Kansas City to Denver, Co to Mount Rushmore National Park and back to Kansas City

[Rick2427]

We (My wife and I 58 years old and daughter 23 years old) are planning a 10-12 days trip Starting in Kansas City, MO.
We would like to visit Denver and surrounding areas around Denver for a week.
Then drive upto see Mount Rushmore and drive back via Linclon, NE or Omaha, NE.
Any suggestions regarding site seeing places around Denver and cities along the route would be appreciated.
We are in normal health, can handle 3-6 miles hike but wouldn't want to do more than that at one time.
Thanks in advance!

[DonnaR57]

Welcome to RTA!

The Denver area is surrounded by gorgeous mountains. There's so much to do there! North of the city is Rocky Mountain National Park and the beautiful Trail Ridge Road. South of the city, in Colorado Springs is Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and the Air Force Academy (the Chapel is beautiful). East of the city on I-70 is Vail and the routes to Aspen, plus Glenwood Springs and in Glenwood Canyon, the "hanging freeway". You'll have no problem filling a week! Allow at least a day to get from KC to Denver -- depending on where you start in the KC area, you're looking at 605 miles.

It's about 375 miles from Denver up to the Rapid City area where Mount Rushmore is located. From there, it might be "easiest" to just stay on I-90 and cross South Dakota. You could stop at the Badlands, Wall Drug, the Mitchell Corn Palace, and the Chamberlain Rest Area (which is full of Lewis & Clark information and a beautiful view of the MO River), if you have the time. Bear in mind that it's 2 days from Mount Rushmore back to KC, MO, via I-90 to I-29.

A day to drive to Denver, 7 days around Denver, a day to drive to Mt Rushmore, and 2 days to drive home takes you to Day 11. So it doesn't leave a lot of extra time on that return trip.


Donna

[AZBuck]

There is so much to see in the Rapid City area that, despite everything there is in the Denver area, it would be a shame not to split your time more evenly between the two sites. Take a look at Wind and Jewel Caves, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Devils Tower, and Badlands National Park. As Donna pointed out, you've got roughly four full days worth of driving to do, so four or five days in and around Denver and three or four days in the Rapid City area might prove a better and more rewarding use of your time. But in the end, of course, what to see and how long to spend seeing it is entirely up to you.

AZBuck