Three days and two kids in Rapid City area - where to stay?

We%26#39;ll be traveling in early June to Yellowstone. We%26#39;ll be leaving Sioux Falls in the morning, and driving through the Badlands to Rapid City. I%26#39;m trying to decide where to stay. I was going to book in Rapid City, but have read in this forum about other towns like Custer. We want to see the Badlands, Custer area, and Mt. Rushmore. Thanks for any suggestions to organize this!

Three days and two kids in Rapid City area - where to stay?

Keystone is a popular town if you have younger kids. It%26#39;s the most tourist-trap like of the towns but when you%26#39;re young, that kind of stuff is a good time. Hill City and Custer are options, too. These towns are conveniently located to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park.

You could stay in a cabin or lodge in Custer State Park. There are lots of commercial rental cabins in the area, too.

If you want a hotel with a water park, the Watiki Water Park in Rapid City is connected to a couple of hotels.

Three days and two kids in Rapid City area - where to stay?

We stayed at a small, no frills place in Custer, which we found to be just fine. Custer Motel. The town of Custer has other nice places to stay and also has a Flintstones Bedrock City to visit! Good pizza there in town as well. Close to the state park and Mt Rushmore.

I would also recommend Keystone. It is very convenient to Mt Rushmore and other Black Hills attractions. Iron Mt Road is right nearby (part of Custer SP), as are the caves, Crazy Horse, and some of the Rapid City attractions like Bear Country and Reptile Gardens. Keystone is touristy, but it is nice for kids, as it has a gold mine tour, shops, mini golf, and an alpine slide. We stayed at the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone. I have a review on this site in case you want to check it out.

On your way to Yellowstone, try to get to Devil%26#39;s Tower on the way from the Black Hills. It%26#39;s well worth the time. The Prairie Dog Town is neat, along with the trail around the base.

Have fun planning!

We are staying at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone which gets great reviews and has breakfast and a nice restauarant. You can see Mt. Rushmore from the hotel room decks.

Keystone and Custer are conveniently located in the heart of the Hills, and Rapid City offers the perks of a large town, but Rapid City does not offer the 24/7 BlackHills experience. You are not in the scenic heart of the Hills, it actually resembles the Badlands more than the forested Hills. But it may offer more reasonable hotel prices outside of the Hills-- we visit in the off- season so I can not comment on that.

I have often considered other areas on our numerous trips there, but find myself returning to Spearfish. It is not the most convenient area to view all the many sites that the area has to offer, as it is in the extreme northern Hills, but Spearfish feels like you are in God%26#39;s country and yet offers the benefits of a larger town and nearby I-90 acess and larger town benefits. We once again stayed at the Sperfish Holiday Inn, which offered competitive prices for quite a bit of luxury. The Spearfish Canyon Lodge is awesome and competitively priced as well if you do not mind living without a pool and being in a secluded area. Not at all rustic, but in the center of some of the most phenomenal scenery you can imagine.

Trip Advisor is a valueable source for finding your own hotel to fit your needs. with a little research, you%26#39;ll find what suits your liking.

One area I feel comfortable not recommending is Sturgis, it does not represent the area as one would imagine-- unless you are a avid biker. Bear Butte (outside of Sturgis) is worth visiting, in my opinion.

Sites like this are worth researching to make the most of your trip, it will make all the difference. Good luck.

We like staying at Palmer Gultch

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Rental Cars from Rapid City Airport

Rental cars seem to be very expensive from the airport. Any suggestions about getting a dscounted rate? Thanks

Rental Cars from Rapid City Airport

Try Casey%26#39;s Auto Rental, 605-343-2277 or Black Hills 605-342-6696

Due to our short season car%26#39;s can be a little more in Rapid City than in more populated areas.

Good luck and enjoy your stay.

Rental Cars from Rapid City Airport

When we visited three years ago, we found the cars expensive and they were limited to 1500 miles. Eventually, we found that the rates did come down. We rented from Hertz and used our AAA card, and eventually, they offered unlimited mileage. I think I had to wait until about 2 or 3 months out. We visited in late August. If you are a Sam%26#39;s Club Member, they also offer discounts to the various rental companies. I tried to use the coupons in the Entertainment Book, but unfortunately, Rapid City Airport car rental companies don%26#39;t accept the coupons. I had this problem in Jackson Hole also. It seems that some smaller airports don%26#39;t accept them for whatever reason.

Good luck.

If you are flying into rapid city and staying overnight in Rapid City. I would look into taking a shuttle to your hotel and then renting a car from a non-airport location. I flew into Rapid City last October, I was staying at a hotel in town and they offered a shuttle from the airport to the hotel. I rented a car from Enterprise and just as the commercial says, they picked me up from the hotel and took me to their office. I saved about 100$ renting from the non-airport location. The shuttle also picked me up from the rental car office to take me back to the airport after I dropped my car off. If you aren%26#39;t staying in Rapid City, it still might be worth the savings to look into getting a taxi or bus from the airport to the In-town Enterprise location.

I%26#39;m not sure when you trip is but I looked up some rates for this week coming up to give you an idea of what you%26#39;d save if you rented from Enterprise the city location rather than the airport location.

Full Size car at the airport from 3/6-3/11 - 562.76

Full Size car from off airport 3/6-3/11 - 170.49

WOW, dwtraveldude, thanks a LOT!

We%26#39;ve been planning a trip to Rapid City and then plan to drive over to Yellowstone. But when I checked the car rental rates and told dh, he about blew a gasket. I just compared what I found on the web (9/16-9/25 mid-size) and the best rate I found was about $550, but checking the Entr location in town it%26#39;s only $319.

Looks like we%26#39;re back in business,LOL.

Do they give you any grief about flying in? I know in other towns when dh tried this, they wanted to know if we flew in or were residents.

Thanks

Sandy

You can catch the Airport Shuttle to/from Enterprize in town for only $8.00 per person, about a 10 min. ride.

Glad I could offer some good advice. I didn%26#39;t get any grief at all about whether I was local or just visiting, also my car came with a free parking pass into Mt. Rushmore, so that saved me some money as well. It really is astounding the number of taxes and fees that airport locations add to their cars. I will never rent from an airport location again anywhere if I can help it.

Great info on the rental cars - we are looking at almost $200 savings with off-site rental.

Quick question to verify - the airport shuttle will take us to the Enterprise on N. Campbell St.? Do we need to make prior arrangements or is that a regular stop?

Thanks

The shuttle has a booth in baggage claim, no reservation required.

Thanks for all of the response to my question. I decided to go with blackhillsvacation.com. Through them I was able to rent a full size car from Avis for 10 days for 337.50 (without tax and insurance).

spearfish cnyon or detour to scottsbluff/chimney rock

i will be spending 4 nights in keystone in july and need to decide to go south to visit scottsbluff and chimney rock or to spend 2 nights in the northern hills in spearfish canyon before going to the badlands for my last 2 days. flying in and out of rapid city. anyone familiar with these sites and area would appreciate your honest input.

spearfish cnyon or detour to scottsbluff/chimney rock

Spearfish canyon is a must in many TA posters view.

spearfish cnyon or detour to scottsbluff/chimney rock

It really depends on your interests. If you are a Western History buff, it would be a great detour to go to Ft. Laramie, Wy, which was a major stopping off point on the trails. It is a National Park site and is a very interesting stop. Then go to Scottsbluff National Monument, visit and hike to the top. Continue on to Chimney Rock, which was a major landmark for those traveling west in the Wagon Train. Forth Robinson State Park in Nebraska could be part of your swing back north to catch your plane. IT is a reconstructed frontier site and was the epicenter of the Indian Wars. However...if you are visiting those sites for hiking and nature, Spearfish Canyon would be the best choice and not as rushed. Spearfish Canyou and Deadwood could easily occupy two days and it would not be as rushed as trying to fit all the western history site into two day.

If you do Spearfish %26amp; Deadwood, you can also take a side trip to Devil%26#39;s Tower. Devil%26#39;s Tower is even more of a must see than Spearfish, imo. (Although both are great). I haven%26#39;t been to Scottsbluff/Chimney Rock, so I unfortunately can%26#39;t compare the two.

South Dakota vs. Colorado?

Hi,

My husband and I usually do a vacation to Colorado in the summer for hiking, rafting and the like. Thought maybe SD would be closer for a quick trip this year. Anyone care to compare the two? We love hiking in the mountains, the amazing scenery.

What areas of South Dakota might be the best for a ';hiking'; vacation?

South Dakota vs. Colorado?

We too, vacation often in Colorado and South Dakota. I%26#39;m more familier with the Badlands area. Not to be missed are the Michelson Trail and Custer State Park for hiking. If you have not yet visited this area, please do take time to see Norbeck Scenic Byway and Mt. Rushmore. I was not disappointed! However, Colorado is by far prettier and my preference for ANY vacation!

South Dakota vs. Colorado?

Arguably, the best trails are in the northern part of Custer State Park and in the adjacent Black Elk Wilderness. Favorites include Harney Peak (via Little Devils Tower), Cathedral Spires and Sunday Gulch. These are moderately difficult trails that any able-bodied person in good health can handle.

Other good hiking is found throughout the Black Hills, especially in the Spearfish Canyon area, and in the Badlands.

Two good resources are ';Exploring the Black Hills and Badlands'; by Hiram Rogers and the National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps. The Black Hills Southeast Trails Illustrated map is the most useful as it has the Black Elk Wilderness and Custer State Park.

The Forest Service has a lot of information--it%26#39;s best to stop at one their offices when you get to the Black Hills and pick up trail information and maps. If you come into the Hills through Rapid City, the Forest Service office is on the south side of town on US16 (on the way to Mt. Rushmore). Here is a link to their maps--including the Black Elk Wilderness. fs.fed.us/r2/…recguide

The Mickelson Trail is a rails-to-trails project that runs from Deadwood to Edgemont. It%26#39;s a beautiful trail. It%26#39;s most popular for biking. Some people hike it but it%26#39;s really not too exciting for hiking. It%26#39;s sort of like walking a gravel road. Link: sdgfp.info/parks/…index.htm

Post more specific questions as you think of them. I enjoy helping people with this topic.

I think the scenery in Colorado probably suprasses SD, but I really enjoyed the attractions found in SD more. You don%26#39;t find the snow capped mountains in SD like you would in Colorado.

We are not heavy duty hikers, but I have to agree that the best hiking would be at Custer State Park. You will find some trails in the Badlands as well. The only downside of the Badlands is that if you are going in July or August, you are likely to experience some pretty warm days there. We happened to luck out with a cool, overcast day. Spearfish is also lovely, and you can also consider a side trip to Devil%26#39;s Tower. This doesn%26#39;t include lots of hiking, but the mile trail around the base is a lot of fun, along with watching the climbers.

Do you like ';indoor/underground'; exercise? If so, there are some cave tours that might interest you. There are ';wild cave'; tours where you can get down and dirty if you think that is a workout you would enjoy. The Black Hills region is known for some of the best caves in the US (Wind %26amp; Jewel).

My uncle is from Colorado, and I had the opportunity to visit him when I was a teen (A long time ago!!) Colorado is really what sparked my interest in nature. However, the nice thing about the Black Hills region of SD is the close proximity of attractions. There is much to see in a small area, so drive time is minimal, imo. They are two very different regions. As I remember, Colorado seemed to require more drive time between attractions, but I guess it depends on what you like. For example, if you base yourself in Estes Park because you want to focus on Rocky Mountain NP, it%26#39;s not like you are driving all over the state.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip!

I grew up in Colorado, lived there most of my adult life. I love to go visit the Black Hills! Something different about it. Last time we were there, we did 2 different cave tours, Wind and Jewel Caves, and I wish we had been able to do some hiking.

Have fun!

Mt. Rushmore Itinerary

Hi everyone!!

We will be traveling to the Mount Rushmore area June 19-22, 2008 with 2 families of 4(kids: 13, 13, 16, 17). I need some advice on my itinerary for the area, as we want to be able to see quite a bit before heading to Cody, WY and YNP. I was wondering if we would be able to squeeze in a trip to Badlands NP during the time we%26#39;re there. Here goes:

June 19-Drive from Denver to Custer, SD. Visit Mt. Rushmore and see night laser show.

June 20-Tour Custer State Park,Crazy Horse, Needles Hwy, Jewel or Wind Cave(if time)

June 21-Tour Deadwood(shops, museums, cemetary, pan for gold)

June 22-Leave Custer and visit Devil%26#39;s Tower NM, drive thru Bighorn NP on way to Cody

Do you think there is any time to fit in a drive to Badlands NP and at least do the loop drive? I know sometimes these maps and drive times are not correct. Thanks for the info!!!

TrippinMom

Mt. Rushmore Itinerary

You%26#39;ve got some backtracking here I think. I suggest that you spend the night of the 21 in Deadwood. This way you could do the Badlands on the morning of the 21st then head up to Deadwood for the afternoon/evening. On the morning of the 22nd you have less driving time to reach Devil%26#39;s Tower.

Mt. Rushmore Itinerary

What time does your flight arrive in Denver on June 19? Remember it is about a 6-7 hour drive to Custer area and allow for at least an hour to get your rental car. We are arriving in Denver at noon and we didn%26#39;t really plan anything for that day except for driving and checking into hotel, etc.

Hope you can fit in the Badlands. That is our problem also- how to fit everything in. After you leave Deadwood you might want to check out Spearfish canyon.

Hi! We will be arriving June 18 at 12/30pm in Denver from Fl. We are planning on staying in Denver overnight and attending the Col Rockies baseball game the night we arrive. We will be leaving the next day for Mt. Rushmore(staying in Custer). Do you think we would have the time to see most of MtR before the laser show? We could leave around 8 am to travel to MtR. Thanks for the idea of spending the night in Deadwood! I was trying to work out something so that we could see Badlands. How long do you think realistically it would take to travel the loop road in Badlands? According to Yahoo maps it%26#39;s about a 2 hr drive to the park from Custer. I%26#39;ve read that it is a 45 min. drive to do the loop, but that must be w/out stops. Sorry to be so long-winded!

Thanks!!

TrippinMom

To me, you need more than 2 hours to see the Badlands, but I suppose if you just drove the loop without making many stops, it would be ok. There%26#39;s a lot of beautiful overlooks, so not stopping would be tough. If I remember correctly, I think we didn%26#39;t leave the park until 2 or 2:30, and we left from our Keystone hotel (closer than Custer) no later than 9:00 a.m. But..we stopped for lunch (picnic) and at the Visitor%26#39;s Center.

I definitely would not allot an entire day for Deadwood. To me, 1/2 a day would be fine. I think I might make a stop in Deadwood on the way to Devil%26#39;s Tower, or as someone else said, spend the AM in the Badlands and head to Deadwood for the afternoon/evening, and an overnight. Staying there overnight is an excellent idea that would save time.

And yes, you can see Mt Rushmore in the daylight hours by the time you get there from Denver as long as you get an early start. You will have a very full day, but I think you already know that.

Have a great time!

Thanks so much everyone! I have changed our trip to include the night of the 21st in Deadwood. We%26#39;re staying at the Black Hills Inn and Suites(in our budget). Now maybe we can see the Badlands the first 1/2 of the day. I%26#39;m sure we will stop along the loop drive, because I have to get out and take pix, etc. I would also like to see the Wounded Knee museum. We are so excited and can%26#39;t wait for the trip!

You will not see a laser show at Mt Rushmore.

Crazy Horse is where you will see that.

At Mt Rushmore you will see the lighting ceremony,

In my opinion a MUST....

Also when traveling to Cody you go through the

Big Horn Mountains,there is no Big Horn NP.

We always took Rt 14 at Sheridan when traveling to Cody.

Make sure to leave Custer very early,so you can spend a liitle more time at Devils Tower.

We too will be taking this route right after Labor Day...

In Deadwood visit the cemetery where Wild Bill Hikock

and Calamity Jane are buried side by side..

Never enough time in the Black Hills of S.D.

Thanks joeman! I will post my final itinerary when it becomes final.(It%26#39;s changing every day) I%26#39;ll let you know how the trip was, also! Thanks!

Tipping in restaurants

Visiting Rapid City first time 22 – 23 – 24 April.

What about tipping a waiter at a restaurant or the room service boy at your hotel? Is there any standard practice? If you are paying with Credit Card how you add the tip?

Please advise.

Tipping in restaurants

10-15% of the check is pretty standard for wait staff. When the waiter returns your credit card %26amp; slip, there is a line on the slip labelled ';tip';, you total the cost of the meal, with tip and that is the amount your card will be charged.

I don%26#39;t know for room service.

Tipping in restaurants

Depending on the service

15 to 20 % is the standard...

Maybe 10% poor service

15% standard service

20% or more exceptional service

Sunil: Tip 15% of the before-tax check for adequate service. Tip the chambermaid $1.50-$2.00 per day.Anyone that handles your luggage should get $1.00 per bag for moving it more than a few yards.

Hi SunilDubai,

Here is a TA link that will try to explain tipping in the US: tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-Stat…

If you are paying by credit card in a restaurant there will be a place to add the tip below the cost of the meal on the charge slip. Just write in the amount of the tip and total your bill on the line below.

Enjoy your trip!

South Dakota has 4% sales tax, many cities add another 1-2 cents.

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wild life and scenic pictures for a 2 day trip

This summer I would like to go to the badlands for a 2 day photography trip. Can anyone give me any suggestions for the best views and time of day to get the best pictures. I%26#39;m interested in buffalo and senic views. Thanks in advance for your help.

wild life and scenic pictures for a 2 day trip

If Buffalo and scenic views is what you want you will have to travel a bit further.... to Custer State Park..

never seen any Buffalo in the Badlands.....

many many in CSP and a lot of other wildlife...and much more scenic (Black Hills)...

wild life and scenic pictures for a 2 day trip

Joeman is right. We saw no bison at the Badlands. You will find a large herd at Custer State Park, along with burros, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, deer, and prairie dogs. Custer%26#39;s Wildlife Loop is a great drive.

You will lots of scenic overlooks at the Badlands. Although I haven%26#39;t experienced it at this time, I have heard that dusk is a great time to drive, as the lighting changes the look of the landscape. Anyone else care to chime in??

Have a great trip!

While there are some buffalo in the Badlands, there are many more in Custer State Park (mainly in the Wildlife Loop area). You%26#39;ll also find some in Wind Cave National Park. Generally, those are the three areas where you%26#39;ll find public herds.

The bighorn sheep is another animal that you%26#39;ll find a few of in the Badlands but you%26#39;ll find most of them in the Black Hills. In Custer State Park you%26#39;ll often find them in the Game Lodge/Visitor Center area. There is an area southwest of Rapid City that is a popular bighorn sheep area.

You%26#39;ll find a lot of antelope in the Badlands and on the prairie--and also in the Wildlife Loop area of Custer State Park.

Elk are few and far between in the Badlands although it isn%26#39;t completely out of their range as they are found on the prairie south and west of the Badlands. The Black Hills will be where you find elk. Custer State Park has a good sized herd and throughout areas of the Hills that don%26#39;t have a lot of development. You won%26#39;t see elk everyday from a vehicle--you%26#39;ll need to get out and hike to find them. In Custer State Park, try a hike on the Centennial Trail near the southern end of the park.

Mountain Goats are common close to Mount Rushmore, on top of Harney Peak and throughout the Needles area. I%26#39;ve seen them in several other areas of the Hills, too.

Mountain Lions and bobcats are tough to find but they%26#39;re around.

Deer--both mule and white tail--are everywhere.

Prairie dog towns are in the Badlands and can be found on the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park.

Turkeys are more common in the Hills.

As far as times of day--I feel that the best colors in the Badlands are at sunrise and sunset.

We entered Badlands NP from the west on Sage Creek Road. The first animals we saw were herds of buffalo in the rolling hills of this part of the park. Link to photo,

outtrim.id.au/USA2006/鈥mages66

The herds were larger in CSP, where we went later in the trip, but they are in the Badlands at that time.

Thanks for all the great input. I guess I will be going to Custer State Park and the Badlands. I can%26#39;t wait!!!