Which way

Which way should I go after I leave Badlands? We are coming from Sioux Falls and will stop at Mitchell, stay one night in Badlands then two nights in Keystone. We want to visit Wall Drug area and Custer State Park. Should we do Wall Drug drive into Badlands stay the night and then go to Custer then onto Keystone??

Thanks

Which way

If you only want to see Custer State Park why would you stay in Keystone?

I would do Wall Drug on the way to Custer State Park

after spending the night in the Badlands.

If I were you, I would stay in Custer or Hill City.

We always stay in Hill City very central to all

(Mt Rushmore,Custer State Park,Crazy Horse,Needles highway,Iron Mountain Road,Alpine Inn an don and on.

why would you not visit these other Icons especially

Mt Rushmore and the evening lighting ceremony?

Which way

I never said I wasnt going to see Mt Rushmore, we are both day time and evening. My concern right now was just getting from Badlands to Wall drug to Custer then onto Keystone. With gas prices the way they are, I%26#39;m trying not backtrack.

Thanks for your help

How long would it take to go from Badlands, see Wall Drug, drive thru Custer State Park then check in at our hotel in Keystone? Is this all doable in one day???? We will be in Keystone two nights.

It is doable in one day, even though you will be flying thru Custer State Park.

It is about 150 miles from Badlands to Keystone via Wall Drug and Custer State Park.

The 150 miles will be mainly non-interstate 90.

I would try and arrive at Custer State Park around noon.You need at the minimum 4 hrs here.Lots to see here.Try and take Iron Mountain rd (16A) into Custer.

It is slow, you go thru 3 tunnels and over 2 pigtail bridges.As you come out of each tunnel you get a view of Mt Rushmore.Time permitting come back from Custer on the Needles highway and get a view of Crazy Horse from highway 16/385.Binoculars are great here. It will be a long day but you will see a LOT...

Lorinjer, I should have stated make sure you leave Badlands very early.The Needles highway and Iron Mountain Road are very slow moving due to a lot of hairpin turns. I know what you mean by the gas prices. We will be headed out West on our trip in Sep driving our car,we will put on roughly 8 to 9000 miles. 27 mpg / 8500 = 315 gallons * roughly $4 per gallon = a lot of $$$gas but worth every penny of it. We will also be in Hill City Sep 4/6....

Can%26#39;t wait.......LOL

Wow thanks!! Maybe we should do Wall Drug before spending the night at Badlands , that will give us more time the next day for Custer State Park. We are only coming from Sioux Falls and making one stop at Corn palace before Badlands. How long of a day would that be??? I think its 3.5 hours from Sioux Falls to Badlands without stops. If we go onto Wall first, we would be there around noonish is my guess even with stoping at Corn Palace??? This way we would see the road leading into and out of Badlands from hwy 90 going both ways. Unless when we leave Badlands we take Hwy 44 to Hwy 40 to Hwy 79 and down into Custer State Park?? there doesnt seem anyway to get to Custer State Park except to drive thru Keystone. Any suggestions.?

After finding a map of Custer State Park I see a circle route that would start in Keystone and take us back into Keystone without back tracking (thanks to who mentioned Hwy 16 A and 87). That will take about 4 hours, you say??? Anywhere to stop and have lunch or should we take a picnic lunch with us??? So I guess the best thing to do would be is do Wall Drug before Badlands and then leave Badlands the next morning via maybe Hwy 44??? Hwy 16?? Does Hwy 16 turn into 16 A???

I would definitely do Wall Drugs first and then leave very early the next morning going back on I90 this way you get to see the park like you said in both directions.I would pack a picnic lunch for Custer State Park. rt16 and 16a are different roads.

When we come this way we always stop near the Chamberlin (exit 265) an hr past Mitchell.It is the Lewis %26amp; Clark expedition visiting Center.Stop here and get a fantastic view from the hill above the Missouri river and the fantastic roving Hills of SD where you are headed.In my opinion this is a must stop,view from here cannot get any better.

Being that you want to do Custer State Park first

here is the way I would go:

Get off interstate 90 at exit 60,pickup 16bus to 79

follow 79 to 36 then onto 16alt

pickup wildlife loop road (Custer SP)follow all around to 87N then back on to 16a east this will

turn into Iron Mountain Road and give you a glimpse

of Mt Rushmore when coming out of the tunnels.this is whay they call a framed view of Mt Rushmore.

Road is very windy and slow but will also lead you right into Keystone.AWESOME drive.That night I would

take the short ride up to Mt Rushmore and attend the

evening lighting ceremony.A MUST...

Get a good map of SD and you won%26#39;t have any problems.

Better yet at your hotel they will give you a very detailed map of the Black Hills.This is what you will need.

PS we always stay in Hill City,mainly to dine at the Alpine Inn,place is always packed,homemade deserts the best ever,and filet steaks 6 or 9 oz $7.95- $10.95 Deserts $4 Can%26#39;t wait to visit here in Sep

Alpine Inn closed on Sundays

open at 5 get there by 4:30 it will be jammed..

Hope this helps

Wow yes that helps a lot!! any suggestions on where to eat in Keystone??

Or how about how long that will take once we leave Badlands, go thru Custer State Park? Will we have time to go to the evening lighting ceramony at Mt Rushmore??

Thanks