Salt Lake City to Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore and Devil’s Tower 4-Day Tour

Today, we’ll depart from Salt Lake City and head to Jackson, a charming western cowboy town and renowned resort destination. Be sure to visit Jackson Town Square, home to the iconic Elk Antler Arches at the heart of the city. In the afternoon, we’ll enter Grand Teton National Park, where towering, glacier-covered peaks create a landscape that feels like a dream. We’ll then continue to Yellowstone National Park—the world’s first national park—where the beauty of Yellowstone Lake and the park’s incredible geothermal wonders showcase nature’s most magical creations. We’ll spend the night in West Yellowstone.

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Itinerary：

Salt Lake City → Jackson → Jackson Town Square with Elk Antler Arches → Grand Teton National Park → Yellowstone National Park (Head to visit West Thumb Geyser Basin, Old Faithful Geyser, Grand Prismatic Hot Spring, Palette, Biscuit Basin and other attractions. The tour guide will be adjusted according to the actual situation of the day, please refer to the actual arrangement.) → West Yellowstone

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Jackson Town Square with Elk Antler Arches

Jackson Town Square features four distinctive arches made from thousands of elk antlers, creating a truly unique landmark. It’s a remarkable place to explore, offering a memorable experience for every visitor.
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Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park, nestled in the Rocky Mountains of northwest Wyoming, is renowned for its breathtaking mountain views and sparkling alpine lakes. The park is also a haven for diverse and abundant wildlife, making it a true natural treasure.

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Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park—the first national park in the United States—is a must-see treasure filled with year-round scenic beauty. It offers incredible opportunities to observe wildlife as animals migrate in and out of the park throughout the seasons. No matter where you go in Yellowstone, you’re likely to spot some of its iconic residents, including bears, wolves, moose, elk, bison, and more!
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West Thumb Geyser Basin

The West Thumb Geyser Basin is located on the western edge of a large bay along the shores of Yellowstone Lake. This area lies within the West Thumb caldera, formed by a volcanic eruption approximately 174,000 years ago. The bay itself is a smaller caldera nested within the larger Yellowstone caldera, which later filled with water to form the bay seen today.

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Old Faithful Geyser

Old Faithful, located in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin, is one of the park’s most iconic natural landmarks. Renowned for its reliability, this cone geyser erupts approximately every 91 minutes, delighting visitors with its regular displays.
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The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring, measuring about 370 feet (110 meters) in diameter and 160 feet (50 meters) deep, releases around 560 gallons (2,100 liters) of 160°F (70°C) water every minute. It is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. The spring’s vibrant colors are created by microbial mats that thrive around the edges of the mineral-rich water.

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Fountain Paint Pot

The Fountain Paint Pot gets its name from the vibrant reds, yellows, and browns found in the mud, which result from varying oxidation states of iron. Like all hot springs, it is heated by the caldera beneath, which forces pressurized water upward through the ground. Gases rising from below create the bubbling effect seen at the surface. The intensity of this bubbling changes with the seasons.
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Hotel：Yellowstone Country Inn; Dude & Roundup; Travelers Lodge; or similar

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Join us this morning as we continue our journey through the stunning beauty of Yellowstone National Park! Today’s adventure includes visits to the dynamic Norris Geyser Basin, the majestic Upper Yellowstone Falls, and several other natural wonders. In the afternoon, we’ll cross the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains—known as the Great Backbone of North America—taking in the spectacular scenery along the way. Tonight, we’ll settle in for an overnight stay in Gillette.

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Itinerary:

West Yellowstone → Yellowstone National Park (stop at Yellowstone Norris Geyser Basin, Upper Yellowstone Falls, Artist Point and other attractions. Passing by Mud Volcano Area, Hayden Valley, Fishing Bridge. The tour guide will be adjusted according to the actual situation of the day, please refer to the actual arrangement.) → Gillette

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Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin, named after one of Yellowstone’s early superintendents, is considered the hottest geyser basin in the park. The Porcelain Basin within it features a stark, barren landscape shaped by its highly acidic environment, which makes it difficult for plants, algae, and bacteria to thrive. Instead, the basin’s vivid colors come from mineral oxides—iron creating shades of pink, red, and orange, and sulfur and iron sulfates producing bright yellows. This basin is also home to Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world. Though its eruptions are infrequent, when it does erupt, it can shoot water nearly 380 feet into the air in a dramatic spectacle.

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Upper Yellowstone Falls

Just a quarter mile upstream from the larger Lower Falls, the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River cascade 109 feet over a rugged lava cliff into the basin below. The area beneath the falls has experienced more intense erosion compared to the calmer stretch above.

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Artist Point

Artist Point is one of the most breathtaking viewpoints in the Canyon Area of Yellowstone National Park. The canyon’s sheer walls plunge 700 feet to the river below, with the majestic Lower Falls visible upstream. Downstream, the canyon expands and deepens to a maximum depth of 1,540 feet. While the canyon walls are primarily yellow, they also display vibrant hues of blue, red, orange, and brown—colors that shift and intensify, especially after rainfall followed by bright sunshine.

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Mud Volcano Area

The Mud Volcano violently erupted in the early 20th century, leaving behind a striking crater that remains visible today. Surrounding the site are several fascinating geothermal features, including the Mud Cauldron, Black Dragon’s Caldron, and Dragon’s Mouth Spring, each offering a unique glimpse into Yellowstone’s dynamic geothermal landscape.

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Hotel：Comfort Inn & Suites Gillette near Campbell Medical Center; or similar

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Begin your day with a visit to the awe-inspiring Devil’s Tower, rising 1,267 feet above the valley floor. Its striking hexagonal columns are among the tallest and rarest in the world, making it a true geological wonder. You may also recognize it from the classic film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Next, we head to one of America’s most iconic landmarks—the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Gaze up at the towering faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, symbols of leadership and the enduring spirit that proves even the impossible can be achieved.

Our journey continues to the remarkable Crazy Horse Memorial, home to the world’s largest mountain carving. This powerful tribute to Native American heritage leaves a lasting impression.

Tonight, we’ll rest in Casper after a day filled with unforgettable sights.

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Itinerary:

Gillette → Devil’s Tower → Mount Rushmore → Crazy Horse Monument → Casper

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Devil’s Tower

Devils Tower is a laccolithic butte made of igneous rock, located in the Bear Lodge Mountains. The name “Devils Tower” dates back to an 1875 expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, during which an interpreter is said to have mistranslated a Native American name as “Bad God’s Tower.” According to geographic naming conventions, the apostrophe is omitted, so all official signage refers to it as “Devils Tower.”

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Mt Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial showcases a monumental sculpture carved into the granite face of the mountain. The memorial features 60-foot-tall likenesses of four U.S. presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—representing the nation’s founding, expansion, development, and preservation.

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Crazy Horse Monument

The Crazy Horse Memorial is a monumental sculpture in progress, located on privately owned land in the Black Hills of Custer County, South Dakota. It portrays the legendary Oglala Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, mounted on horseback and pointing toward his ancestral homeland. The carving is being shaped from Thunderhead Mountain, a site considered sacred by some Oglala Lakota, and lies about 17 miles (27 km) from Mount Rushmore. Construction began in 1948 and continues today, with the project still far from completion. Once finished, it is expected to be the second-tallest statue in the world, following the Statue of Unity.

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Hotel：Ramkota Hotel – Casper; or similar

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Today, we begin our journey with a visit to Independence Rock State Historic Site, a significant landmark for pioneers traveling across the American frontier. Over the years, hundreds of names have been carved into its solid granite surface, leaving a lasting record of those who passed by.

From there, we’ll continue to Salt Lake City and visit Capitol Hill, home to what is considered one of the most magnificent and costly state capitols in the United States. Inside the State Capitol building, we’ll admire its stunning architecture, detailed sculptures, and wealth of historical exhibits.

Our next stop is Temple Square, where we’ll join Mormon missionary sisters for a guided walk through this spiritual and cultural center of the LDS Church. Here, we’ll explore the history, values, and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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Utah State Capitol

The Utah State Capitol serves as the seat of government for the state of Utah. It houses the chambers and offices of the Utah State Legislature, as well as the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and State Auditor. Located on Capitol Hill, the Capitol overlooks downtown Salt Lake City and is the centerpiece of the Utah State Capitol Complex. Designed in the Neoclassical Revival style with Corinthian elements by architect Richard K.A. Kletting, the building was constructed between 1912 and 1916. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
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Temple Square

Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex in the heart of Salt Lake City, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The square includes several significant buildings and landmarks, such as the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitor centers. In 1964, Temple Square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in recognition of the Mormon contribution to the settlement and development of Utah.

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