Route suggestions - San Francisco to Chicago in 7 days?

[Serenity Valley]

My husband and I are going to race our movers to our new home in August. We're looking for something scenic that will take us through South Dakota--any suggestions?

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

The beauty of RoadTripping in America is that there are many ways to accomplish the seemingly simple task of getting from Point A to Point B. Your trip is a case in point. The shortest way from San Francisco to Chicago is about 2135 miles long, (It's just a straight shot down I-80.) and is a pretty enough drive with plenty to do along the way. But you have specific things that you'd like to see and do. To do these raises your total miles to all of 2635 miles. For that extra 500 miles you will get to some of the best scenery in America and (although the two are not mutually exclusive!) see some of the great sights that South Dakota has to offer. With 7 days to make the journey, that extra 500 miles is eminently doable.

So, from San Francisco, you can start out by heading South(!) and East to Las Vegas, then continue up I-15 with possible stops at Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Then take I-70 across southern Utah and Colorado, probably the most scenic stretch of Interstate there is. From Denver, head north on I-25 (with a possible side trip to Rocky Mountain National Park). About 100 miles north of Cheyenne, WY, take US-18 east into southwestern South Dakota. One of our contributors submitted this excellent post on his adventures there. I heartily recommend it as a great intro to what SD has to offer. Be sure to use the search function to see what others have to say about things to see along your route. Once you've had your fill of SD or (more likely) you run out of time, just hop on I-90 for the final run into Chicago.


AZBuck