Hi! I am new to trip advisor and this forum and am hoping for some advice to help plan our trip. Our family (kids 11 %26amp; 6) are driving from Missouri to Mt Rushmore, and then are trying to decide whether to loop down through to Cheyenne, WY and back, or go on out to Yellowstone and then loop back....we have about 9-10 days.
One possible issue is that we will overlap the Sturgis rally on one end or the other with the week we are able to go. Will this be a great adventure or a problem with lodging? younger kids?
Also, I am a little worried about fitting everything in, as I read all these great posts...is this a legitimate worry? or will we be okay? L
Any and all tips, sage advice and/or guidance (lodging, sightseeing, etc) will be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Missouri to Rapid City (%26amp; beyond?) -- help needed!
Welcome to the forums!
Sturgis is scheduled for 8/4-8/10. From what I have read, the crowds tend to thin out more towards the end of the rally. Lodging tends to be quite expensive and many hotels fill up during this busy time. Everyone has his/her own ideas, but since I am not a biker, I know being in this area during Sturgis would not be for me. I would say if you can avoid at least the beginning of the rally, it would be to your benefit.
When are your vacation dates?
As for your worries about fitting in your activities, they are valid concerns, imo. I have been to both places (Black Hills %26amp; Yellowstone) and spent 10-12 days in each area. Keep in mind we flew into the areas. You will be driving, so some of your time will be eaten up getting out and back. I would focus on one area or the other and not try to pack in too much. For your kids, the Black Hills has a ton of activities to keep them going for well over a week. My daughter was 8 when we visited and still talks about the fun she had.
If you haven%26#39;t done so, be sure to order a South Dakota travel guide (travelsd.com) to give yourself a good idea of the area%26#39;s attractions.
Yellowstone is an amazing place in its own right. Stunning scenery, amazing wildlife, thermal areas; it%26#39;s my favorite place. The Black Hills are a close second to me. If you can, take the time to enjoy both of them.
Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please let us know.
Missouri to Rapid City (%26amp; beyond?) -- help needed!
What part of MO? It could take you about 2 days to reach Rapid City. If you don%26#39;t mind riding for long hours you could go to Yellowstone, but you would not be able to cover the entire park. When we are on vacation, we cram way too much in, but have never regretted it. You could come again and see things that you missed. It will take another day to go to Yellowstone from Rapid City and another day back to the Black Hills so you would be very limited in time. You will need at least 2 days for a visit to the Black Hills. The wildlife loop at Custer park is a great place to see buffalo and donkeys. How about skipping Yellowstone this time and instead go from the Black Hills down to RMNP? They are beautiful and you will see lots of elk, maybe big horn sheep, and moose. Both the Black Hills and RMNP have some fantastic trails for exploring.
We%26#39;ve driven Rapid City to St. Louis a couple times in one day, it%26#39;s about a 13 hour trip. So if you are farther than that, it may take you more than one day.
The official start of the rally may be the 4th, but vendors will be set up on Sturgis Main St. by the 1st and concerts at the campground venues are scheduled for that weekend. By Sunday the 10th the crowd will be gone.
Lodging may not be easy to find, but you could try Custer %26amp; Hot Springs as the traffic isn%26#39;t quite as heavy. Available lodging may answer your question as to whether you stay in the Black Hills or go on to Yellowstone.
I don%26#39;t really think of Cheyenne as a vacation destination, and I%26#39;ve spent a couple weekends there for softball tournaments.
Hi There, Derby Girl,
I live in Denver and go to the Black Hills to camp every couple of years. A couple of things that I can tell you about the Sturgis rally is that the hotels definitely sell out and, if they don%26#39;t, the price is definitely expensive. If camping is an option, we have been able to get camp sites on the later end of the rally. That being said, it is definitely noisier and much more congested, traffic-wise during the rally.
I do somewhat agree with the others who have replied in saying that you may want to consider going with one destination or the other. I don%26#39;t think that it is something to automatically dismiss though. If you were to split it up, I would go with more time in Yellowstone though.
If you do go with just the Black Hills, I recommend that you venture just a bit into Wyoming and go to Devil%26#39;s Tower. It is a spectacular site and not to be missed.
Enjoy!
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