Going to Mt. Rushmore-- WE'RE BACK! Day 5 is up!! page 10 Final Day!

[BCBug]

There are many lodging options right in Custer State Park, a great place to stay. There is a standard motel (Sylvan Lake), small adjoined cabins and the Historic State Game Lodge, and, our favorites, log cabins at Blue Bell. To get a reservation in the log cabins, you'd better book now, tho. They fill up fast. Don't miss the lunch buffet at the Game Lodge. Also, definitely drive the Iron Mountain Road, very scenic. Mt. Rushmore is wonderful, Badlands are a must, Jewel Cave and Wind Cave are both interesting, so is the museum at the School of Mines in Rapid City. Reptile Gardens is way cool, like a zoo and botanical center, well worth visiting. Avoid the weeks before and during Bike Week! Have a good time.

 

[roadtripper]

If you are looking for a place to stay in the Badlands, we stayed at a wonderful ranch/bed and breakfast that was very reasonable and just a wonderful place to stay. It's the Circle View Rance and it's right across from the Indian Reservation Land.

Check out my Flickr pics of the trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minivanmafia/sets/72157605873113635/

Thank you so much for posting these pictures! We are going to Circle View this summer, and staying in the homesteader cabin for 1 night. Your pictures of the Badlands have me so excited-- I went as a kid, and can't wait to share them with my family.

 

[mdrob214]

I am from Rapid City and we travel back home every summer and sometimes more than once. Every time we go we take the kids up to Mt. Rushmore. There is a walking path up around the base of the Mtn. that isn't terribly rigorous but not stroller friendly. Also, be sure to go for the lighting ceremony at night.
Near Mt. Rushmore is the town of Keystone. I love to browse the shops. It's a tourist trap, but a fun one. Be sure to get some taffy from the taffy shop and let the kids watch the machine pull it. My mom loves the fudge that they sell in the shop there on the main drage (sorry--don't know names!) Also in Keystone, you can get on the Black hills Railroad http://www.1880train.com/ It is a real 1880 steam train ride thru beautiful hills to Hill City. Actually, you can start in wither keystone or Hill City and go round trip or just go one way (if someone wants to drive over and meet you in the other town).
In Rapid City there is a museum, called the Journey Museum http://www.journeymuseum.org/english/ I haven't actually been but friends have told me it is great.

Custer State Parkhttp://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/Custer/ is a great place to view the buffalo (they roam free) and I would recommend a visit to Sylvan Lake and possibly a hike to the top of Harney Peak. You can see five states from up there (highest pt in SD): WY, SD, ND, CO, NE I think.
It's been several years since I've been but Flintstones in Custer used to be a favorite. Crystal Caves, Wind Cave, Thunderhead Falls are also neat places to visit. Also, be sure to check out Pactola Reservoir and Sheridan Lake in the hills for some swimming.

So many more are coming to mind:

I believe Spearfish has the Passion Play every summmer, which is very moving. http://www.theblackhillspassionplay.com/

Sturgis is the home of the motorcycle ralley. They will be preparing for the ralley when you visit and there will be several bikers in the area early. They are wonderful people and nothing to be afraid of if you do go at ralley time.

More favorites:http://www.spearfishcanyon.com/intermap.htm Bridal Veil falls is free to visit and a great place to picnic. You can walk right up to the base of the falls and it usually isnn't terribly crowded as it's not right on the highway (but wasy to get to)

http://www.nps.gov/badl/ Please stop at the badlands--there are signs on I90 that tell you when. Doesn't look like much from the interstate but it is truly WOW!



In Rapid City:
Go to Canyon Lake Park and feed the ducks/ have a picnic/ride paddleboats

Take the kids to Storybook Island--it's free and very cute. Have a picnic there by the creek (there are usually plenty of ducks to feed there, too)

Walk to the top of Dinosaur hill to get a great view and see the dinosaurs (free)

Go to the Black Hills maze (we go every year and it is a ball!)

Go to the Ranch amusement park. Not cheap but fun. Also check out the Waterslides. Nothing fancy, but again, fun.

Got to one of the Black Hills Gold factories for a tour/to see it made

On Hwy 16 between Rapid City and Keystone (Mt. Rushmore) stop at Bear Countrywww.bearcountryusa.com/ or Reptile Gardenshttp://www.reptile-gardens.com/. My favorite is Cosmos (kids are free) http://www.blackhillsattractions.com...ns/cosmos.html


I know that is a lot and I am sure I will come up with many more if given the time, but that is a good start! Let me know if you have any questions.
__________________

 

[MomPOM]

Thank you so much for posting these pictures! We are going to Circle View this summer, and staying in the homesteader cabin for 1 night. Your pictures of the Badlands have me so excited-- I went as a kid, and can't wait to share them with my family.

The homesteader cabin sounds like so much fun. Do you still get the breakfast with that? Amy is THE BEST COOK! I'm telling you, you'll never have another breakfast like it. That woman is amazing.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I got my picture taken with my favorite president - Abraham Lincoln.

We took the ride from Keystone to Hill City and back. It was a lot of fun.

 

[jacksonsmom]

We went to South Dakota back in 2007. Had a very nice time.

We stayed in the Custer area. We found a nice ma and pop type motel. It is call chief motel and their web site is www.chiefmotel.com It isn't a 5 star and I was leary of staying there at first but I am so glad we did.
The owners are wonderful and answer any questions you have about the area. He also told us pointers as to when the buffalos are out in the Park.

Because we stayed at the motel we also got to use a free park to Custer State Park for as long as our stay! Custer is a beauitful park and worth a few drives through.

Don't forget Needles Highway!! Watch out for the sharp turns

Mt. Rushmore was nice, we checked out Jewel's Cave which my DS (8 at the age) loved it.

But the thing that we all loved and we decided to check out at the spur of the moment is Presidential wax museum. This is in Keystone (I believe) It was great and my personal favorite of the trip. It doesn't look like much on the outside but it is amazing on the inside. When we pulled up we throught they were closed, there was so little cars in the parking lot, but we walked in and found we were the only ones there at that time!! Another family showed up a bit later but it felt like we had the whole place by ourselves. They have a 9/11 Memorial with George W Bush and the firefighter standing in the rubble of the trade center. It seems so life like.
I highly recommend making a point to stop here. Here is their web site, I believe I found some coupons on there too http://www.presidentialwaxmuseum.com/

The Badlands were beautiful and worth the trip!

have fun planning

 

[Inigo]

I love Rapid City. We've been several times. The best fireworks show we've ever seen was in the city of Rapid City several years ago. The show seemed to go on forever. That was the same year we had a snowball fight in July up there in the mountains.

DD was 3 the first time we went, and every since then our family has referred to Mt. Rushmore as "Emi's guys" because every time she saw the sculpture she'd get excited and yell, "My guys! My guys!"

There's a wooden maze just outside Rapid City on the way to Mt. Rushmore that is a lot of fun if you've got an hour or so to kill. You've got to find your way to four different towers to successfully complete the maze. There are walkways that cross up and over the maze, with switchbacks hidden by the walkways.

After you pass Storybook village, there's a housing addition with a Norwegian Stave Church at the rear. The church is beautiful. It was brought over and reassembled in Rapid City, and is an interesting stop.

We enjoyed the tour at the Homestake Gold Mine in Lead was a nice stop.

Needles Highway is a great drive, with glimpses of Mt. Rushmore through the various arches.

If you have science geeks, the SD School of Mines has a museum with mineral and fossil specimens, and is neat for an hour or so. (longer if you're married to a science teacher.)

Bear Butte State Park is a great hike, and a place to find coprolite (fossilized dinosaur doo). It's near Sturgis. The rally is August 3-9 this year, BTW.

Custer State Park is the place to go to see bison. The herds are huge.

Take a day trip over to Devil's Tower in WY. It's about 1 or 1 1/2 hours to drive there, and is worth the trip, IMO. It's definitely not like the movie "Close Encounters". Make sure you stop and watch the prairie dogs right before you get there. DON'T FEED THEM! It disrupts their diet and could cause them to suffer malnutrition.

Are you driving? Here are some stops if you're coming from the east:

At the badlands you should catch glimpses of mountain goats and wild mustangs. You've got to stop at Wall Drug right before the badlands just so you can say you've been there.

Mitchell, SD has the Corn Palace, which is a short stop to see what art people can make with grain.

 

[Deb8821]

We love this area and have been coming back each year for the last 5 years. We go every August the week ending with Sturgis. The boys love to see all the different bikes and then they are mostly heading out. We stay in Custer Park, the country is beautiful. We have done almost all the previous attractions (many multiple times, but we also make sure to spend a few days relaxing in the park, going to Sylvan Lake, having a picnic and just enjoying the great weather and the natural beauty of the area. Its usually in the 80's and sunny. Besides Disney its our must do place each year. I think you will love it.

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

Hi! You have gotten lots of good advice and you are going to have a great trip!

We stopped in the Mt Rushmore area the summer of 2006 for 3 nights on our way to Yellowstone and one night on the way back. It was me, my DH, and two girls (just finished 2nd grade and 4th grade)

We loved Mt Rushmore -- for us it was a solid 1/2 day trip and we saw most of the sights. We had lunch in their cafeteria which overlooks the monument. The girls did the Junior Ranger program which helps everyone just to slow down and really enjoy the environment. We also did a ranger talk - I love how those talks make everything come to life! And we did the film. Our regret was not seeing the night show, but we stayed in Hot Springs and thought it would be too late of a night for our youngest. And yes, the Needles drive there is worth it -- take the time to stop and enjoy the views!

The second half of that day was spent at Crazy Horse -- the rest of my family enjoyed it more than I did. At that time it was $6 for parking at Mt Rush and $25 to do Crazy Horse. The "budget" person in me didn't "get" Crazy Horse.

Custer State Park was great -- make sure you give yourself time to go in the information centers. We had friends who stayed in Custer Park and loved it. They also did the chuckwagon dinner and had a great time.

We chose to do Jewel Cave (again Junior Ranger program) and had a great time. There is also Wind Cave, another National Park cave.

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. It was one of our highlights to see real mammoth bones being excavated. We also signed the girls up for a junior excavating class which they really enjoyed -- that was something we did several weeks before we arrived.

We also did Evan's Plunge a hot springs pool in Hot Springs -- it was a great relaxing time with pool slides, etc. But it is not like a supped up tourist water park of today -- it was almost more of a "blast from the past" thing (an area for the locals). It was nice for us since we were staying in the area, but others might be disappointed with the lack of glitz.

We also did Devil's Tower which was a great surprise to me. My husband wanted to add it at the last minute and I really enjoyed it. It was about a 3 hour attraction. The girls again did the Junior Ranger program.

And the other National Park attraction -- Badlands! Wonderful and again we did the JR program. Just go early! It gets very, very, very hot. And if you are by the badlands you need to get some water from Wall Drug Store! Actually, we weren't too impressed with the shops, but after all the signs...... And we did get good corny pictures in their statue area.

We didn't do the more "tourist trap" fun stuff -- we focused on the National Parks which all had fun, free programs for the kids. If you go to their website nps.gov you can click on each national park. As you get closer to the time going most parks will have a calendar of events with times for ranger talks and tours. I think it is worth it to try and coincide the trip times to their talks. If your children do the Junior Ranger programs they will receive a JR badge - a fun souvenior. Most of the parks give you a booklet for free if you ask at the info desk. Some of the parks charge a buck or two for the booklets. The booklets are age appropriate and you don't have to do every page. They make a big deal about pledging you in when they give you the badge.

We love the tripadvisor website for information and I faithfully read their forums when planning a trip anywhere.

Good luck and have fun!!

 

[cl1067]

Also in Keystone, you can get on the Black hills Railroad http://www.1880train.com/ It is a real 1880 steam train ride thru beautiful hills to Hill City. Actually, you can start in wither keystone or Hill City and go round trip or just go one way (if someone wants to drive over and meet you in the other town).

I believe Spearfish has the Passion Play every summmer, which is very moving. http://www.theblackhillspassionplay.com/

Sturgis is the home of the motorcycle ralley. They will be preparing for the ralley when you visit and there will be several bikers in the area early. They are wonderful people and nothing to be afraid of if you do go at ralley time.

We are from Sioux Falls, SD (the east side of the state) and I completely agree with mdrob214 on the 1880 train...the last time we went to the Hills, it was the best thing we did!

I wanted to add, the Passon Play is no longer running. Last summer was its last season and its really too bad because it was very moving.

As for the Sturgis bike rally, I agree there is nothing to worry about as far as being afraid of the biker, however the crowds can be really bad. The crowds are not just high in Sturgis, but in the entire Black Hills area. I would avoid that week just due to crowds.

My family runs a campground in Sioux Falls, so I have a pretty good knowledge base of the state, if you have questions ask away! And have fun on your vacas!

 

[Soupermom]

We went to MR on our way to Yellowstone in June, 2007, too. We spent 3 nights in Keystone at the Powder House Lodge--HIGHLY recommend this "hotel" which is really a bunch of cabins. Has a pool, laundry, restaurant (yummy and reasonably priced), etc and only 15 minute drive from MR and Custer Park; call NOW for reservations. AWESOME setting/accomodations. My kids, DH and I did the following and loved it all. I'd love to go back and do it all again, too!.

Mt. Rushmore by day and night!
Alpine Slide
Custer State Park
Jewel Cave (you should order tix ahead of time)
Keystone--to shop, eat and soak up the atmosphere

We DID NOT LIKE Bear Country. The animals looked so sad and it wasn't worth the money--we saw most of the same animals for free at Custer the
next day.

Be sure to watch National Treasure 2 before you go!

 

[Strangeite]

You have to go to the Crazy Horse memorial. It is far more impressive than Mt. Rushmore and the story behind Korczak Ziółkowski is truly inspiring.

Two years ago I was lucky enough to go up to the top of the monument and spend two hours in a question and answer session with Mrs. Ziółkowski.

I hope the monument will be completed sometime in my grandchildren's lifetime (that is joke, but not really).

 

[mdrob214]

You have to go to the Crazy Horse memorial. It is far more impressive than Mt. Rushmore and the story behind Korczak Ziółkowski is truly inspiring.

Two years ago I was lucky enough to go up to the top of the monument and spend two hours in a question and answer session with Mrs. Ziółkowski.

I hope the monument will be completed sometime in my grandchildren's lifetime (that is joke, but not really).

I have been to this memorial. IF it ever gets finished it will be incredible. I doubt that will ever happen. At least not at the pace they are going! They have had a deal where people can get in free on Memorial Day or something. Don't know if that's still going on or what the current rate is. It may not be worth the price.

As a note--Mt Rushmore charges for parking, but there are no other charges, unless thing have changed since 2007. We didn't make it up to see it in 2008. And don't miss the lighting cceremony at night.


To the poster who saw fireworks in Rapid City--from where did you watch them?

 

[disneybound31]

How would I go about booking one of those chuckwagon dinners? Could I do that upon arrival or need to do in advance?

Also, any other restaurant must dos? I looked up the Powder House Lodge website and loved it! This may be just the lodging for us. Thank you for that posting.

 

[Strangeite]

I have been to this memorial. IF it ever gets finished it will be incredible. I doubt that will ever happen. At least not at the pace they are going! They have had a deal where people can get in free on Memorial Day or something. Don't know if that's still going on or what the current rate is. It may not be worth the price.

As a note--Mt Rushmore charges for parking, but there are no other charges, unless thing have changed since 2007. We didn't make it up to see it in 2008. And don't miss the lighting cceremony at night.


To the poster who saw fireworks in Rapid City--from where did you watch them?

Not sure when you last were there, but the pace of construction has certainly increased over the last five years. They have just received a matching $10 million grant towards construction. I was talking to the Chairman of the Crazy Horse Memorial board and he is hopeful that construction might be completed in 10 years. I doubt that, but it is more hopeful now than it was in 1950. Ohh, and the medical school will hopefully start in the next five years or so.

 

[mrsklamc]

Yes, my first visit was in 1992 so they have certainly come a long way!

 

[Stitch's O'hana]

We live about 45 min. away from Mt.Rushmore! We go up there a couple of times a year! We have only lived here for 2 years, we moved here from MN. If you have never seen Mt.Rushmore it really is a must and pretty cool thing to see in person! You won't be sorry, rapid city, SD is a very nice place to visit!

If your family is into Motorcycles then Aug. is the time to visit Sturgis, but if not I would stay clear of there in Aug. It gets pretty crazy! LOL

Another cool event that many people may not know about, but in July we have a big Christian Music Festival, where big name Christian artists come to perform for free! You can check it out at hillsalive.com

We don't really have your normal type zoos, but we have Bear country which is very cool! You drive your car through and get to see bears up close and they also have an area where you can get out and see some of the baby bear cubs. And we also have Reptile Gardens, if you like snakes, Lizards and such. I have never gone there before, as I am scared to death of snakes and so you would not catch me in that place even if you payed me too! LOL

Custer State Park is also a must for you to be sure to see!

There also some caves out here that you go into, I have not had the chance to do that yet though. So can't give much info. on that.

 

[Soupermom]

Our cabin at Powder House had a kitchenette, so we ate breakfast there. Our two lunches were from Subway in Keystone. We wanted to eat dinner one night at MR, but all of the western state governors were there, so we ate at Powder House. Loved it SO much that we ate there two more nights. Great local food (Buffalo), plus other "american" standards: pasta, chicken, burgers, etc. I had a great chicken cesear salad-twice!

Just wanted to mention again how much we disliked "Bear Country"; you'll see most of these animals in their natural habitat at Cusker...for FREE!!!!

Oh, be sure to take some carrots or apples into Cusker...there is a herd of wild burrows that you can feed...you can't miss them, they come right up to the car. Kind of a nuisance, but the kids loved it. Park rangers said it was okay to feed them. We went in late June and the babies were SO cute!

You'll have a great trip. Can't remember when you are going, but in June it was hot by day, chilly at night. Plan accordingly!

 

[disneybound31]

Has anyone done the chuckwagon dinner offered by Palmer Gulch Stables? It takes you out to the dinner site by covered wagon/horses and dinner by campfire. Sounded maybe more fun than a chuckwagon inside a building. Not sure though- when I google I get the same 2 or 3... Circle B, something called the T House or some such and another. I'm wondering if there are a couple better than most that I could look into.

 

[3boymthr]

This is all FABULOUS information!! Thank you so much! Such great ideas and good tips. In my few minutes of research I found out that October weather will be too cold for my almost 60 mother (who is the reason for the trip so weather is important) so we will most likely go in July-August now. How was your weather?

We drove cross country in July 2006 from MA to CA on I-90. We hit Mt. Rushmore the 10th of July. The weather was really nice. Not too hot. We camped and it was quite comfortable at night - but watch out for the squirels - they are not afraid of people and will go right into your car to steal food. I agree with PP if you want to stay near to Mt Rushmore (especially in Custer SP) you need to start investigating now. We stayed in Custer SP and booked the first day the booking window opened within a few weeks everything was booked. They have a lodge as well as multiple campsites and cabins.

On our way to Mt. Rushmore we hit the following: The Corn Palace - The palace itself was neat but it was a sunday so only a few other places in town were open - Wall Drug - Awesomely fun - try the panning for gems with kids - and really good food - only 1/2 hour from the Badlands. The Badlands were also really cool. My cousin found an Ice Age Fossil Tusk here years ago so I was so excited to see this park (The fossil was turned into the park service that's how we know it was that old). I was amazed at the way you come upon the Badlands. Not what I expected.

And defintely not to be missed is Custer State Park. There is a fee to enter the park, but it is nominal and they give you a booklet when you enter with all the activities going on in the park as well as all the wildlife to look for. We camped there overnight right next to the river. Really picturesque. The donkey's are fun. They'll walk right up and start nibbling on your car. Drive from Custer SP to see Mt. Rushmore. The road is really scenic and as you pass through the tunnels you get your first views of Mt. Rushmore. Absolutely do the wildlife loop. We saw more buffalo here than we did in Yellowstone (though in Yellowstone one got within 1 ft of our van). Allow a minimum of two hours to do the loop - more if you have the time.

Of Mt. Rushmore I have to say it is very similar to the photos, but much more impressive in person. There are animals to be seen and the day we were there they had a huge demonstration being put on by the local sioux tribe. Very interesting. But all in all I think we only spent two or three hours there. Also you do have to pay to park, even if you have a National Parks pass. Also if you are able - there are lots of stairs -definitely walk around the monument to see all the diferent perspectives, it's very enlightening and gives you a bette feel for how LARGE the monument really is and also visit the artist's work shop.

We wanted to hit Devils Tower but didn't have time - we had ressie's in YNP for Roosevelt Lodge the 11th - but it's really close only a couple of hours drive. BTW - if you decided to do YNP and Mt Rushmore at the same time since they are close I'd recommend allowing 2 days to drive there - although its only a little more than 400 miles - it takes about 13.5 hrs to drive there because you have to cross some of the Rockies.