Looking For The Ideal Itinerary From CHICAGO To SD!!

We are coming from Chicago at the beginning of August and I have no idea what I am doing. I looking to you professionals for a little help . We want to see:

Mt. Rushmore

Crazy Horse

Wind Cave

Jewel Cave

Badlands

Custer State Park

Deadwood?

Anthing else you would recommend?

Also are there any restaurants that you would recommend?

We will have 4 - 5 days to do this (this does not include travel time). Any help would be TOTALLY appreciated!!!

Looking For The Ideal Itinerary From CHICAGO To SD!!

Looks fine. You can hit all the majors in 4-5 days. Do Badlands on the way to/from Black Hills. Given that 4 of the listed places are close to or southof the town of Custer I might suggest basing there for 2-3 nights then head up to Deadwood for a couple nights.

The only place we%26#39;ve eaten at regularly in the Hills is the Bavarian Inn in Custer. Decent German food and we also usually stay at the hotel there too.

http://www.bavarianinnsd.com/

In Deadwood we usually stay at Hickok%26#39;s Iron Horse Inn...decent rates ( http://www.hickoks.com/ironhorseinn/ ) and really nicely done rooms with a historic look/feel. But probably not suitable for families traveling with kids...no pool or amenities other than a small casino. The two-coiner breakfast at the Silverado hotel/casino is a great deal. Two eggs, hash browns and toast for 50 cents.

If you have never been to Crazy Horse before and are inclined to look at everything at museums then plan on it taking longer than you might expect. Drive the wildlife loop in Custer SP very early in the morning when it is cooler. While at Deadwood consider that many people use a day to drive Spearfish Canyon and go over in Wyoming to Devils Tower. Or, just exit the Black Hills to go home via the canyon and connect to I-90 eastbound.

On the way to or from also check out the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.

Looking For The Ideal Itinerary From CHICAGO To SD!!

Thank you so much!!! When doing the Wildlife Loop, what do you consider as very early in the morning?

When you finish your tour at Wind Cave, the Mammoth Site is only about 15 miles to the south at Hot Springs. Take a look and see if it would interest you.

http://www.mammothsite.com/

Great advice already. As Sequim said, you can easily see the Badlands enroute to the area, and I would also consider adding Devil%26#39;s Tower, especially if you stay in Deadwood for a night or 2. You have a nice amount of time in the area to see what you want to see.

When visiting Jewel Cave, I%26#39;d recommend getting advance reservations for your tour, as you are travelling at a busy time. There aren%26#39;t as many tours there as in Wind Cave, and with few surface activities at Jewel, a wait for a tour could be tedious.

Do you have any children coming? I could add a few other things if kids will be along.

I highly recommend the Alpine Inn in Hill City. They, too, serve German food at lunch and only filet mignon for dinner. The prices are very reasonable. If you go for dinner, they open at 5 and get quite crowded. I recommend getting there early. We also liked Big Time Pizza at the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone. This is a good spot for a quick meal, and we found the pizza to be some of the best around.

I also highly recommend the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone as a nice place to stay. Their website is rosyinn.com.

As far as the Wildlife Loop, you can drive it early, or if you aren%26#39;t an early riser, you can possibly drive it in the early evening. We drove it around 5 p.m.ish and saw quite a bit of wildlife.

Have a great trip, and feel free to ask more questions.

For wildlife vewing I usually figure to be ';on location'; by 1/2 hour prior to sunrise. Light enough to see but not real bright sunshine. In August, with warm to hot afternoon temps as well as higher chances of late afternoon or evening thunderstorms critters will be more active very early in the day. Also, grazing type animals will be feeding more if the night has produced some dew.

If you have time to stop along the way, the short stretch of I-90 which follows the Mississippi west of LaCrosse, WI is part of one of the most beautiful drives in the country. The bluffs are 600 feet high around the river. There is a lock and dam you can stop at immediately after crossing the Mississippi where you can watch tows and barges lock through. This is completely free.

Falls Park in Sioux Falls is also very nice. There is a free observation tower. Follow the Cliff Ave. exit off I-90.

Here%26#39;s my ideal itinerary:

Leave EARLY from Chicago. Book your first night in Mitchell. On your way, enjoy LaCrosse, see the Jolly Green Giant Statue in Blue Earth, and have an early picnic dinner at Palisades State Park.

Next morning: see the Corn Palace, stop at the rest area in Chamberlain, and hit the Badlands. Stay at either Cedar Pass Lodge in the Badlands or someplace in Wall, and do Wall Drug as well. See the Badlands in the morning and at dusk.

Drive to the CSP area and stay in the park or in Hill City, Custer, or Keystone. Stay in this area the remainder of your visit. From here you can easily enjoy CSP, the caves, Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, and Deadwood. I do like Devil%26#39;s Tower, but think it%26#39;s more realistic on your way further out West, and if I had to cut something for a Black Hills only trip, that would be what I%26#39;d skip. Unless you want to gamble, I%26#39;d also skip Deadwood.