National Parks Explored

Enjoy a day exploring the highlights of Denver. Don't miss the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado History Museum or explore the city's many excellent art galleries. Alternatively, relax in Larimer Square and sample some excellent local cuisine while people watching.

Pick up your hire car and drive north past Roosevelt National Forest to the town of Cheyenne, just across the border into Wyoming. Cheyenne still exudes the atmosphere of the Wild West. Be sure to visit the Wyoming State Museum and the Union Pacific Railway terminus.

Travel north from Cheyenne to Custer State Park in South Dakota. You may wish to visit Thunder Basin National Grassland en route which offers excellent bison watching.

Spend the morning looking for bison on the grassy plains of Custer State Park or visiting the remarkable geological feature of Jewel Cave National Monument. A highlight of the region are Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse national monuments, indelibly carved from the natural rock.

Leaving Custer, you may wish to visit the old Wild West town of Deadwood and Devil's Tower National Monument before continuing on to Sheridan. The afternoon is free to explore this fascinating Western town.

Travel west from Sheridan to Cody. Do ensure you spend some time exploring Bighorn National Park where herds of wild horses roam amid spectacular mountain scenery.

Cody is a great place to soak up the spirit of the old West. A highlight of the town is the Buffalo Bill Historical Centre, which was originally founded in 1912, and comprises several distinct museums including the Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum and the Draper Museum of Natural History. Other attractions include Old Trail Town which exhibits a collection of authentic Victorian buildings from the surrounding region and a host of Wild West shops. Don't leave town without investing in some cowboy boots, or at least a hand-crafted belt or buckle.

Your drive today takes you in to Yellowstone National Park. The scenery gets ever more spectacular as you approach Yellowstone Lake. Do ensure you keep a look out for wildlife which thrives here.

Enjoy a full day in Yellowstone. This magnificent park offers a wide range of activities such as walking, canoeing and mountain biking. Be sure to visit "Old Faithful", the park's renowned geyser, as well as the colourfully-hued lakes, boiling mud and sulphurous springs. Elk, bison, antelope and wolves abound so do keep your camera handy.

Leaving Yellowstone, drive south through magnificent mountain scenery to Grand Teton National Park. The afternoon is free to explore the little town of Jackson or go walking, boating, cycling or horse-riding.

Jackson is a unique old Western styled town surrounded by prairie land, lakes and the Grand Teton mountains and home to tree-lined squares, designer boutiques, craft shops and art galleries linked by wooden boardwalks.

Depart Grand Teton National Park and drive south along the banks of the Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest to Salt Lake City. The afternoon is free for you to explore this lovely city.

You have a full day today to explore the great city of Salt Lake City. You may wish to take a hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon, visit Red Butte Gardens or the Mormon temple or simply enjoy the eclectic shops and the pavement cafés.

Drive from Salt Lake City through Fishlake National Forest to the magnificent Bryce Canyon National Park. Be sure to visit Bryce Canyon's magnificent scenery which is especially beautiful at sunset.

Drive through spectacular red rock mountain vistas as you wind your way south towards Zion National Park. The afternoon is free to explore the little town of Springfield, lying at the gateway to Zion National Park, or exploring the park itself.

Spend a full day in Zion National Park. There are many activities available and some truly magnificent mountain scenery to explore. You may wish to take a hike to the Narrows, the Emerald Pools or walk one of the many trails.

Drive from Zion National Park into Arizona. This route takes you through wonderful forest scenery through the town of Kanab to Page on the edge of Lake Powell. You may wish to take a boat trip on the lake this afternoon.

Drive from Page to Monument Valley where you have the afternoon free to explore this incredible landscape. Be sure to take a Navajo-guided tour through the valley to learn all about its flora, fauna, geology and Navajo history.

Leaving Monument Valley, drive east through New Mexico and into Colorado. Be sure to stop at some of the many marvellous Ancestral Pueblo Indian sites along the way, such as Hovenweep National Monument. Your destination is the stunning Mesa Verde National Park.

Mesa Verde National Park awaits your discovery today. Visit the Ancient Pueblo Indian dwellings of the National Park to learn all about this fascinating civilisation and be amazed at their stunning cliff dwellings. You may also wish to hike the trails that lead through this excellent national park.

Today your drive takes you through the heart of Colorado and the Rio Grande National Forest to the pretty town of Alamosa.

Drive past California Peak, the most southerly in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and through the town of Pueblo, arriving at Colorado Springs where the remainder of the afternoon is free to explore.

There is time this morning for last minute shopping and sightseeing before driving back to Denver and returning your hire car at the airport prior to boarding your onward flight.