Recommendations for a Trip to South Dakota

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On a recent family vacation, we decided to see one of our country's great National Memorials - Mount Rushmore. After spending one week near Mount Rushmore and taking in the sights, I would strongly advocate for a trip to South Dakota to see this great part of our country. If my family gets an opportunity, we will even go back and experience it all again!

The first question with planning a trip to see Mount Rushmore is deciding where to stay - three main options are Rapid City, Hill City, and Keystone. Rapid City is home to the airport for travelers who are flying in and is the largest nearby city with many shops, restaurants, accommodations, and a main downtown area. Downtown Rapid City is about a 35-minute drive to/from Mount Rushmore. Hill City is a great, little town about 25 minutes from Mount Rushmore and about 35 minutes from downtown Rapid City. The final main option is Keystone which is only 10 minutes from Mount Rushmore and about 30 minutes from downtown Rapid City. My family and I decided to choose Keystone due to proximity to Mount Rushmore and other attractions we planned to see during our visit.

Keystone is a charming little town with shops, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance of many hotels. There is no real grocery store in the town, but there’s a gas station and little convenience store nearby for essentials. Some hotels offer complimentary breakfast, and many have an indoor pool/hot tub. We found it very convenient to leave our car at the hotel and walk to lunch/dinner, shops, and explore the town.

Things to Do while in South Dakota:

1880 Train – this train connects Hill City and Keystone with a 1-hour ride each way. There are open-air train cars and enclosed cars with windows that open if desired. The best way to experience it in my opinion is to book the earliest train to the other city, spend a few hours and have lunch in that other city, then book the last return train to get back to your starting city.

Keystone Walking Tour – There are maps around town that show a self-guided walking tour with stops along the way to learn more about the town. This is a free tour and great way to dig into history.

Needles Highway – drive this winding road (South Dakota Highway 87) through forests, meadows, rock formations, and more. Though it’s called a highway, the speed limit for the most part is 25 miles per hour or less, so be prepared for a long trip. It’s a very narrow road with a few extremely narrow tunnels. There’s a lake called Sylvan Lake that you can stop near for swimming, hiking, food, and more.

 

Visit Rapid City - Spend a day in Rapid City (if you aren’t staying in a hotel there). Walk around downtown and locate the bronze Presidential Statues. On Saturdays in the summer, you may find a family-friendly activity zone in the square area including a splash pad so bring suits and towels for the kids. In Rapid City, I suggest visiting the Black Hills Contraband Distillery for very smooth liquors with incredible flavors.

Mount Rushmore - This is a no brainer if you are in South Dakota! I recommend going in the morning to see the best light on faces and walk the presidential trail which brings visitors closer to the carvings. Feel free to stop for food/ice cream and check out the gift shop for souvenirs to commemorate the trip. In addition to visiting during the day, if you have time, try to also go at night for lighting ceremony after dusk. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to get a seat in the outdoor amphitheater. The video and presentation at this ceremony are informative, but not as interesting for young children. My 10-year-old son fell asleep waiting for the presentation to end. The actual lighting of the faces is quick, but a spectacular sight. The cost to visit and park at Mount Rushmore is $10/regular vehicle and visitors receive a pass that’s valid for 1 year so you can come back multiple times (we visited 3 times during our 1 week stay). Plan on spending at least 1 ½ - 2 hours on average.

 

Big Thunder Gold Mine, Keystone – Experience gold panning and choose a guided tour of an old mine.

Rent a UTV in Custer – choose a half day or full day rental and get the chance to explore the beautiful scenery on a vehicle that can go down paths a regular car cannot. They allow UTV’s on highways (not expressways), and to get to the main trails you’ll be going on a 60 mile per hour road, so be prepared.

Cosmos Mystery Area – Near Keystone, this is a Mystery House Tour that plays with gravity and your perspective. I’ll be honest, I would never go back as we didn’t feel it was worth the money. But young kids may enjoy it.

Presidential Wax Museum – self-guided tour that can take roughly 20 minutes to 2 hours. There’s a scavenger hunt for kids

Wind Caves and Jewel Cave – unfortunately, it was closed down due to repairs while we were in the area, but looks like a fun experience.

Crazy Horse Memorial – We chose to simply view it from the highway on the way to/from Custer. Pulling off to the side of the road allowed us to easily view the carving. We contemplated visiting it, but the cost is much higher than going to Mount Rushmore and we didn’t see the value ourselves. There has not been much progress done over the last several decades. They have a Laser Light show at night that may be worth checking out.

Badlands – Drive around to see wildlife. There's something for everyone at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center in the North Unit of Badlands National Park. Swing by the information desk, watch the park film, check out a working fossil preparation lab, enjoy museum exhibits, or stop by the park bookstore. It’s about 1 ½ hours away from Keystone and about 1 hour away from Rapid City.

There’s plenty more to do in South Dakota depending on your desires and timeframe. One week was certainly not enough time to fit it all in. The scenery in South Dakota is simply amazing and we found ourselves saying “wow” so many times as we drove around. Seeing the incredible carving of Mount Rushmore up close and in person is an experience that will live with you forever. I hope this review gave a good overview of visiting South Dakota. I would welcome to opportunity to assist with your trip to see this great state and offer further recommendations.