April trip

Greetings from England.

We are planning a trip in mid/late April (only time we can get away) starting in Denver. First we are heading east to see friends in Topeka and Geneva, Nebraska. We then have 7 nights to get back to Denver via the Black Hills area.

Our first thought is one night (where?) on the way to Black Hills seeing Badlands on the second afternoon and then 3 nights at a B%26amp;B in Casper or Hot Springs or similar small town then a long drive to Estes Park in Colorado for our last 3 nights.

Should we consider 4 nights in The Black Hills area and just two in Estes Park and if so, is there enough to keep us busy for three full days in the area (I suspect the answer is yes!)? Also any B%26amp;B recommendations in the $120-£180 range? There aren%26#39;t that many reviews on TA.

Many thanks in advance.

adamhornets@yahoo.com

April trip

I would stay 3-4 nights in Black Hills, visiting Mt Rushmore, both during the day and at night, Custer State Park, Jewel and Wind Cave tours, maybe a 1/2 day trip to Deadwood and possibly on to Devils Tower. Also visit Badlands, Rapid City and Hot Springs areas.

2 nights in RMNP area in late April would be good. Trail Ridge Road will not be open and many of the trails will still have snow. A day or 2 in the park will be good.

You may want to spend some time in Denver or Boulder. Nice areas, good museums and restaurants.

April trip

The weather in the mountains, including the Black Hills can vary quite a bit in April, it may be sunny %26amp; warm or, wet snow showers aren%26#39;t uncommon.

The Mt Rushmore evening lighting ceremony doesn%26#39;t begin until May 13, so it is better viewed during the day in April.

If you want to stay in a B %26amp; B in the Black Hills, Casper is 3 hours away from Hot Springs.

Here is a listing of B %26amp; Bs in and near the Black Hills:

http://www.bbonline.com/sd/region4.html

Thanks for the info on the start time for the Mt Rushmore evening program! We really enjoyed that.

You%26#39;re welcome Casa.

I drove through Hill City, the Sylvan area, Needles hwy, Iron Mt, Keystone on Oct 29, there were a few businesses open in Hill City, but the Sylvan buildings %26amp; the restaurants in Keystone were all closed for the season, so it made me wonder when things open back up in the spring.

Mt. Rushmore stays open year round, but the lighting ceremony is seasonal.

I was getting my generals and ghosts mixed up. I meant Custer not Casper!!

Thanks for the advice so far and also for the list of B%26amp;B%26#39;s. Maybe an unfair question but is there one town that is ';nicer'; to stay in for a few nights than any of the others?

Ought to have added that we are starting our trip with 3 nights in Denver staying with friends so we will get a chance to look around the area before we head east.

I liked Custer SD, seemed to be less touristy, closer to the forests. Hill City had some fun shops and restaurants. Keystone was my least favorite, not great food where we ate (can%26#39;t remember the name, lol)

I%26#39;ve been away from a computer for a few days so I haven%26#39;t had a chance to respond.

April is toward the end of the off-season but it%26#39;s still fully the off-season. Actual parks and government owned attractions are all open but many hotels and restaurants in the touristy areas will be closed. The Needles Highway opens around April 15 each year so you should be able to drive that. This makes all of Custer State Park open to travel but the stores and lodges will all be closed.

April is the time of year that I recommend considering Rapid City for lodging. There just isn%26#39;t a lot open in Hill City or Custer. You%26#39;d be able to find a hotel room in Hill City or Custer, but otherwise it%26#39;s pretty slow. Rapid City isn%26#39;t as dependent on tourism so all of the restaurants will be open. Check the list of b%26amp;b%26#39;s above in another post. Many of the b%26amp;b%26#39;s are in rural settings. If you go for a hotel instead of a b%26amp;b, the Radisson in downtown Rapid City gets my vote for a multiple night, off-season stay.

If you plan on spending any time in the northern Black Hills, Deadwood is fully open year-round and makes a good place to stay in the off-season.

If you%26#39;re driving from Geneva, NE, to the Black Hills, I%26#39;d be sure to stop at the Badlands first and then proceed to the Hills. A somewhat scenic route will involve driving through central Nebraska on Highway 2 northwest of Grand Island through Broken Bow to the Thedford area. The Nebraska Sandhills will make for a more scenic drive than going through, say, Mitchell, SD.

If you%26#39;re able to depart Geneva early in the day (like 7 a.m.), you can make it to the Badlands in the early to mid-afternoon. You should probably plan on 2-3 hours in the Badlands park--possibly longer if you plan on doing a lot of walking. This could get you into Rapid City in the evening and you%26#39;d avoid having to stay somewhere in between. This would make for a long day, though. If you choose to stay somewhere in between you might consider Valentine, NE, or Kadoka, SD and then drive through the Badlands in the morning. Neither of those towns offer luxury accommodations but they%26#39;ll get you through a night.

If you need to stay overnight half way between the Black Hills and Estes Park, the Super 8 in Wheatland, WY, is a clean, newer budget hotel. Some Super 8%26#39;s can be suspect but this is a good one.

As mentioned by other posters, April can be a snowy month in western SD. Bring warm clothes.

Thanks for all the great advice. We are undecided about one thing - if we go with three nights in Rapid City and two in Estes Park that leaves one night between the two. Is there much to see or do between the two places? It doesn%26#39;t look like it but maybe you know better!

The other option would be to add a night in either Rapid City or Estes Park.

Arguably, there isn%26#39;t a lot to stop for between the Black Hills and Estes Park.