Mount Rushmore, you pass through the small town of Keystone which provides a lot of the tourist services for the area. It’s a little like a lighter version of Pigeon Forge with motels, helicopter tours, tram rides, mini-golf, a presidential wax museum and an old gold mine.
From there, you drive up a winding road to the park entrance. This is where you’ll get your first good looks of the monument. Drive cautiously as people sometimes slow down or pull over even when there isn’t a good place to do so.
The monument actually has a parking garage to handle the crowds, which can be quite large in July. It costs $10 to park, even for National Park annual pass holders, but admission to the park is free.
Sadly, you can’t take your dog past the main gate. When I was there, a lot of people hadn’t realized this and every few minutes a park ranger would have to grab someone and tell them they couldn’t enter. There were lots of moms or dads waiting outside with Snoodles while the rest of the family went in for a better look.
Past the entrance you are on the Avenue of Flags, which contains one flag for every territory and state in the US. With the monument perfectly centered at the end of the avenue it makes a great photo op.
I had a relatively tight timetable for the day, and with the crowds, decided to move on fairly quickly. This might be a nice place to visit in September or April, dodging the summer crowds.
Iron Mountain Road
After Rushmore, I followed the Iron Mountain Road south toward Custer State Park. Full of winding curves, one lane bridges and tunnels, the road is considered one of the country’s great scenic drives. With the wildfires hurting visibility, I didn’t get any great pictures, but here’s a timelapse video of the drive from an unrelated channel.
The Mammoth Site
About an hour south of Mount Rushmore, you’ll find The Mammoth Site. Back in the 70’s, a housing developer was digging for a project when they unearthed a 7-foot tusk. Over 60 mammoths have been unearthed, along with at least 87 other Late Ice Age animals.
The site has a beautiful wooden building protecting the dig site, which is apparently still active. You can walk over and around the dig. There’s also a museum with exhibits of ice age creatures and mammoths from around the world.
Admission was $14 but I thought it was well worth a stop.
Carhenge
Driving two hours further south into Nebraska, the haze from Canadian wildfires cleared away and the skies opened up to a bright blue. Great weather for Carhenge, the perfect iconic road trip monument.
Carhenge is a replica of Stonehenge constructed entirely of American made automobiles. It was built by Jim Reinders in 1987, with help from his family. Today, it’s maintained by the Friends of Carhenge and occasionally new sculptures are added to the “Car Art Reserve”.
While in the parking lot, another visitor gave me a stern talking to about leaving my dog in the car on a hot day. I had to explain that she was a stuffed animal. Definitely not the first time she’s been mistaken for a live dog.
After Carhenge, I wrapped up a full day’s travels with an hour sunset drive, racing trains to Torrence, Wyoming, where I stayed the night in a Holiday Inn Express.
Scott’s Bluff National Monument
Backtracking a bit, I returned to Nebraska the next day to explore Scott’s Bluff.
Surrounded by plains, Scott’s Bluff was an important landmark on the Oregon Trail. Even today, you can see wagon ruts from the old trail, winding through the cliffs. There’s a nice visitor center, and a wagon on display outside along the trail.
You can drive or walk to the top of the bluff. Trails along the top provide excellent views of the North Platte River and endless plains beyond. The summit seemed to support its own little ecosystem. Blue skies and sunflowers.
From Scott’s Bluff I drove south through grasslands along state route 71, all the way to the “town” of Last Chance, Colorado, which was little more than a crossroads. Then I turned west and made my way to Denver along SR-36, eventually merging with I-70. That night I stayed in the Aurora Hyatt Regency.
Garden of the Gods
From Denver, it was south to Colorado Springs where I visited Garden of the Gods.
This striking sandstone formation has been visited by Native Americans going back as far 1330 BC. There are lots of hiking trails and folks rock climbing. Below the garden is a farm and museum of sorts, with pigs, horses and chickens meandering about.
The formation was sacred to the Ute people who believe they were created there, a literal Garden of Eden of sorts, but with a coyote instead of a snake. At the same time, Cheyenne Mountain, aka NORAD, sits just 10 miles to the south ready to end the world where some believe it was created.
I stayed two nights at a Hyatt Place in Colorado Springs, to see the area, unwind from the road and catch up on work. Then it was time to move on southward.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park is about 3 hours south and west of Colorado Springs. The dunes fill a bend in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, catching sand from the area below which was once an inland sea.
It’s quite a hike across the plain to the dunes, and even harder climbing up into them. Some folks had brought sleds and sand boards for surfing down the dunes.
After visiting the dunes, I made my way onward another three and a half hours to a Hyatt Place just outside Santa Fe, NM to rest for the night before beginning the final leg of the journey on Route 66.
Lodging
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Torrington
Whether you are visiting Scottsbluff National Monument or heading to the Black Hills of South Dakota, our hotel's location in Torrington, Wyoming, makes it easy to view the area's rugged beauty.
Hyatt Regency Aurora
Steps to top medical center; ample event space, outdoor pool
Hyatt Place Garden of the Gods
Visit the red rocks at Garden of the Gods Park & Pikes Peak
Cost Summary
Overall, it was a great trip. I cut back a little on driving, covering just 900 miles in 5 days. Although I would have preferred some category one Hyatts, and some of the hotels had peak pricing, it was still pretty cheap, averaging under 9k per night.
- $80 in gas
- 4 Hyatt nights @ 35k
- 1 IHG night @ 20k
Continue on the adventure:
- Part 1: The North Road
- Part 2: The Western Expanse
- Part 3: Route 66