Mr. and Mrs. P want to visit all nine National Parks in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.
They want to begin their tour at Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado (labeled BCG on the map below)
and end up at Wind Cave in South Dakota (labeled WC on the map).
The Ps may only take the routes that are marked.
Using the times between the parks listed below, determine the trip with the shortest driving time.
Please give the route that you took.
| G to B | 11 hours | ||
| G to WC | 13 hours | ||
| G to Y | 8 hours | ||
| G to GT | 9 hours | ||
| G to MV | 17 hours | ||
| B to WC | 4 hours | ||
| B to RM | 6 hours | ||
| B to BCG | 8 hours | ||
| B to GSD | 19 hours | ||
| BCG to RM | 7 hours | ||
| BCG to Y | 8 hours | ||
| BCG to GT | 4 hours | ||
| BCG to GSD | 8 hours | ||
| WC to Y | 3 hours | ||
| WC to MV | 16 hours | ||
| WC to RM | 5 hours | ||
| MV to GSD | 11 hours | ||
| MV to Y | 21 hours | ||
| MV to GT | 9 hours | ||
| Y to GSD | 5 hours | ||
| Y to GT | 4 hours | ||
| Y to RM | 5 hours | ||
| GSD to GT | 7 hours | ||
Click here for a printable map with indicated times
Click here for Mr. P's National Parks Web Site
Solution to the Problem:
The shortest amount of time required to travel to all nine parks is 59 hours.The order is BCG, GT, MV, GSD, Y, G, B, RM, WC.
No one sent in an answer of 59 hours (or less), but four people found a way to make the tour in 60 hours.
Here is the path:
Correctly solved by:
| 1. David & Judy Dixon (60 hours) | Bennettsville, South Carolina |
| 2. John Funk (60 hours) | Ventura, Cailifornia |
| 3. William Trubin & Sam Rho (60 hours) |
John Handley High School, Winchester, Virginia |