The Big Western Loop

The Grand Plan

One perfect loop
around the American West

We leave Burlington on a Friday night with the kids in pajamas — and bank a thousand miles while they sleep. Nine days later we roll back home having seen geysers, grizzly country, a castle, the ocean, the biggest tree on Earth, and a canyon full of hoodoos. The route order isn’t random: it’s the only order that works, tested against every alternative.

~4,950 mitotal distance — the length of a flight to Europe, on wheels

~78 hrsof driving, split between two strong drivers

7 mountain passesfrom the Bighorns to the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 ft

5 big sightseeing daysplus a rodeo night, a Vegas night & a canyon full of hoodoos

“Ambitious but achievable — for this family specifically. The overnight Friday departure is the trip’s secret weapon: it banks ~1,000 miles while the kids sleep.”
— the route engineer’s verdict

The Itinerary

Ten days,
play by play

0Fri
Jul 24

Burlington, IA → Buffalo / Sheridan, WY

The Overnight Launch 🌙

~1,000 mi14.5 hrsEasy — flat interstate all night

Dinner eaten, kids in pajamas, wheels rolling by 7 PM. While four kids sleep in the high-top van, two drivers swap every 2½–3 hours across Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Sunrise hits around Rapid City — breakfast with the Black Hills on the horizon.

The secret weapon: this one night banks 1,000 miles and buys a real vacation on the other end.
Night rules: west of Sioux Falls, never pass a gas station below half a tank. Murdo, Wall & Rapid City run 24 hours.
Whoever isn’t driving sleeps for real. That’s the whole job.

1Sat
Jul 25

Cloud Peak in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming — The Bighorns — first real mountains of the trip

Buffalo → Cody, WY

Recovery Day & Rodeo Night 🤠

~165 mi3 hrs⛰️ Powder River Pass — 9,666 ft

A gentle day on purpose. Late breakfast, driver naps, then the prettiest easy crossing of the Bighorns — US-16 was chosen specifically for its gentle grades. Arrive in Cody by mid-afternoon for the kids’ reward: pool time.

8:00 PM — the Cody Nite Rodeo, the sleeper hit of the trip. Nightly all summer, kids’ calf scramble at intermission, pure Wyoming.
Staying in Cody (not pushing on) saves 3 hours on tired drivers and sets up the perfect east-to-west Yellowstone traverse.
👶 Rodeo is loud — sit high in the grandstand, pack the baby ear muffs (they pull double duty at Disneyland fireworks).

Cody Nite Rodeo at Stampede Park — Cody Nite Rodeo — every night, all summer, since 1938

2Sun
Jul 26

Cody → through the park → West Yellowstone, MT

THE Yellowstone Day 🌋

~160 mi4.5–5 hrs (spread all day)⛰️ Sylvan Pass + bison jams

One sunrise-to-dinner east-to-west traverse that hits everything with zero backtracking. Out the door at 6:30 AM with breakfast in the van — the early start is the single highest-leverage decision of the day.

Bison herd in Hayden Valley — 8:15 AM — Hayden Valley, prime bison hour

Lower Falls from Artist Point — 9:30 AM — Artist Point, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Old Faithful erupting — 12:30 PM — Old Faithful (eruptions ~every 90 min)

Grand Prismatic Spring from above — 3:30 PM — Grand Prismatic, saved for when the steam burns off

Old Faithful Inn log lobby — Pro move: step inside the Old Faithful Inn’s giant log atrium

The schedule is the strategy: wildlife at dawn, canyon mid-morning, geyser at lunch, Prismatic in late-afternoon light — each stop timed for its best hour and its emptiest parking lot.
Every marquee stop is a flat, stroller-friendly boardwalk. Dinner & early bed in West Yellowstone (Wild West Pizzeria).
👶 Most baby-compatible big day of the trip. Carrier stays on near thermal features; 25+ yards from bison, windows up in jams.

3Mon
Jul 27

Moulton Barn on Mormon Row with the Teton Range behind — Mormon Row — *the* family photo of the trip

West Yellowstone → Grand Teton → Jackson → Pocatello, ID

Tetons & the Smart Push South ⛰️

~290 mi6.5 hrsPark roads; Teton Pass deliberately avoided

Morning grizzlies at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a boardwalk stop at West Thumb on Yellowstone Lake, then south into the most photogenic mountain range in America.

West Thumb Geyser Basin on Yellowstone Lake — West Thumb — geysers on the lake’s edge

Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon — Jenny Lake scenic drive & lakeshore walk

Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton — Snake River Overlook — the Ansel Adams view

Elk antler arch in Jackson town square — Jackson: antler-arch photos & ice cream

Picnic lunch at Colter Bay with the whole Teton range in front of you.
The route choice that saves tomorrow: leave Jackson through Snake River Canyon (skipping Teton Pass’s 10% grades) and push past Idaho Falls to Pocatello. Every mile tonight comes off the big day.
👶 Mostly short stops & van time — one long feed/crawl break at Colter Bay. Jackson is the diaper-resupply town.

4Tue
Jul 28

I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge — Virgin River Gorge — I-15’s prettiest 20 miles

Pocatello → Anaheim, CA

The Big Push 🏜️

~830 mi12 hrsCrux day #1 — Mojave heat, Cajon Pass

The day we earn Disneyland. Rolling by 5:30 AM (kids back in pajamas), it’s I-15 South literally the entire way: past Salt Lake City and genuine Great Salt Lake views, lunch in Cedar City, through the canyon walls of the Virgin River Gorge — then a wave at Las Vegas (“see you Friday!”) and across the Mojave at 110°F.

Time-zone magic: we gain an hour entering Pacific Time right when we need it.
Down Cajon Pass into the LA basin, into Anaheim by ~7 PM. Check in for two nights, swim, pizza, early bed.
Energy left? Downtown Disney is a free evening stroll.
👶 Mojave rules: AC running, 2 gallons of water aboard, baby never in a parked van.

5Wed
Jul 29

Anaheim — 0 driving miles. Glorious.

Disneyland 🏰

0 miRope drop → fireworks🎉

At the gate 45 minutes before opening — the first two hours are worth four afternoon hours. Then the family superpower: split-and-merge.

Teens: Space Mountain & Rise of the Resistance at rope drop. Littles: Fantasyland — it’s a small world, Casey Jr., the carrousel.
Rider Switch on every big ride (free) means both parents ride without extra waits. Lightning Lane roughly doubles the day’s ride count if the budget allows.
The walking-distance payoff: midday hotel break — nap, swim — then back for the evening and the 9:30 fireworks.
👶 Baby Care Center on Main Street is genuinely great (nursing, changing, bottle warming). Under-3s ride free on a lap.

6Thu
Jul 30

Balboa Pier, Newport Beach — Balboa Pier — first ocean, frozen bananas, Ferris wheel

Anaheim → Newport Beach → Visalia, CA

First Ocean 🌊

~250 mi5 hrs⛰️ The Grapevine in July heat

The morning that outlives the trip: the kids touch the Pacific for the first time. Newport over Laguna on purpose — easy big-van parking at the Balboa Pier lot, gentler waves, wide flat sand, restrooms right there.

Four full hours of ocean: swimming (a brisk 68°F!), the pier walk, lunch at the pier diner, and the Balboa Fun Zone’s Ferris wheel & frozen bananas.
Hard exit by 1:30 PM — LA traffic punishes every minute after 2:00.
Over Tejon Pass (“the Grapevine”) and up CA-99 to Visalia: dinner, pool, early night. Another dawn start tomorrow.

7Fri
Jul 31

Visalia → Giant Forest → Las Vegas, NV

Giants by Morning, Neon by Night 🌲✨

~440 mi8 hrs⛰️⛰️ Hardest road of the trip — Generals Hwy hairpins

The most cinematic single day. At dawn the van climbs the famous wall of switchbacks into Giant Forest (10–15 mph hairpins — mom drives this leg); by 8 AM we’re standing under the largest living thing on Earth; by 9 PM we’re watching the Bellagio fountains.

General Sherman Tree — General Sherman — 275 ft tall, ~2,200 years old

Tunnel Log in Sequoia National Park — Tunnel Log (we take the bypass — the van’s too tall!)

Las Vegas Strip at night — Arriving after dark is the point — the Strip IS the show

Bellagio Fountains at night — Bellagio Fountains — shows every 15–30 min, all free

The Sphere glowing at night in Las Vegas — The Sphere’s exterior — jaw-dropping at night

8:00 AM — General Sherman Tree (beat the 9:30 parking crunch), then the stroller-friendly Big Trees Trail loop around a sequoia-ringed meadow.
Friday bonus: Moro Rock road is open to private cars — teens + one parent climb the 350 steps while the other parent strolls the meadow with the littles.
Vegas night, all free: Bellagio fountains ×3, the air-conditioned Conservatory, Paris’s Eiffel Tower, the Venetian canals, the Sphere. Late night — the kids can sleep in the van tomorrow.
👶 The Strip at 10 PM with a baby is fine — outdoor walking, carrier-sleeping, finally cool-ish. Keep the water going.

8Sat
Aug 1

Bryce Canyon amphitheater full of hoodoos — Bryce Amphitheater — the highest scenery-per-step walk in America

Las Vegas → (Bryce Canyon?) → Denver area

Decision Day 🪨

~790–850 mi12–12.5 hrsCrux day #2 — vote at breakfast, no negotiation after

Two pre-planned versions. The family votes over breakfast in Vegas — and Option B carries zero guilt.

Option A · “One more in us”

Detour to Bryce Canyon: hoodoo amphitheaters 100 yards from parking, the rim walk from Sunset to Sunrise Point, a 75°F picnic at 8,000 ft. Leave by 2:30 sharp, cross the Rockies after dark through the Eisenhower Tunnel (11,158 ft — the trip’s high point), Denver by midnight.

Option B · “We’re cooked”

Skip Bryce, bank miles, and cross the Colorado Rockies in daylight — arguably the most scenic interstate stretch in America, a real consolation prize. Sleep in North Platte, and Sunday becomes a casual finish with time to unpack.

9Sun
Aug 2

Denver (or North Platte) → Burlington, IA

The Victory Lap 🏁

~560–790 mi8–11.5 hrsFlat, easy, cruise-control country

I-76 to I-80 East, the Rockies shrinking in the mirror, 4,950 miles on the trip odometer. Home by evening with five marquee experiences, three splurge nights, one rodeo, one castle, one giant tree, and the kids’ first ocean in the bank — plus roughly nine thousand photos.

Places We’ll Stand

The marquee sights,
ranked by wow

Every one of these is timed into the itinerary at its best hour — and almost all of them are a short, flat, stroller-friendly walk from parking.

Grand Prismatic SpringA hot spring bigger than a football field, in colors that don’t look legal. Day 2.

General Sherman TreeThe largest living thing on Earth. It does not disappoint. Day 7.

Old FaithfulErupts ~every 90 minutes, as it has for centuries. Day 2.

Mormon Row & the TetonsThe most photographed barn in America — our family photo spot. Day 3.

The Pacific OceanThe kids’ first ocean. The photo that outlives the trip. Day 6.

Grand Canyon of the YellowstoneA 308-ft waterfall pouring into a golden canyon. Day 2.

Bryce CanyonThousands of stone hoodoos glowing orange — if we’ve got one more in us. Day 8.

DisneylandRope drop to fireworks, with a nap in the middle. Day 5.

Hayden Valley BisonWild herds at dawn — plus possible elk and a distant grizzly. Day 2.

The Vegas Strip at NightFountains, the Sphere, a fake Eiffel Tower — all free, all glowing. Day 7.

Cody Nite RodeoThe sleeper hit: bulls, broncs & a kids’ calf scramble. Day 1.

Jenny LakeGlacier water under 13,000-ft peaks. Day 3.

Where We Sleep

Eight nights,
spent where it counts

The strategy: splurge where location buys the trip’s quality (walkable to Disneyland, doorstep of Yellowstone, a real suite in Vegas) and save everywhere heads just hit pillows — clean chain hotel, pool, free breakfast, big parking lot for the van.

Sat · Jul 25

Cody, WY Save

Holiday Inn at Buffalo Bill Village

Backup: Best Western Premier Ivy Inn

Pool for the post-overnight reward, big surface lot, walkable downtown, short hop to the rodeo.

Sun · Jul 26

West Yellowstone, MT Splurge

Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone

Backup: Gray Wolf Inn & Suites · Kelly Inn

Separate-bedroom cabins with kitchenettes and fire pits — the “we stayed in a cabin near Yellowstone” memory. Book first: tightest inventory of the trip.

Mon · Jul 27

Pocatello, ID Save

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Backup: Hampton Inn (or Residence Inn, Idaho Falls)

Pure travel stop: pool, free breakfast, huge lot. Every mile past Idaho Falls tonight softens the big push.

Tue + Wed · Jul 28–29

Anaheim, CA Splurge ×2

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

Backup: Cambria Hotel & Suites (water-slide pool)

Kids’ bunk suites that sleep all six in one room, a 10-minute walk to the gate — which means the midday nap happens and the van never has to park at Disneyland.

Thu · Jul 30

Visalia, CA Save

Wyndham Visalia

Backup: Visalia Marriott (request surface parking)

Sprawling, cheap, family-friendly, pools, giant lots — and the staging hub for Sequoia’s dawn climb.

Fri · Jul 31

Las Vegas, NV Splurge

Marriott’s Grand Chateau

Backup: The Signature at MGM Grand

True two-bedroom suite for six, no casino floor to walk through, one block off center-Strip — 5 minutes on foot to the Bellagio fountains. ☎️ One call required: confirm the garage clears 8 ft for the van.

Sat · Aug 1

Denver, CO Save

Drury Inn & Suites Central Park

Option B: Holiday Inn Express, North Platte NE

Free hot breakfast and free evening food & drinks, family rooms, free surface parking. Tailor-made for a midnight arrival.

📅 Booking priority: West Yellowstone first → Anaheim second → Vegas third (with the garage-clearance question). The save-tier stops can wait a few weeks.

The Damage

Estimated budget,
honestly priced

Planning ranges at late-July peak pricing. The bars show low → high for each category.

⛽ Fuel$1,400 – $1,750

~4,950 mi ÷ ~11–12 mpg loaded ≈ 430 gallons. California gas is the painful part.

🛏️ Lodging · 8 nights$2,100 – $2,700

3 splurge nights ≈ $350–450 · 5 save nights ≈ $150–200.

🏰 Disneyland$1,000 – $1,400

5 tickets (10+ pays adult, baby free); high end adds Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

🍔 Food · 10 days$2,000 – $2,800

Cooler + groceries + one real restaurant meal a day. Hotel breakfasts do real work.

🎟️ Parks & attractions$300 – $420

One $80 America the Beautiful pass covers all four parks ($35 each — it pays for itself at stop #3). Rodeo ~$110, Grizzly Center ~$80, pier fun.

🅿️ Parking, tolls & misc$200 – $430

Beach lot, Vegas parking, souvenir buffer.

Trip total

$7,000 to $9,500

≈ $1.55 per mile of once-in-a-lifetime

Easy trims if needed: skip Lightning Lane (–$200) · lean groceries over restaurants (–$500+) · Option B on decision day costs nothing extra to choose.

Trail Wisdom

The game plan
& the escape hatches

🚐 The Rig

A 2016 GMC Savana 2500 high-top conversion van — 9 seats, a TV, and exactly the right specs: at ~18.7 ft it clears Sequoia’s 22-ft limits with room to spare, and at just under 8 ft tall it clears every garage that matters (after one phone call to Vegas). Tow/haul mode on the long descents; ~400-mile range per tank.

⛰️ Seven Passes

Powder River Pass9,666′
Sylvan Pass8,524′
Snake River Canyonthe smart detour
Cajon Pass4,190′
Tejon “Grapevine”4,144′
Generals Hwy hairpins~7,000′
Eisenhower Tunnel11,158′ — trip high point

✂️ The Pre-Agreed Cut List

If fatigue hits, cut from the top — no negotiating, no guilt:

Bryce Canyon (Day 8 → Option B)
Moro Rock (saves 1.5 hrs on Day 7)
Grizzly & Wolf Center (Day 3 morning)
The nuclear option: all of Sequoia (decide Thursday night)

The one thing we never cut: the Pacific morning. “The first time the kids saw the ocean” is the photo that outlives the trip.

☑️ The Pre-Trip Checklist

Tap to check off — this page remembers.

Book West Yellowstone cabin (do this first — sells out months ahead)
Book Anaheim hotel × 2 nights
Buy Disneyland tickets + make the park reservation (both required!)
Book Vegas suite + ☎️ the garage-clearance call (van clears 8 ft, nothing lower)
Book the save-tier stops: Cody, Pocatello, Visalia, Denver
Buy the America the Beautiful pass ($80 — covers all four parks)
Van service: oil, coolant, trans fluid, brakes, tires + replace the 2016 spare
Pack: binoculars, baby ear muffs, sunshades, cooler, 2 gal water
Download offline maps + the NPS app (no cell service in the parks)
Week before: check nps.gov alerts for Yellowstone & Sequoia

Don’t Forget

The packing list
nothing forgotten, nothing heavy

Tap to check things off as they go in the van — this page remembers, so everyone can pack from their own phone.

🚐 Van & Road

Phone mounts + chargers for both rows
Power bank (overnight drives eat batteries)
Cooler + ice packs
2+ gallons of drinking water (Mojave rule, Day 5 onward)
The snack bin (restock in Jackson)
Trash bags + paper towels
Pillows & blankets for the night drives
Emergency kit: jumper cables, flashlight, first aid

🏞️ Parks & Trails

America the Beautiful pass (on the windshield at the East Entrance!)
Binoculars (Hayden Valley bison)
Walking/hiking shoes for everyone
Refillable water bottles ×6
Sunscreen + hats
Light jackets (Bryce sits at 8,000 ft; park mornings are cold)
Offline maps + NPS app downloaded (no cell service in the parks)
Bug spray

🌊 Beach & Pool

Swimsuits ×6 (pools almost every night!)
Beach towels
Sand toys for Newport
Flip flops
Swim shirts for the kids (the Pacific sun is sneaky)
Big ziplock bags (wet suits, sandy shoes)
Dry change of clothes within reach for beach day

🏰 Disneyland Day

Tickets in the app + park reservation confirmed (check the night before)
Lightweight backpack for the park
Portable fan / cooling towels
Ponchos or spare shirts (splash rides)
Park-legal snacks (outside food is allowed)
Autograph book + fat marker (character meets)

👶 Baby HQ

Diapers & wipes (resupply stop: Jackson)
Baby carrier (stays ON near thermal features)
Stroller (every marquee walk is stroller-friendly by design)
Travel crib / pack-n-play
Bottles + formula/food
Baby ear muffs (rodeo Saturday, fireworks Wednesday)
Baby sunscreen + sun hat
The sleep lovey (do NOT leave this in a hotel)

🧳 Clothes & Comfort

Kids in pajamas for the Friday launch
Layers: 40°F park mornings → 115°F Mojave afternoons
Laundry bag + travel detergent
Toiletries + everyone’s meds (+ motion sickness tabs for the hairpins)
Sunglasses for all six
Camera + big memory card (Mormon Row family photo)
Tablets + downloaded movies for the van TV
Road-trip games (license-plate bingo, 4,950 miles of it)

The Closing Argument

This is not an over-ambitious trip.
It’s a perfectly engineered one.

Five marquee experiences. Three splurge nights. A rodeo, a castle, the largest tree on Earth, a canyon full of hoodoos — and your kids’ first ocean right in the middle of it. Book the cabins, buy the passes, gas up the van.

See you at the East Entrance. 🦬

One perfect looparound the American West

Ten days,play by play