3 Days for Mt Rushmore and surrounding area... questions

I%26#39;d like to book an anniversary trip for my parents from Friday July 17th - Sunday July 19th to visit the Mt Rushmore area. They%26#39;ve always wanted to go, and we%26#39;re old enough now to hold down the fort, so now is the time...

Where should they fly into?

I was thinking of just putting them on a tour, no rental car, any suggestions?

Is there enough stuff to do for 3 days? Seems like most of the tours are only a day long. What else should they see?

Should I get a rental car for them?

Any suggestions on where to stay?

Thanks in advance

3 Days for Mt Rushmore and surrounding area... questions

Fly into Rapid City and rent a car. The area is very easy to drive around. What to see- Custer state park, Jewel or Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Plus if time could go up to Deadwood for part of a day. We like staying in Keystone at the K Bar S Lodge. Others like Hill City or Custer. I think there are some nice Comfort Inns there.

3 Days for Mt Rushmore and surrounding area... questions

Jeweladdict,

CeCe gave you an excellent start here. Rapid City is the closest place to fly into. If your parents are in SanDiego like you, you can get flights RT on Expedia for around $311...very good fare--Rapid can be expensive.

I would plan on them renting a car. The attractions are in pretty close proximity of each other. (An hour or less). The driving is easy. For a short trip like what you are planning, the attractions CeCe mentioned would be perfect. There%26#39;s plenty to do here...We spent 11 days here and didn%26#39;t run out of things to do. I would try to fly them out as late in the day as possible on Sunday to give them as much time as you can. Rushmore takes around a 1/2 day, plus the lighting ceremony. You can spend around 2-3 hours at Crazy Horse, one of the cave tours will last around 2 hours. The remaining time can be spent touring Custer SP, including Sylvan Lake, Iron Mountain Rd., Needles Hwy., and the Wildlife Loop.

I think they%26#39;d possibly like K Bar S Lodge in Keystone based on the look of the property and reviews on this site. I have direct experience at Roosevelt Inn in Keystone and would highly recommend it. (rosyinn.com). I%26#39;d check both properties and see which one has the best rate. If you don%26#39;t have luck at either of these, the Holiday Inn Express in Hill City is well rated on this site. Custer would also be a good base.

If you think of anything else, please let us know. Have fun planning!

All great suggestions. Definitely rent a car. Can%26#39;t you add an extra day (or 2)to their trip? Too many things to see in this area arriving fri and leave sun really is very short. Too short imo and I%26#39;m sure you can hold the fort for another day. And if they could stay longer they also can include a visit to Badlands NP, another fantastic place close by. My personal preference to stay is Hill City but they also can%26#39;t go wrong in Keystone or Custer.

Tet

I agree with Tet. If you can add a day or 2, it would be more ideal. Besides, one of the cheapest travel days is Tuesday! :) We spent 11 days here and never ran out of things to do.