Planning a Family Road Trip from Denver to Mount Rushmore (UK Family Guide)

For UK families planning a trip to the western United States, one of the most rewarding itineraries is a loop road trip starting and ending in Denver, heading north to Mount Rushmore before returning through the Colorado Rockies.

This type of journey works particularly well with school‑aged children. It combines iconic American landmarks with scenic drives, outdoor adventure including rafting and ziplining and small towns that feel completely different from Europe — while still keeping driving days manageable. It’s also a great introduction to the classic American road trip without trying to cover too much ground.

We followed a version of this route ourselves, flying from London to Denver before driving north to South Dakota. After exploring the Mount Rushmore and Black Hills area, we looped back through Colorado, spending time hiking, rafting and zip‑lining in the Rockies, with stops in places like Idaho Springs along the way.

If you’re considering a similar trip, this guide walks through how to plan the route, what families should realistically expect, and how to structure the journey so it works well with children rather than feeling rushed.

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How Long to Allow for This Trip

A typical family itinerary for this loop works best with at least seven days, which allows time to enjoy each area without spending every day in the car. The route can easily be extended with extra time in the Black Hills or the Rockies, but a week is a realistic minimum when travelling with kids.

Day 1: Fly from the UK to Denver
Day 2: Drive from Denver to Mount Rushmore
Day 3: Explore Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills
Day 4: Visit Crazy Horse Memorial and surrounding attractions
Day 5: Drive back toward Colorado
Day 6–7: Explore the Colorado Rockies, Zip Lining & Rafting

This pacing keeps driving days manageable while still allowing time for outdoor activities and sightseeing. A key consideration is that some driving legs are around five to six hours, particularly on the journey to Mount Rushmore. We relied on movies and the iPad for these stretches, which worked well for our family as we’re used to longer drives. The scenery is pleasant throughout, but there are limited natural stopping points, so it’s worth planning breaks in advance.

Why This Route Works Well for Families

One of the biggest advantages of this itinerary is variety.

Within a single trip you can combine:

• a major US gateway city (Denver)

• the iconic monument of Mount Rushmore

• scenic driving through the Black Hill

• plenty of activities kids love are included on the route like white-water rafting on Clear Creek and zip lining through mountain forests

• outdoor adventure in the Colorado Rockies, without being too 'hard core' outdoorsy

• outlet shopping for the parents (if you are in to that!)

For school-aged children, this mix helps keep the trip engaging. Rather than spending the entire holiday in one place, each stage of the journey offers something different.

Planning Your Trip

What to Budget for This Type of Trip

Costs will vary depending on travel season and accommodation, but families should plan for:

• long-haul flights

• car rental and fuel

• accommodation in South Dakota and Colorado

• activities and attractions

• and may the shopping..!

If you're planning a visit to the monument as part of a wider road trip, our guide How Much Does It Cost to Visit Mount Rushmore from the UK? breaks down typical costs for flights, car hire, accommodation and fuel when travelling to this region.

Rent a Car

Hiring a car is essential for this type of trip. We booked our rental through Holiday Autos, which made it easy to compare prices across multiple companies and choose a vehicle large enough for luggage and road trip travel. For most families, a mid-size SUV works well because it provides more space for suitcases and day-trip gear.

If you're unfamiliar with driving in the US, it's worth reading Driving in the USA: What Europeans Need to Know Before a Road Trip, which explains practical differences such as automatic cars, fuel pricing and four-way stop intersections.

Accommodation Strategy

Where you stay on a Denver–Mount Rushmore–Colorado road trip has a big impact on how manageable and enjoyable it feels for families, as accommodation needs often change as the route progresses. Around Mount Rushmore, most families base themselves in the Black Hills, where towns like Keystone and Rapid City offer easy access to the monument alongside nearby attractions, making them practical choices when travelling with school‑aged children.

As the trip moves back into Colorado, accommodation decisions are usually driven by activities — with mountain towns such as Estes Park or Georgetown/Idaho Springs working well depending on whether you’re prioritising national parks, rafting or zip‑lining. We break down the best family‑friendly bases for each stage of the journey, including where we stayed and what worked best with kids, in our detailed guides to where to stay when visiting Mount Rushmore with school‑aged children and where to stay in Colorado with kids.

Decide on what activities you want to do

One of the most important parts of planning a family trip to Colorado is choosing activities that genuinely suit your children’s age, energy levels and interests, rather than trying to fit everything in. Colorado works especially well for school‑aged kids because families can mix higher‑energy adventures like rafting and zip‑lining with slower experiences such as scenic drives, short hikes and time exploring small mountain towns. On our own trip, balancing active days with easier afternoons made a big difference to how enjoyable the journey felt. To help families decide which experiences are most likely to work well — and which are better skipped depending on age and confidence — we’ve pulled everything together in our guide to the best things to do in Colorado with kids in summer, covering outdoor adventures, national parks and practical planning tips.

Overview of what to expect from the trip

Fly from the UK to Denver

For most UK travellers, the journey begins with a direct flight from London to Denver, which typically takes around 9–10 hours.

Denver works well as a starting point because it offers:

• direct international flights

• easy airport car rental

• access to both South Dakota and the Colorado Rockies

Because of the 7-hour time difference, many families prefer to spend the first night near the airport before starting the road trip the following day.

If you're travelling long haul with children, our guide Jet Lag in Kids: How We Managed USA Time Zones explains how to help children adjust to the time difference.

Drive from Denver to Mount Rushmore

The drive from Denver to Mount Rushmore is around 380 miles (610 km) and typically takes five to six hours. Large sections of the journey pass through open landscapes with long straight highways. Compared with many European road trips, there are relatively few towns or attractions along the route, which means planning rest stops and entertainment for children is important.

A good place to break up the journey is Cheyenne, Wyoming, about 90 minutes north of Denver. Families can stop here for lunch, fuel and a short walk through the small historic downtown area. If you're planning a similar journey, our guide Mount Rushmore with Kids: Planning a Family Road Trip from Denver explains the route, itinerary and how to pace the drive with children.

If you're deciding where to base yourself, our guide Where to Stay When Visiting Mount Rushmore with School-Aged Kids explains the differences between staying in Keystone, Rapid City and cabin-style lodges in the Black Hills.

For practical tips on preparing for long driving days, including snacks, entertainment and travel essentials, see our guide What to Pack for a Family Road Trip in America (From a UK Perspective).

Spend Time Exploring Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills

Once you arrive in South Dakota, most families spend a day exploring Mount Rushmore and the surrounding Black Hills region.

The monument can usually be explored in one to two hours, including:

• the main viewing terrace

• the Presidential Trail

• the visitor centre and exhibits

Arriving early in the morning helps avoid the crowds and the daytime heat during summer.

Families often combine Mount Rushmore with nearby attractions including:

• Crazy Horse Memorial

• scenic drives through the Black Hills

• small towns such as Keystone

• wildlife areas and state parks

If you're visiting with children, our guide Is Mount Rushmore Good for School-Aged Kids? explains what families should realistically expect from the visit and how children tend to experience the monument. We explain more about the wider region in South Dakota with Kids: A Family Road Trip Guide Beyond Mount Rushmore.

Add a Unique Experience

One activity that surprised us during our visit was the chance to take a helicopter flight over Mount Rushmore. Seeing the monument from the air gives a completely different perspective on the sculpture and the surrounding landscape.

If you're considering this experience, our guide Mount Rushmore Helicopter Flight: Is It Worth the Cost for Families? explains what the flight is like and whether children enjoy it.

Return Through the Colorado Rockies

After visiting Mount Rushmore, many families drive back toward Colorado, which adds outdoor adventure to the trip. This part of the journey offers a very different experience from South Dakota. Instead of wide open plains, the scenery becomes mountain landscapes, forests and alpine towns.

During our own trip we spent time in the Rockies for easy hiking and Idaho Springs the adventure activities:

• hiking scenic mountain trails

• white-water rafting on Clear Creek

• zip lining through mountain forests

For families travelling with school-aged children, this type of outdoor activity helps balance the sightseeing days with something more active. If you’re considering this part of the trip, Colorado with Kids: Why It’s One of the Best States for Family Adventures explains why the state works so well for family travel.

Final Thoughts

Planning a family road trip from Denver to Mount Rushmore and back through Colorado is one of the best ways for UK families to experience the American West. The journey combines iconic landmarks, scenic driving and outdoor adventure in a way that works particularly well for school-aged children. While Mount Rushmore may initially feel slightly off the typical tourist route, when included as part of a wider road trip it often becomes one of the most memorable parts of the entire trip. For families who enjoy exploring new landscapes, taking scenic drives and balancing sightseeing with adventure, this route offers a classic American travel experience that feels very different from Europe.

Planning a Family Trip to the USA

If you’re planning a family trip to the United States, we’ve created a collection of practical guides based on our own experiences travelling there with a child. In our USA Travel Hub, you’ll find advice on everything from ESTA requirements and travel insurance to driving, healthcare and managing jet lag with kids, alongside destination guides for places we’ve explored including New York, Colorado, South Dakota and Florida. It’s a useful starting point for parents researching how to plan a smooth and enjoyable family trip to the USA.