Advice for 4 night stay--2 singles, no kids

Hello~ my friend and I are single and will be traveling to the Black Hills/Badlands of SD from Oct. 10 to Oct. 14.

Never having been to this amazing part of the country, what would be a good sample itinerary? Obviously, we want to see as much as possible and do not mind doing 1 or 2 nights in a different location.

Without kids, we would like to stick to National Parks and Monuments--will be renting a car so driving is not a problem, and are very open to any lodging choices (except I don%26#39;t think I want to %26#39;tent%26#39;.)

A day by day suggested itinery would be ideal! Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Advice for 4 night stay--2 singles, no kids

Hi,

Just a few questions to help us to help you better. Are you flying into Rapid City, or are you coming from a bit further to save money on flights?

Here are some must sees that fit the bill of what you describe:

1. Badlands National Park (unless you stay in the park or very nearby, i.e. Wall, I would do a day trip from the Black Hills)

2. Mt Rushmore

3. Jewel Cave National Monument

4. Wind Cave National Park

5. Devil%26#39;s Tower

6. Custer State Park

7. Crazy Horse (You have to see it once)

For lodging, most people make a base in Custer, Hill City, or Keystone. There are several types of lodging, ranging from basic cabins to more luxurious hotels. We stayed at the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone and really liked it. I have a review on this site.

If you choose one of these 3 towns as your base, you can take a day trip to the Badlands, a day trip out to Devil%26#39;s Tower/Spearfish Canyon, %26amp; Deadwood, and your remaining 2-3 days can be spent exploring Custer State Park, (you can spend at least a day here depending on your interests) and the other must sees I mentioned. The nice thing about the Black Hills is that most attractions are within a 2 hour radius.

If you have any more specific questions, please let us know.

Advice for 4 night stay--2 singles, no kids

Thank you so much--this post is extremely helpful. Yes, we will be flying into Rapid City, to save time....I realize the flights will be a little pricey--coming from Boston, it appears that we will have to connect at either O%26#39;Hare or Denver, using United.

I appreciate your suggestions, and I think we will use them as much as possible!

Yes, they are pricey, but I think it%26#39;s worth it to fly as close as you can, especially with gas prices. We used United 2 years ago and connected in Denver. It worked out well. Rapid City is a very nice airport to use. I understand car rentals are pricey this year (what isn%26#39;t these days!) at Rapid. I think some found cheaper rates by renting in Rapid City proper rather than the airport to save money.

Good luck with your planning, and please ask if we can help in any other way.

Check out K Bar S Lodge for your hotel for the stay. Great views, great breakfast and not in a touristy area.

Flying into Rapid City is a good idea. 7 hours each way from Denver isn%26#39;t much fun.

Fly into Rapid City if possible. The drive from Denver is long and there is nothing- nothing except the small town of Lusk between Denver and Keystone, SD. We did this trip the last week of May from Denver and I would not do it again.

If you are looking for a great hike and have no kids try hiking up to Harney Peak. you leave from Sylvan Lake and the view is amazing!!!!