Best route to Badlands from Rapid City and then to Deadwood

We will be visiting Badlands from Rapid City. Someone who visited recently said we should take the %26#39;back road%26#39; - I think route 16, then route 44 - via the town of Scenic to the back entrance of the park. He did mention something about gravel roads as well.

What is the best way to enter the park from Rapid city? We will then be heading to Deadwood from there. What route should we take?

Best route to Badlands from Rapid City and then to Deadwood

Taking the Highway 44 route through Scenic is a nice way to see more and you won%26#39;t be backtracking on I-90 when you go to Deadwood. It will take a little more time but not a lot.

I%26#39;d take this route: 44 east of Rapid City to Interior. Then enter the park and go all the way to the east entrance of the park on 377/240. Make a U-turn and do the park loop (240) east to west to Wall. Take I-90 to Sturgis. Exit I-90 at exit 30 and go to Deadwood.

Don%26#39;t expect to see incredible scenery on 44 but it will be OK--it%26#39;s mostly a prairie setting with a welcome lack of billboards comapred to I-90.

Once you get to Scenic, you could take Sage Creek Road into the west entrance of the park. But it%26#39;s gravel and it%26#39;s not necessarily worth the extra time unless you%26#39;re fully exploring the park. If you go this route, you%26#39;d hook up with 240 and go east through park loop and exit the park to I-90 on Exit 131.

Best route to Badlands from Rapid City and then to Deadwood

Thanks for your always excellent suggestions!

How much time will it take from Rapid City using this route? We%26#39;ll be leaving from the Country Inn and Suites on North Lacrosse Street. We%26#39;d also like to get into Deadwood with enough time to see a bit of the town and possible do one of the mine tours. The following day will be slotted for Devil%26#39;s Tower which I assume will take up most of the day. We have one more night in Deadwood after that before we head to our Hill City base for the next 5 nights.

I%26#39;d say it would take you six hours for that route from Rapid City to the Badlands to Deadwood. This would include various stops in the Badlands--visitor center, boardwalks, etc. Add more time for lunch or a stop at Wall Drug.

Devils Tower from Deadwood doesn%26#39;t necessarily take a whole day but it might be close depending on what you do. Are you going through Spearfish Canyon on the way? Assuming you do and if you leave Deadwood right away in the morning, you%26#39;ll probably get back to Deadwood in mid to late afternoon.

The drive from Scenic to the Badlands via 44

anything but ';scenic';.Barren if anything, did it once but no more.

Yeah, like Joeman says that piece of 44 isn%26#39;t too exciting. But I-90 isn%26#39;t any better. Given the choice of driving I-90 twice (both east and west) or 44 one way and I-90 the other without much time difference to get to the Badlands, I%26#39;d take 44 one of the directions.

By avoiding I-90 both ways, you get to avoid half of the billboards, semis, etc.

My only other concern about driving on 44 is finding food places on the way to pick up something for lunch.

You won%26#39;t find much for lunch (or anything else) on 44. There is nothing to stop for until you get to the east entrance of the Badlands. (1.5-2 hours from Rapid City). On I-90 there are more places to stop.

What time of day do plan on leaving Rapid City?

We plan to leave after breakfast - around 9 a.m. I figured we would be mid-loop around lunchtime. My 7 yo ds is a bear when he gets hungry so I thought we%26#39;d purchase a styrofoam cooler and get sandwiches on the way in. Is Cedar Pass Lodge close to the entrance or farther in the park? We could do our lunch stop there as well.

I agree with accomodator better taking 44 than backtracking on I90.

No parts of 44 are gravel but I think there is a gravel road off 44 that takes you into the Badlands.

As for lunch I would head to Wall Drugs,more choices

there than at Badlands, especially if headed to Deadwood....

You%26#39;ll avoid the gravel if you take 44 to Interior and to the east entrance of the park. The gravel road is Sage Creek Road which takes you from Scenic into the west end of the park.