5/6 Day Itinerary

Hi,

We are a middle aged couple who would like to visit South Dakota as part of our USA trip in early September 2009. Assuming we will be flying into and out of Rapid City we would be extremely grateful for advice on an itinerary which would allow us to see as much of the state%26#39;s highlights as possible without resorting to a ';drive by'; only view. Advice on where to stay would be most welcome although we would hope for some time in Deadwood.

Look forward to your welcome assistance

Jaybeediamond

5/6 Day Itinerary

Here%26#39;s a short-list of the must sees in SD:

Badlands National Park

Mt. Rushmore

Custer State Park

Crazy Horse

Wind Cave

Jewel Cave

Devil%26#39;s Tower--actually in Wyoming--fairly close to Deadwood

With 5-6 days, you will have plenty of time to see everything on this list and then some. There%26#39;s lots more to see and do in the area; these are just the must do%26#39;s, imo.

Can you provide us with some of your interests? Do you like hiking/outdoor activities, museums, etc? Knowing these things might enable us to help you even more.

As far as places to stay, most choose Keystone, Hill City or Custer. These towns are centrally located to attractions and make for good bases.

You mentioned Deadwood. Some people actually split their time between the northern region, which includes Deadwood and the central region, which includes the towns I mentioned. You could stay in Deadwood for a night or two and the balance could be in another town. Devil%26#39;s Tower is an easy trip from Deadwood. Also of interest in Deadwood is the Adams Museum/House. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried here, and of course, you have small casinos.

I highly recommend getting a South Dakota travel guide, (travelsd.com), to read up on the many atractions in the area. This will help you narrow down what you want to see. The nice part of the area is the high concentration of attractions in a small area.

I hope this helps you. Please let us know if you have any more specific questions.

5/6 Day Itinerary

Sites not commonly mentioned, usually ddue to the very large number of attractions in the Black Hills would be....

On the trip over to Devils Tower be sure to take a few minutes to see the Vore Buffalo Jump....just of of I-90 at exit 199 in WY. Very interesting, free (thought they request a donation) and good for a leg stretch. http://vorebuffalojump.org/ Only about a mile from the interchange eastward on the northside frontage road. Look for teepee.

Another hidden gem is Bear Butte State Park and the hike ot the top (if weather is good). North of Sturgis.

If you are not looking for fancy amenities in a hotel in Deadwood I would highly recommend Hickok%26#39;s Iron Horse Inn. Very interesting old place that has been refurbished with old fashioned decor. High ceilings and lots of in-room features. Like a time trip to the American Old West. tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g54578-d649603-…

Another charming Old West town is Hot Springs...although the springs are really barely warm. The Springd Steakhouse in the Braun Hotel was very good when we visited. They built the place around a huge boulder rather than move the rock so it sticks up in the dining room. The town has some unique architecture based on the local red sandstone. Pic of the Braun Hotel: scenicdakotas.com/southdakota/hotsprings/bra…

Even with that many days it might be hard to justify the drive timr but a day-trip to the Badlands and Wall, SD might be worthwhile...especially to get a sense for the ';Great American Desert'; and vastness of the short grass prairie lands. Wall Drugstore is a tourist trap but a venerable old world famous one. There are signs all over the world with the miles to Wall Drug.

Thanks for your help. I will now use this to start more detailed planning

jaybeediamond

Jaybee,

I recently was transplanted to South Dakota for 6 months and had the opportunity to travel the west every weekend. That said Here are a few things you should look into.

First, I highly recommend you find a hotel in Rapid City itself as it is dead center between all attractions. It%26#39;s nearly midway between Deadwood and Custer State Park (closer to Custer). I stayed a few times at the Holiday Inn-Rushmore Plaza and I LOVED it...you get what you pay for there.

The following are things you should look into:

Mt. Rushmore - no explanation needed there

Crazy Horse Monument - This is something many overlook because it is FAR from being complete. However, the museum they have there is arguably the best one in all of Western South Dakota. There have an unrivaled collection of Native American artwork, and if you are there at the right time, you%26#39;ll be able to see one of the MASSIVE explosions on the monument. It is awesome!

Wind Cave National Park - another overlooked place. If you are claustraphobic I would stay away, but if not, this is definietely worth a day trip. It is one of the longest caves in the world and houses 95% of the world%26#39;s boxwork - which is stunning to see!

Deadwood is a a fun place to visit, not so much of a fun place to stay. It is a bit overpriced and there%26#39;s a LOT of families there. Nice little casinos, and some really great food. There is a restaurant called Mustang Sally%26#39;s that has amazing burgers.

Devil%26#39;s Tower in Wyoming is about an hour and a half drive from Rapid City. If you enjoy the outdoors and nature, then this is a great place. Obviously you have plenty of outdoors to experience in the Black Hills, but hiking around Devil%26#39;s Tower is just so unlike anywhere else I have ever been...you really get some gorgeous views of the Wyoming countryside up there!

Finally, a few fun things to do in the Rapid City area. The Journey Museum is inexpensive and quite interesting. Bear Country USA is not cheap (I think like 20 bucks a person) but I mean, come on, when on Earth will you be inches away from a bear in your car?? The Museum of Geology is very interesting and I believe it is free!

Downola,

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I will have my ideas for the trip put together by the end of the month. Inevitably I will come up with a few more questions which I hope you and other contibuters will be able to assist me on.