The Great American Road Trip (Part 1)

Melissa Meares
Nov 10, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Feb 18

Two people stand holding hands on a van roof, overlooking a vast desert landscape at sunset. The scene feels serene and adventurous. — Badlands National Park

There are 85 million acres of National Park land in the US and my husband and I set out in our self-converted camper van to explore as much of them as we could. If you've been following our journey, you know we spent the better part of 6 months doing a complete gut renovation of an old rusty work van to convert it into a van we could take on our adventures. You can see the van build here!

Our trip spanned 5 weeks, 2 countries, 19 states, 8 thousand miles, 13 national parks, a 4-day stint at a mechanic, and more beautiful sights than I thought possible.

Map of the US with a red travel route and blue markers. It starts in Tennessee, loops through the West Coast, and returns east. — This is the route we took

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Because we had our camper van, we mostly stayed in free campsites that we found on iOverlander, a few rest areas, and BLM land in the southwest. I will write another blog post later with a full van tour and more details about how living in a van works. If you do a trip like this though, you need this book. It was our Holy Grail and we used it multiple times a day every day!

We set off from Nashville, Tennessee, and did a counterclockwise loop around the western half of the country, reaching our northmost point in Alberta, Canada, and then driving down the Pacific coast and reaching our southernmost point at the Grand Canyon before heading back. A massive snowstorm rerouted us, but more on that in the next post!

South Dakota: The Badlands National Park

Person in athletic gear walks on rugged cliff edge at sunset in a vast, rocky desert landscape. Clear sky and warm tones set a serene mood.

The Badlands National Park had by far the most animal sightings of any park we visited. We saw bison, prairie dogs, antelope, and longhorn sheep. It was a truly spectacular first park to visit because of how otherworldly the landscape is.

The history in the region is also very interesting: both the native Lakota tribe and French fur trappers who traveled through in the 1800's separately called the region "Badlands" because of how inhospitable the landscape was.

Person with arms outstretched stands on a hill in a barren, rocky landscape. The scene is calm with muted earth tones. No visible text.

At the Badlands, we drove the 39-mile scenic drive (240) and stopped at most of the 14 overlooks. We also drove the additional scenic Sage Creek Rim Road, which is gravel but very doable. Definitely recommend driving this additional road, especially if you like to see prairie dogs.

Dog on a bed inside a van, overlooking a scenic landscape with trees and cliffs at sunset. Warm tones and cozy atmosphere.

We camped at a nearby national grassland we found on ioverlander and it was one of our favorite campsites of the trip! Here are the coordinates: N 43°47'28.92", W 102°31'37.32"

Wyoming: Devil's Tower

Yellow van parked on a road with Devil's Tower in the background. Warm sunlight casts a serene glow on the landscape and sky. — Devil's Tower National Monument

The Devil's Tower is a National Monument, not a National Park, but it is a nice stop on the long drive between the Badlands and Grand Teton. It is also featured in America's favorite alien movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (I have no idea if this is America's favorite alien movie and I have never actually seen it but Kyle was very excited to see it and make mashed potatoes, IYKYK, and apparently I don't).

Pink and purple aurora lights fill the night sky over a dark landscape. Stars twinkle, creating a serene and magical atmosphere.

Speaking of otherworldly, we did see the Northern Lights our first night in Wyoming, which I snapped in this iPhone photo (Kyle was too cold to get out of the van and take a photo with the camera LOL).

Wyoming: Grand Teton

Woman walking dog by a lake, surrounded by trees and mountains. Overcast sky with a tranquil mood. Earthy tones dominate the scene. — Jenny Lake

We then drove west across Wyoming to visit Grand Teton National Park. I was excited about this because Bob Ross based many of his paintings on the Tetons! Even though October is the shoulder season, it was still very busy. We did manage to find an amazing campsite that night and got to watch the sunrise over the mountains. National Parks do not allow any dispersed camping, so if you go in the busy season, make sure to book a campground or find camping elsewhere like we did!

Inside a van, a messy bed with striped sheets faces a window showing a forest. Warm light creates a cozy, tranquil mood.

Here are a few snapshots from our sunrise at Grand Teton!

Grand Teton has a very heavy grizzly bear population, so we were warned to not even step outside the van without bear spray. Dogs are not allowed on any trails that are not paved, but we were able to take Dolly on the paved path to Jenny Lake.

A woman in sunglasses holds a fluffy dog by a lake, with mountains and trees in the background. Both look content and relaxed. — Dolly at Jenny Lake

We saw a ton of elk in Grand Teton and had a lot of fun looking through our North America Wildlife book to identify all the animals we saw.

Resting elk with large antlers in a forest. Surrounded by tall grass, trees, and an autumnal setting. Calm and peaceful mood.

Yellowstone National Park

Waterfall cascading in a misty canyon, surrounded by green forests. A pine branch in the foreground adds depth. Warm, hazy lighting. — Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River

Yellowstone and Grand Tetons actually connect (I had no idea?!) so it was nice to be able to see two parks in a row without long drives. Yellowstone was definitely the most hyped National Park we visited, so I was a little worried it would not live up to expectations. It also has no distinct landmark other than Old Faithful so I really had no idea what to expect.

The majority of the park is yellow grassland, but there is also a significant number of burned trees, some intact forests, several gorgeous waterfalls, and GRIZZLY BEARS. We were lucky enough to see a number of grizzlies on our trip!

Two grizzly bears stand in a golden grassy field, one looking skyward. A calm, natural setting with warm, earthy tones. — A Mama Grizzly & her two cubs

Yellowstone is absolutely massive, so we attempted to drive as much of the scenic road as possible, stopping at as many viewpoints as we could. You need a minimum of 3 days if you really want to explore every nook and cranny of Yellowstone. We even managed to get to Old Faithful 2 minutes before it erupted!

Steaming geothermal pool with vibrant orange and brown mineral deposits, cracked earth patterns, and misty background. Bright sunlight reflects. — Grand Prismatic Springs, Yellowstone

We didn't do a ton of hikes on this trip since most are not dog-friendly, but we did leave Dolly in the van to visit Grand Prismatic Springs, one of the large geothermal areas. It's definitely a must-see, but it is very hot there, so dress accordingly.

Dogs are allowed on the paved path most of the way up to Old Faithful (yay for Dolly!) I definitely recommend walking around Old Faithful Inn, which is the country's largest log cabin structure in the world.

We had to stay at paid campsites in the Yellowstone area but they were all first-come-first-serve since October is considered shoulder season there. If you do a trip like this make sure to bring cash! Also, restaurants and stores close for the season at the beginning of October, so plan accordingly.

Come back for Part 2, where we visit Glacier in Montana, Banff in Alberta, Canada, and Washington!

Here are a few of my other favorite shots from the first leg of the trip! Photos are taken on Fujifilm X H2S or iPhone 15 pro max

Mountain view framed by pine branches, serene river in foreground, autumn trees in background. Soft, warm hues create a tranquil mood. — Grand Teton National Park

Woman in sunglasses smiling, wearing a brown jacket, standing in a vast desert landscape under a clear sky. — Badlands National Park

a man smiles at a table in a restaurant that has wooden beams and a stone fireplace — Buffalo Bill's Hunting Lodge

Have you been to any of these spots? Let me know!

xoxo, Melissa