Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore: Distance, Route and the Two Day Plan
Mount Rushmore is about 400 miles from Yellowstone’s East Entrance at Cody and roughly 7 hours of driving, or about 470 miles and 8 to 9 hours from Old Faithful. It is not a day trip in either direction. The sensible version is two days with a night in Sheridan or Buffalo, Wyoming, and Devils Tower added on the way. Nearly everyone who tries to do it in one push regrets it.
The route
From the East Entrance the drive runs Cody to Greybull on US-14/16/20, over the Bighorn Mountains on US-14 through Shell Canyon to Sheridan, then I-90 east through Gillette and Sundance into South Dakota and Rapid City. Mount Rushmore sits 25 miles southwest of Rapid City in the Black Hills.
US-14 over Granite Pass through Shell Canyon is the good part and it is worth the extra half hour over the flatter US-16 alternative through Ten Sleep. Shell Falls drops 120 feet right beside the highway. The pass reaches 8,950 feet and stays open in winter but gets wind and ice.
Distances you will actually drive
| Leg | Miles | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Old Faithful to East Entrance | 70 | 2 hours |
| East Entrance to Cody | 53 | 1 hour |
| Cody to Sheridan | 147 | 3 hours |
| Sheridan to Devils Tower | 150 | 2 hours 20 min |
| Devils Tower to Mount Rushmore | 110 | 2 hours |
| Cody to Mount Rushmore direct | 400 | 7 hours |
The two day version
- Day 1. Leave the park through the East Entrance in the morning, stop in Cody for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, cross the Bighorns on US-14 in the afternoon and sleep in Sheridan or Buffalo.
- Day 2. I-90 east, turn off for Devils Tower for an hour and the 1.3 mile Tower Trail loop, then on to Rapid City and Mount Rushmore for late afternoon light, which is when the faces are lit.
Add a third day and you get Custer State Park’s Needles Highway and Wildlife Loop, which most people rate above Mount Rushmore itself.
Bus tours that combine the two
Multi day coach tours linking Yellowstone, the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore run through the summer, usually 7 to 10 days and often starting in Rapid City, Denver or Salt Lake City. They solve the problem that this is 400 miles of driving each way in a part of the country with thin public transport. The trade is fixed timing at every stop, which does not suit sunrise wildlife watching in Lamar Valley.
Have us route it
Tell us which end you are starting from and how many nights you have, and we will lay out the legs, the stops and the beds. See also drive times from every gateway. Planning is free, and we earn only if you book through us.
Distance to Mount Rushmore by Entrance
The 400 mile figure above is specifically from the East Entrance near Cody. Aim for a different gate and the number changes, because the Bighorns and the Black Hills sit east of the park and the entrances spread from north to south.
| Starting entrance | Gateway town | Miles to Mount Rushmore | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Cody, WY | 400 | About 7 hours |
| North | Gardiner, MT | About 510 | About 8 hours 30 min |
| South | Jackson, WY | About 500 | About 8 hours |
The East Entrance route is the shortest because it already points you toward Sheridan and I-90. Coming from the North or South Entrance, most drivers cut across to Cody first rather than trying to shortcut through central Wyoming’s back roads, which are slower despite looking direct on a map.
Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore: Distance, Route and the Two Day Plan FAQs
About 400 miles and 7 hours of driving from the East Entrance near Cody, or roughly 470 miles and 8 to 9 hours from Old Faithful in the park interior.
It is possible but it is seven hours of driving on top of getting out of the park, and you arrive with nothing left. Split it with a night in Sheridan or Buffalo, Wyoming and add Devils Tower on the second morning.
Cody for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Shell Canyon and Shell Falls on the US-14 crossing of the Bighorns, and Devils Tower, where the Tower Trail is an easy 1.3 mile loop around the base.
The same distance either direction: about 400 miles and 7 hours from the East Entrance near Cody, or about 470 miles and 8 to 9 hours from Old Faithful. There is no shortcut coming from Rushmore, the route runs the same way in reverse.
About 400 miles and 7 hours if you are aiming for the East Entrance near Cody, on I-90 west to Sheridan and then US-14 over the Bighorns. From the North Entrance at Gardiner it is farther, about 510 miles and 8 hours 30 minutes.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Yellowstone Itinerary: 3 Days on the Grand Loop (3 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
