Murdo / spearfish

I am planning a late August vacation for my husband and I to travel to see Mount Rushmore. I have not booked any tickets yet, but am thinking 5 days, 4 nights but maybe 5 nights is better because of all there is to do.

One of the things I would love to see is Murdo. We love ghost towns and we are both history buffs, so anything to do with settlement times, etc. we find fascinating. We are flying in to Rapid City and will likely stay in Keystone or one of the towns near Keystone. My question is, are there any tourist or historical attractions near Murdo to make it worth the trip out there?

I am also wondering about Spearfish. I hear that its a must see, but is it real far from Keystone and if so is it worth the drive? What sites should we see in Spearfish?

Murdo / spearfish

From Keystone, it will take you a little better than an hour to get out to the Badlands, and Murdo is an hour from the Badlands. Maybe you could incorporate the 2? You would definitely need an early start. The Badlands are certainly worth a look, but I can%26#39;t comment on the rest. I haven%26#39;t been to Murdo, but it looks like the main draw is the 1880 town.

Another way to shorten up drive time is by possibly staying in Wall rather than going all the way back to Keystone that day.

The main draw of Spearfish is not necessarily the town itself,but the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, which is well worth the drive. I would highly recommend a trip out to Devil%26#39;s Tower, and you can drive the byway coming or going. You can also stop in Deadwood. Based on the description of yourselves, I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;d enjoy seeing the historical side of the town, including Wild Bill Hickok%26#39;s %26amp; Calamity Jane%26#39;s graves and the Adams House/Museum.

Devil%26#39;s Tower is about 2 1/4 hours from Keystone. The Spearfish area is a little over an hour. I don%26#39;t consider these drives all that far, but some like to split their time between the northern %26amp; central regions of the hills to lessen drive times.

Definitely extend your time to 5 nights. You will need all the time you get when exploring the area.

I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to ask additional questions if you think of anything else.

Murdo / spearfish

I thought since we are flying in to Rapid City, perhaps it would be easier just to drive from the airport to the Badlands, spend the night there and skip Murdo. That way the next day we could drive to Keystone for the rest of our stay and hit some of the tourist stops on the way to break up the time. So our first full day we could go to caves. Maybe on day two hit Mount Rush. and Crazy Horse and Rushmore Cave. On day three hit Bear Country USA and Thunderhead Falls (not sure exactly what this is but sounded interesting). Day four drive down to Wind Caves, Jewel Cave, and Custer State Park. Then maybe day four up to Spearfish and Deadwood. What do you think? I love animal sites, anywhere that I would see wildlife. He loves caving and fossil stuff. We both enjoy the historical. Oh and I will be six months pregnant at the time of the trip., Any advice or input is greatly appreciated.

It would be an excellent idea to head for the Badlands on your first day after arriving in Rapid. I would recommend possibly staying in Wall or even Rapid City the first night. If you arrive early in the a.m., you will be set. It%26#39;s about 1.5 hours to the Badlands.

I%26#39;m confused by your itinerary. You mention day 2 for caves, and you mention them again on day 4. For day 3, you will have plenty of downtime, so I would shift things around. Bear Country USA is a small drive through zoo with a walk around area at the end. It%26#39;s enjoyable, but frankly, I preferred the Reptile Gardens next door. Reptile Gardens is a classic roadside Americana attraction. The shows are interesting, and the exhibits are much more diverse. I%26#39;m not saying to skip Bear Country, but I%26#39;d be sure to add Reptile Gardens to your list of things to do since you enjoy animals.

As for Thunderhead Falls, I found this to be one of the few things I really didn%26#39;t care for in the Black Hills. For the price of admission, you really don%26#39;t get too much. It%26#39;s simply a long tunnel that leads you to the waterfall. There are no guided tours. If you run short on time, this is something to skip.

IMO, you have too much planned on Day 4. Some people spend a day in Custer SP alone, so you might move that to day 2 or keep it on day 4 and move the caves to day 2. When touring Custer SP, be sure to spend time at Sylvan Lake and drive the Needles Hwy, Iron Mountain Road, and the Wildlife Loop. You will love this and seeing all the animals. The wild burros are great fun.

Being 6 months pregnant, please use caution in the caves. I know towards the end of my pregnancy, I had a hard time doing steps. Jewel Cave has over 500 steps as you have probably seen. Although they are not steep, you might find it tiring. I understand your hubby%26#39;s love of caves; I have the same interest. I just wouldn%26#39;t want to be pregnant while touring. Wind Cave also has quite a few steps. We also went to Rushmore Cave. I don%26#39;t recall the number of steps there, but I think there may have been a few tight spots on the tour. I don%26#39;t mean to sound discouraging; I just recommend being cautious.

You can see Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse in a day. Be sure to see the lighting ceremony at Rushmore--well worth it.

I will mention a couple of other things you haven%26#39;t listed that I think you might enjoy. I am basing these on your despcritions of yourselves.

1. Mammoth Site in Hot Springs---This is a ';fossil lover%26#39;s paradise! New mammoth remains are undercovered constantly, and guided tours are available.

2. Wild Horse Sanctuary in Hot Springs--This very close to the Mammoth Site. If you enjoy wild mustangs, you will love these very personalized tours. They last around 2 hours, and although they are quite pricey ($50-$60 per person), the guides really do spend a lot of time discussing the horses%26#39; habits and showing you the area. Tours are very small; we shared a bus with another couple when we visited.

On your Spearfish/Deadwood Day, I%26#39;d at least consider taking the ride out to Devil%26#39;s Tower. It%26#39;s a must see of the region, IMO. There%26#39;s nothing like it anywhere.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask more questions.

Love the advice. You are full of great ideas! And thanks for the pregnancy info. Since this is my first pregnancy, I have no idea what to plan trip wise. Much appreciated.

One other question, if you were taking a tour of this area of South Dakota, trying to cover fossil sites, historical sites, caves, scenic and wildlife must sees, would you change around locations (hotels/cabins), maybe start of in Rapid City a couple of nights and then move to Custer or maybe Spearfish? or would you station out of one area, such as Keystone or Rapid City? Also if you would move around locations, what towns would be ideal for a 4-5 night stay?

Thanks so much!

When you go to the Badlands, a great place to spend the night is a real working cattle ranch. It is a B%26amp;B located at Interior, SD. The B%26amp;B is very relaxing and includes a delicious breakfast.

info@circleviewranch.com

20055 E. Highway 44 l Interior, South Dakota 57780 l 605-433-5582

漏 2006 Circle View Guest Ranch

They also have a homesteader cabin on their ranch where a person can stay. Being pregnant, I would suggest you just go see it as it doesn%26#39;t have electricity or plumbing.

Another point to consider is that the Badlands will be very hot in August. You should try to tour them later in the afternoon or early morning. With your own little internal heater you don%26#39;t want a heat stroke.

Thanks for the recommendation. I looked at Circle View%26#39;s website and it looks great. I called them to make a reservation and talked to Amy. Very friendly. I saw no negative reviews. That%26#39;s very unusual.

Hi Kathy,

I saw your additional post, so I will try to cover both. If I miss something, I will post again.

I would not recommend making a base in Rapid City for the entire trip. It%26#39;s not bad staying there when you visit the Badlands, but it%26#39;s not as close to the other attractions as other places, and to me, it has too much of an urban feel. I think you really get the best experience staying in Keystone, Hill City or Custer. They are the most central to the attractions. Your trip to Deadwood/Spearfish is certainly doable from any of these areas.

As for your pregnancy, only you know when you have had enough walking/touring for one day. Every pregnant woman is different. I was fortunate enought to be able to walk 2 miles a day up until the day before I delivered, but as I mentioned before, I really minded steps towards the end. Do what you feel like doing and listen to your body.

I noticed another poster mentioned about the heat at the Badlands, and it%26#39;s true that you will want to be aware of that. It can get very warm. However, we visited in late August and had excellent weather. We toured the Badlands on a 70 degree, overcast day. We really lucked out and were very comfortable. You can get good weather, but extreme heat is always possible.