We will be travelling up from the Fort Collins area via Cheyenne to Keystone on Tues 23rd June 2009. We will be staying 2 nights so we can see Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave, etc... before leaving the area first thing on Thurs morning (to get to Red Lodge).
Any ideas of where abouts we should stay? What accomodation? etc...
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Where to stay?Hi,
I saw your post asking about K Bar S Lodge. Here is their webpage:
kbarslodge.com
Unfortunately, they do not provide pricing, but I have read from other posters on this site that rates range anywhere from $100-$140, depending on time of year you are staying. It really gets rave reviews on here.
For staying in the Black Hills, most people choose Hill City, Keystone or Custer as a base, as they are central to the attractions. Keystone is the most touristy of the 3 and including souvenir shops galore and a ';boardwalk.'; It is centrally located to Mt Rushmore..you can be at the monument in about 5 minutes. Hill City is about 10 miles from Keystone and has a nicer downtown with nicer shops, imo. It%26#39;s also home of the Alpine Inn, an excellent lunch spot serving classic German fare and great desserts! For dinner, they serve only filet, so if that is not your taste, check out the lunch. It gets busy at night..go early..waits can be long! (This is why we did lunch, plus I am not a big steak eater). We didn%26#39;t spend a whole lot of time in Custer, but it did seem to have a western feel as did most of the area. I preferred Keystone %26amp; Hill City over Custer.
As far as hotel recommendations, we liked the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone when we were there in 2006. We stayed in a family suite, but other room types are also available. Their website is rosyinn.com. If you decide on it, be sure to ask for the internet rate. They don%26#39;t offer it unless you ask. I also have a review on this site if you%26#39;d like to take a look.
Have a great trip.
Where to stay?You might also try one of the Custer State Park lodges if you%26#39;re looking for a lodge/mountain setting. They are more expensive than most hotels in Hill City/Custer/Keystone but can make for a rewarding stay. Most of the rooms have renovated in the last year or two so be sure to check the dates of any reviews that you read. I prefer the Sylvan Lake Lodge (for a combination of ambiance and location) but others like the State Game Lodge or cabins at Blue Bell. www.custerresorts.com is the website.
We stayed at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone in May and enjoyed our stay. We paid about $100 per night. Great views and a great hot breakfast each morning. When you visit Custer State Park try the buffet at the Lodge. The food is great and the lodge is very historical. Several US presidents spent summers at the Lodge.
Just got back and stayed at Mt Rushmore White House Motel in Keystone. What a fun, fun little town. Right by Rushmore, in fact you can see Mt Rushmore from the town. Very close to Custer national Park, every thing in town is in walking distance, lots and lots to do in Keystone. If you have kids, they will absolutely love Keystone. Our 13 yr old dh didn%26#39;t want to leave.
Hotel was clean, safe and right there on the main drag, just don%26#39;t eat in the hotel restaurant, Railhead.
Have fun, we certainly did.
You can PM me for details or other info.
I love the idea of the lodges at Custer State Park. How close are they to doing the typical tourist things like Mt. Rushmore and Badlands, etc?
The Badlands should be considered a day trip from the Mount Rushmore area so staying at a Custer State Park lodge is really no different than Hill City or Keystone as far as that trip goes.
Most itineraries spend at least a day in Custer State Park so the lodges help that day. As far as distances to Mount Rushmore and other attractions, it isn%26#39;t too bad. You%26#39;re goign to be driving to most of these places anyway. But staying at one of the lodges is more remote than in town--there won%26#39;t be a lot of really close options for restaurants and activities. If you%26#39;re traveling with teenagers who aren%26#39;t big outdoor enthusiasts, I%26#39;d suggest a town like Keystone. If you%26#39;re not bringing kids and would like a lodge feeling, try one of the lodges. If you have small children, they may like the cabins at one of the lodges.
I will be traveling with my husband and two girls, who will be 9 and 10 at that point. Husband couldn%26#39;t care where we stay, as long as it has a decent bed. The girls would prefer somewhere they can swim but would also be happy with a place where they can just get outside and run around some.
I figured that the Badlands would be a day trip from wherever we stay. We will have three days in the area and would like to do Mt. Rushmore, Badlands and the scenic drive through Custer. We%26#39;d also like to fit in the Crazy Horse monument since we saw it on a tv show. The girls are not too interested in the cave since we%26#39;ve been to Lurray Caverns a few times. I also wonder if it is too far to go to Deadwood one night and if we did go there, what we%26#39;d do????
Just as a follow up, I thought I read that there was a swimming beach on the lake at Custer. Is that right? The kids would love that!
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