South Dakota????

[Scott C]

DS16 and DS 18 are tired of going on vacations with Mom and dad. So the wife and I are going to put a very few things in our Miata and take a road trip to see Mt Rushmore. Any suggestions for hotels there and other things to do??

Thanks
Scott C

Ahh -- Disney next year off season and without the kids...........

[Altair]

Badlands National Park
Wall Drug
Needles Highway
Crazy Horse Mountain
Devil's Tower National Monument
Custer State Park
Wind Cave National Park
Deadwood
Wild Bill Hickcok's gravesite

You can also head south from Devil's Tower to hit Fort Laramie, Scottsbluff and Chimney Rock.

On the way out from Indiana there's Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD, and the Missouri River overlook at Chamberlain, SD.

[Janmac]

I hope you're going earlier in the summer as the Black Hills gets quite full later when the motorcycle folks arrive. I heard of one person who was merely driving through on her way to the Pacific Coast and thought she'd stop the night near Rapid City. She had to go another couple hundred miles before finding a vacancy.

I find the roads around the Black Hills to be somewhat confusing. There are a lot of sights to see and they're not far from each other but the highways all seem to make big circles. Makes for some scenic driving.

We had a weekend family reunion in the Black Hills in June last year and stayed at Custer State Park, in the State Game Lodge area. Some of us stayed at the campground, some in the cabins and some in the Lodge, which was at one time the Calvin Coolidge "summer Whitehouse". It's very picturesque and rustic and apparently comfortable. It'd be a nice get away.

Custer State Park has an extensive website. There are maybe 3 other areas in the state park that also have lodging. We went up to Bluebell one day (granddaughter was going horseback riding) and I think you could see all the way to the Badlands (90 miles) from up there.

This location is somewhat centrally located, as you can drive northerly and see Mt. Rushmore, or south and see Wind Cave. West to see Jewell Cave.

You can stay at any of a variety of chain motels up in Rapid City and then you'd likely go south for most of your sightseeing, except for the Devil's Tower or Deadwood, as Altair mentioned. I can't actually recommend any lodging as we have always stayed in a campground.

Another word of caution, for some of June, if not all of it, Devil's Tower is essentially closed because of religious significance to local tribes. You can still visit the Visitor's Center and see the Tower from there. If you're going this month.

If I were not camping I'd stay at Custer State Park and I think I'd try the jeep tour. DH and our grandson did this and enjoyed it. Also drive the wildlife loop and, of course Mt. Rushmore. If you like hiking, there are plenty of trails in the park. Keep a weather eye out as quick afternoon showers - some with hail and lightning - often appear.

Another bit of info, at Mt. Rushmore there is no entrance fee but you do pay to park in the parking garage. And at Crazy Horse, you pay for parking. We've always looked at it from outside.

We did pay to do the excursion train, which also has a website, something about Keystone, I think. It was mildly interesting but then I'm a sucker for steam trains.

The Black Hills is very popular altho the towns, Custer, Hill City, Keystone, are quite small. Rapid City is the nearest big town.

Last summer there was extensive costruction around the interchange for the road down to Custer State Park. It could be all finished by now.

And finally, we had very stiff winds when leaving the Black Hills and driving east along the interstate. Depending on your direction of travel and the winds, you could either have wonderful or woeful gas mileage.

Enjoy!

Jan

[Altair]

IAnother bit of info, at Mt. Rushmore there is no entrance fee but you do pay to park in the parking garage. And at Crazy Horse, you pay for parking. We've always looked at it from outside.

There is, or at least was, a small free parking lot on the right side as you come up the hill from Rapid City and approarch Mt. Rushmore. This lot is closed sometimes due to construction. It is a short walk up some stairs to the monument from there.
We do the same thing at Crazy Horse, but some others enjoy the visitor center.

Devil's Tower is closed to climbing in June. You can still take the loop trail around it.

[JRocker]

About 3 hours east of mt rushmore is a town called Murdo, right on the interstate. There you will find an auto museum that is quite enjoyable. It is called the Pioneer Auto Show.
They have loads of old cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and a spattering of old toys and lunch boxes.
They also have a Harley that was once owned by some old cover tune artist; Ernest, Elroy..something like that.
Our last trip up there they had one of the mustangs (Eleanor) from the movie "Gone In Sixty Seconds".
Some of the vehicles are restored, some aren't. It's just an enjoyable afternoon.

[Janmac]

We had heard of that free parking lot at Mt. Rushmore, Altair, but also heard it's full about 5 seconds after the park opens. DH was beside himself that his treasured Golden Age Passport did not work for the parking garage.

But we did see Abe Lincoln roaming around the cafeteria, while we were eating our buffalo burgers, excuse me, bison burgers. I didn't know they'd started doing that kind of thing there!

Another thing about the Crazy Horse visitor center and merely looking from the highway, is avoiding the gift shop - gotta save the parking garage money someway.

But I jest, it was less then ten dollars to park when we were there. No big deal and really, we were in the shade.

I had read something somewhere spring of 2007 that they don't close the loop trail at Devil's Tower - only the climbing - but there was something about asking folks to refrain from doing the loop trail - strictly voluntary. We didn't make it that far north, so I don't know for sure.

Murdo is about the right spot for a wind break on the way back east from the Black Hills.

Jan

[Tick-Tock]

Right next to Badlands National Park is Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. It's the control center for a group of Minuteman missiles (they were dismantled in the early 1990s, but the control room was left as is) and then you go out to a missile silo. It's really interesting, but you have to go with a guided tour (only twice a day, 6-7 people per tour) so you need to reserve in advance.

We love Custer State Park. We've always seen tons of bison here (and a few times they've surrounded us as we drive down the road). There are several basic motels and campgrounds just outside the park in the town of Custer as well.

Hot Springs, SD has a wild horse sanctuary and a mammoth bones site also.

[Mulan]

Hey neighbor! We took a road trip out west about three summers ago leaving from Newburgh. We went to Colorado mountains, deserts in Utah, Yellowstone and then Mount Rushmore. Had a GREAT time. We where in a motorhome so we stayed at campgrounds. We (and the kids) loved Mt. Rushmore. There is just something about that place. There is also a small town there that has a "salon" restaurant that was fun. But if I was going to drive all that way again I would go back to Yellowstone. Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone are a must see in life.

[DNS]

We stayed in Rapid City when we went. Also there are ghost towns. We stopped at one, 1880 Town is what I remember. The Badlands are very cool. We spent the whole day there exploring and would like to have spent longer.

[Dakota Rose]

Living in ND, western SD is the closest vacation spot for us. There's a lot to do in the area.

Check out Ft. Hays/set of Dances with Wolves and the 99cent pancake breakfast

There's a cool water park in Rapid City called WaTiki.

Check out travelsd.com

Have a great time!