
Originally Posted by
Midwest Michael
As Dave said, no, it's not wise at all to try to drive nearly 1,000 miles on the first day, thinking it will leave you time to explore the Badlands on day 2. Starting fresh, with multiple drivers, you'd probably make it there ok, but at a huge cost. You'd be beyond exhausted, making it nearly impossible for you to enjoy what you'd be seeing in South Dakota, difficult for you to enjoy spending time together as friends, and would certainly compromise your safety to try and drive another 500+ miles the following day. Take at least 4 days, 3 for driving, and 1 for SD, to get there.
I will also note that Yellowstone is a HUGE place and Jackson isn't a very good base to see it from. Even some of the relatively close attractions like Old Faithful will 1.5-2 hours away, and it's a solid 3+ hours one-way to the northern parts of Yellowstone. If it were me, I'd plan to spend at least 1 or 2 nights (even more if you have time) in Yellowstone, and try to fit it in between SD and Grand Teton to save you some driving.