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Photo by Austin Farrington on Unsplash
3-Day Road Trip Itinerary: Merrimack, NH to Cody, WY
A three-day westbound road trip from Merrimack, New Hampshire to Cody, Wyoming, designed for easy scenic driving in a 4x4 SUV. The route runs through the Midwest to South Bend, Indiana on day one, across South Dakota's Badlands and Black Hills to Custer on day two, and over the Bighorn Mountains through Sheridan to Cody on day three. Highlights include downtown South Bend, Wall Drug Store, Badlands Loop Road, Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop, Shell Falls, and the cowboy town of Sheridan.
Built stop by stop, not written as an article.
Xavier starts with this location and helps you build your own version of the trip.
- Days
- 3
- Stops
- 15
- Driving
- 2,244 mi
- Overnights
- 3
- Level
- easy
Published by Xploreum · September 2026
ARE YOU XPLORER MATERIAL?
The average Xplorer every year...
Sleeps outside 24 nights
Explores 1,800 miles
Covers 500 miles on foot, skis, bikes, boats and trails
Experiences a 120°F temperature difference
Discovers 18 new places
Does something for the first time 18 times
Sees the Milky Way 11 nights
Takes 6 people on their first adventure
Spends 240 hours away from notifications
Creates stories remembered for decades
The shape of it
How the route moves
3 days and 15 stops, covering 2,244 mi of driving. Every distance comes from the route records behind this Xpedition.
Route overview, not navigation
Stops are shown at place level. Each leg is coloured by the travel mode we infer from the stops at either end, then drawn along that network: blue for driving. The mode is our inference, not a confirmed record of how the route was travelled. A grey dashed leg is one we could not route, shown as a straight overview instead. This is an overview of the route, not a turn-by-turn track, and it is not suitable for navigation.
The itinerary
Day by day
All 15 stops, free to read. Every day is editable once the route is yours.
Photo by Laura Seaman on Unsplash
Merrimack to South Bend
- 905 mi drive
- Night: Fairfield Inn & Suites South Bend, IN area overnight stay (South Bend)
Leave the Merrimack, New Hampshire area and settle in for a long westbound push, covering about 900 miles as you cross into Indiana. Break up the drive with a stroll through downtown South Bend's historic streets before dinner at an upscale American restaurant in the same area. Overnight at a comfortable highway hotel with free breakfast, just a few miles from downtown.
Departure location, Merrimack NH areaDrive
Starting point for westbound road trip.
+901 mi along the route
Downtown South Bend areaDrive
Historic downtown area. Walk around and stretch your legs before dinner.
+0.6 mi along the route
Dinner location, South Bend areameal
Upscale American dining establishment in downtown area.
+3.1 mi along the route
Hotel, South Bend arealodge
Comfortable highway hotel with free breakfast.
Photo by Judi Smith on Unsplash
South Bend to the Black Hills
- 935 mi drive
- Night: Rocket Motel, Custer SD overnight stay (Custer area)
After breakfast at the hotel, it's a big day covering roughly 800 miles of driving as you cross the Midwest into South Dakota. Stop at the legendary Wall Drug Store for free ice water and a classic slice of western roadside culture, then continue about 30 miles to the Badlands Loop Road, where layered rock formations and sweeping prairie views unfold along the drive. From there, head roughly 90 miles to Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop, an 18-mile scenic drive through prairie and ponderosa forest with a good chance of spotting wildlife. Wrap up the day with dinner at a western-themed steakhouse in downtown Custer serving hearty portions of local beef, then check into the Rocket Motel, a retro roadside spot with a classic neon sign and vintage-style rooms right in town.
Hotel, South Bend arealodge
Wake up and free breakfast before heading west.
+800 mi along the route
Wall Drug Store, South DakotaDrive
Legendary roadside attraction. Free ice water and classic western experience.
+29.8 mi along the route
Badlands Loop Road OverlookViewpoint
Drive the dramatic Badlands Loop with layered rock formations and sweeping prairie views.
+90.1 mi along the route
Custer State Park Wildlife LoopDrive
18-mile scenic loop through prairie and ponderosa forest. Wildlife viewing opportunity.
+13.7 mi along the route
Dinner location, Custer areameal
Western-themed steakhouse in downtown Custer with hearty portions and local beef.
+0.6 mi along the route
Rocket Motel, Custer arealodge
Retro roadside motel with classic neon sign and clean vintage rooms in downtown area.
Photo by Iryna Marienko on Unsplash
Black Hills to Cody
- 405 mi drive
- Night: The Cody Hotel, Cody WY overnight stay (Cody area)
Start with a free continental breakfast at the Rocket Motel before heading roughly 200 miles toward Wyoming. Stop at Shell Falls, a 120-foot waterfall cascading through Shell Canyon, reached via a short paved trail to the overlook. Continue about 60 miles to downtown Sheridan, a classic Wyoming cowboy town perfect for walking Main Street and browsing western shops, and stay for lunch at a local favorite known for BBQ ribs, steaks, and Wyoming beef. Finish the day with a roughly 145-mile drive to Cody, checking into a boutique hotel in downtown Cody that blends western elegance with modern comfort.
Rocket Motel, Custer arealodge
Wake up in Custer area and free continental breakfast.
+199 mi along the route
Shell FallsViewpoint
120-foot waterfall cascading into Shell Canyon. Short paved trail to overlook.
+59 mi along the route
Sheridan Downtown areaDrive
Classic Wyoming cowboy town. Walk Main Street and browse western shops.
+0.6 mi along the route
Lunch location, Sheridan areameal
Local favorite for BBQ ribs, steaks, and Wyoming beef.
+146 mi along the route
Hotel, Cody arealodge
Boutique hotel in downtown Cody area with western elegance and modern rooms.
3 days does not quite fit?
Take this route as your starting point and reshape it around your dates, your pace, and the stops you care about most.
WHAT XPLORERS ARE SAYING
I discovered Xploreum yesterday while searching for an app to plan a road trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. The conversational approach allows us to pinpoint exactly our needs and expectations and build an ideal itinerary. Highly recommended!
I took a look at the program and found it quite cool to use. I did not give it a lot of prompts and it gave me a really neat place to hike in my home state. I think it works really well.
I’m sitting and planning summer vacation trips. This year, Christian and I are going on a road trip, most likely to Eastern Europe. That also gives me a reason to tell you about this insanely cool AI model. Xploreum.io has developed a model that can help you find the coolest places that aren’t touristy, and it can actually put together an entire trip for you. It’s insanely smart. Not an ad. Just a genuine recommendation.
Before you go
What this route assumes
Only the fields this route actually holds data for.
Where you sleep
Overnight areas in route order: Fairfield Inn & Suites South Bend, IN area overnight stay (South Bend), Rocket Motel, Custer SD overnight stay (Custer area), The Cody Hotel, Cody WY overnight stay (Cody area). Xavier pairs each with live lodging options once the route is yours.
Vehicle
Built as a 4x4 suv route, scenic driving and western towns. Xavier adapts it to what you actually drive.
Level
Paced for easy travelers. Days can be split or merged to change the load.
How this Xpedition was built
Assembled from structured route and waypoint records, not written as an article, and reviewed before publication. Confirm conditions, closures, and permits before you travel.
- Route structured
- Distances calculated
- Reviewed before publication
- Published September 2026
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Make this Xpedition yours.
Dates, pace, lodging, vehicle, and who is coming can all be rebuilt around you, starting from this exact route: 3-Day Road Trip Itinerary: Merrimack, NH to Cody, WY.
You keep
- The full 3 day route, editable day by day
- Distances and pacing recalculated around you
- One conversation to change anything