Peoria to Yellowstone National Park Road Trip Guide

Just before you leave Illinois on Interstate 80, make a stop at Elton E Fawks Bald Eagle Refuge Nature Preserve to see this beautiful roosting site for bald eagles. Since the facility was dedicated in September 1989, it has been a major winter feeding site for bald eagles. Here, you will get to see forest vegetation too such as sugar maple, second-growth oaks, black walnut, shagbark hickory, and black cherry. In spring, wild ginger, Dutchmen’s breeches, and bloodroot trillium also decorate the Nature Preserve’s corridors.

If you visit between October and April, during which time the park is closed to allow for roosting, you can proceed to Illiniwek Forest Preserve where a host of recreational activities such as fishing, hiking, and biking, as well as boating are available. Campsites with electric and water hookups are also provided for guests with RVs and motorhomes.

Besides being a beautiful campground sitting on the shore of a scenic lake in Evansdale, Deerwood Park is a great place to enjoy a number of outdoor activities with family and friends. One of the most popular activities here is disc golfing and this facility promotes the experience – an 18-hole course, pro and amateur tee pads, moderate to challenging holes, as well as woods and meadow. As a result, interested visitors have a swell time playing disc golf here.

Sharing a meal with your travel colleagues is yet another way to maximize your time at this park - picnic shelters with picnic tables are provided. Fishing and kayaking are other ways to stay active here. When you’re ready to call it a day, you can make use of any of the sites within the campground. Full, partial, and no-hookup campsites are available.

Just before driving into the heart of Sioux City, you’ll find Bacon Creek Park sitting on the shore of a small fishing lake (bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish are available). This park is a great place to take a break from driving and spend quality time outdoors. Here, you’ll find a 2.8-mile nature trail that winds through wooded areas. If you choose to hike this trail, be prepared to see some wildlife and lots of wildflowers. Wildlife you’ll get to see include muskrat, deer, beaver, fox, and pheasant. Some birds like red-tailed hawks, great blue herons, songbirds, and red-winged blackbirds soar above this park too. A more challenging trail goes up the hill if you’re up for that.

You can enjoy picnics here either at the primitive picnic area that lies within the woods or the modern picnic sites just overlooking the lake. Drive to Sioux City North KOA Holiday in North Sioux City for a beautiful overnight camping experience.

East Vermillion Lake is a clear water lake southwest of Humboldt, South Dakota, popular for the premier fishing experiences that are enjoyed on it. This lake in McCook County is a well-known destination for anglers as numerous fish species call the lake’s waters home. Fish caught here include channel catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Don’t be surprised if you pick up yellow perch and yellow bullhead.

After a memorable angling experience on the lake, feel free to visit Lake Vermillion Recreation Area where you will enjoy additional outdoor opportunities such as biking, hiking, birdwatching, volleyball, and basketball. You’ll find good places to launch boats, kayaks, and canoes from the park too.

Tents and RVs are welcome. Three campgrounds with 94 campsites are available here and cabins are also provided. You can make reservations for any of the electric and non-electric sites.

If you’re a lover of automobiles, then you should definitely stop by at the Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo. This museum, which is home to more than 270 classic cars, 60 motorcycles, 50 tractors, as well as many other antiques, has been a site of fun activities since 1954.

There are plenty of ways to stay active here as various programs and tours are organized for visitors in the museum. Depending on what interests you, you can join the Car Tour, Tractor Tour, or Motorcycle Tour, while you allow your children to enjoy the Kid’s Treasure Hunt. After the tour, you can enjoy good ice cream in the museum. Some attractions in the area include the Covered Wagon Café and the WNAX Gas Station. For a good meal, you can drive less than a mile west to Buffalo Bar and Restaurant. Pol’s Campground is a good place to stay overnight before leaving for Black Hills National Forest.

It’s now time to enjoy nature in its most pristine form within this 1,875 square mile National Forest in Custer, South Dakota. Black Hills National Forest features a wide range of habitats that range from grassland areas to ponderosa pine forests and mountainous sections.

While you’re here, be ready to come in contact with diverse plants and wildlife species, and engage in a wide range of fun-filled activities including mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and rock climbing. If your desire is sightseeing, rest assured you won’t run out of places to view – canyons, rock formations, gulches, lakes, and streams.

It may interest you to know that this National Forest has eleven reservoirs, two scenic byways, twenty-six picnic areas, 20 square miles of wilderness areas, and more than 350 miles of trails. Within the over 30 campgrounds here, you’ll definitely find a place that suits your accommodation needs.

Keyhole Reservoir, located in Pine Haven, Wyoming is a beautiful destination for water-based recreation activities, particularly fishing and water sports. Angling enthusiasts easily catch walleye, smallmouth bass, catfish, and northern pike in this lake, while other visitors swim or boat on the lake’s waters.

More adventure awaits at Keyhole State Park on the eastern area of the lake’s shore where you can enjoy picnics, birdwatching, and hiking opportunities. If you visit in winter, you’ll have an exciting snowmobiling adventure here. Some of the facilities available in the park include a dump station, restrooms, showers, potable water, and grills. Pets are allowed here, so feel free to come with them. Just make sure you keep them on a leash and clean up after them. As far as camping is concerned, both primitive campsites and RV campsites are available, so come along with your tents.

The perfect way to bring this exciting RV road trip to an end is to visit this facility in Cody which houses five museums under only one roof - Buffalo Bill Center of the West. You can be sure that you’ll get the full Wild West experience when you explore the museums that will enlighten you about Plain Indian culture, Yellowstone, Buffalo Bill, and western art. As you’re taken back in time to the age of cowboys and cowgirls, you’ll enjoy every bit of the learning and fun experience.

Each museum in this facility founded in 1917 - Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, and The New Cody Firearms Museum tells a unique story that you will definitely enjoy knowing.

Cody KOA Holiday is a premier camping destination in the city that caters to diverse tent and RV camping needs. The sites are available by reservation and accommodate RVs as long as 80 feet.