Oglala Powwow

Hi,

Anyone got any dates for the August 09 Powwow at Pine Ridge?

Cheers

Roger

Oglala Powwow

Hi Roger,

Here%26#39;s another link for you:

www.travelsd.com/ourhistory/sioux/powwows.asp

It looks like for the past couple of years, it has run the first full weekend in August. The link I provided has a phone number to call to verify dates. The site says that mostly they occur the same time each year, but you can call to doublecheck.

Based on this and the August 2009 calendar, it looks like it should run around August 7-9.

Oglala Powwow

Hi,

Many thanks

Roger

rimmel

Panning for Gold

Hi,

Coming over from the UK next August and would like to do some real Gold panning. I%26#39;m waiting for Wade Mill to get back to me, but can anyone suggest somewhere we could do some %26#39;real%26#39; panning, possibly with a local!

Cheers

Roger

Panning for Gold

Hello,

Here%26#39;s a listing of gold mines in the Black Hills that offer panning:

scenicdakotas.com/sd-goldpanningtours.shtml

From what I have read on this site, Wade%26#39;s seems to get high recommendations, but it may not offer the ';local'; experience you are looking for. We visited Big Thunder Gold Mine in Keystone, but we did not pan for gold. The tour was quite interesting, and the guides do a nice job in explaining the story behind the mine.

Accomodator, the local destination expert, may have some tips on finding a local who might pan with you. Good luck.

Panning for Gold

You might try to contact somebody with the local prospecting club.

www.blackhillsprospectingclub.com/home.html

I don%26#39;t know a lot about it, but you%26#39;ll find the ';real'; gold panning near places like Mystic, Silver City, Rochford, Dumont, Savoy and so on. You probably won%26#39;t find much further south near Mount Rushmore or Custer State Park.

Since this post was in the Badlands forum, keep in mind that any gold panning is a good 50-100 miles away from the Badlands.

Also...

www.blackhillsprospectingclub.com/buddy.html

Many Thanks

Roger

Hi, Thanks for that, yeh sorry I didnt think of the Badlands when I entered the query. We are heading up towards the Black Hills for about 6 days later in the holiday and will be based around Spearfish %26amp; Custer.

Thanks for your help

Best Wishes

Roger

reptiles

Custer State Park in June

We are looking to go to Custer State Park in mid-June 2009 and I was wondering what the weather would be like. We are going to be tent camping. My oldest son will just be back from six months in the Middle East and I wanted to be sure we did not freeze him out. Thanks,

Custer State Park in June

Mid-June is a usually pretty good time. It could be cold at night but at least it won%26#39;t be too hot. You%26#39;ll certainly want to bring jackets and throw in some fall/spring type gear.

Enter Custer, SD and your dates into this website to get an idea of the averages. You%26#39;ll see that lows in the 40s are average and it could dip into the 30s.

www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp

Which campground are you planning to stay at? Sylvan Lake is the highest/coldest at over 6,000 feet. The others are generally around 4,500-5,000 feet and a little warmer.

Custer State Park in June

We were thinking about the State Game Lodge area.

Not to mention the possibility for some good sized thunderstorms. May and June are when I usually camp and you%26#39;ll definitely need some warm gear for the night times.

Good breakfast place in Sioux Falls

We%26#39;re staying in Sioux Falls this July en route to Mr. Rushmore. Can anyone recommend a good breakfast place there? Before we make the long trip to Keystone we%26#39;d like to relax with a good starter. More interested in quality than price. Thank you!

Good breakfast place in Sioux Falls

When we lived in Mitchell, SD and drove frequently to the Twin Cities or Willmar, MN to see our parents we would stop at the Perkins on Cliff Rd. just off of I-90. Good food, especially breakfast items, and since then have added lots more bakery items. Nothing special or local ';one of a kind'; but consistantly good. It got to be that we could hardly go through there without stopping at the particualar Perkins.

There%26#39;s an ';Original Pancake House'; on 41st St. on the south side of Sioux Falls. Never ate there but the chain as a good reputation and it is close to I-29 to go up and connect to I-90 and head west.

Good breakfast place in Sioux Falls

Thank you both for the sugggestions! I used to eat at a Perkins when I lived in Madison, and they did have a good breakfast menu.

Try Marlins up on North Cliff Ave. Food and price can%26#39;t be beat!! Atmosphere is like an old garage. They do allow smoking there, though. (A bad thing IMO)

Thanks for the suggestion Nanjo!

Deadwood Gaming Package... What's in it???

Has anyone bought this ';gaming'; package? If so, what kinds of coupons are in the Wild Bills Killer Coupon Book???

Historic Deadwood Gaming Package

Starting at $89.00 per person

Pricing based per person and lowest priced lodging

Take a step back in time and try your luck in famous Historic Deadwood! The entire town is a registered National Historic Landmark%26#39;s full of year round fun. You%26#39;ll find over 80 gaming halls offering the hottest slot machines and live Blackjack, Texas Hold%26#39;em and Poker tables. Make the most of your winnings with Wild Bill%26#39;s Killer Coupon Book: $350 worth of gaming and entertainment coupons. Package includes 2 nights lodging and $350 Wild Bill gaming and entertainment coupons.

VALID DATES: 10/31/2008 - 12/31/2009

Deadwood Gaming Package... What's in it???

My hubby and I did do this for our anniversary two years ago and I loved it. I am a coupon user; my huisband was a little embarrased by it, but hey, we were saving money, right? Most f the coupons that we used were for buy one get one free drinks and meals. That came in handy cause we were out to enjoy the town for a couple nights and days. I also got a cute pin from Saloon No. 10 that was free by handing in the coupon and a couple other souvenirs. Of course the coupon book is aimed at you spending more money, but since that%26#39;s why we were going there, I thought it was worth it.

The hotel that was ';assigned'; to us was nice and on the trolley route, so we could drink and not drive. It had an indoor pool and hot tub. I would buy into this ';gaming package'; again.

Deadwood Gaming Package... What's in it???

Thanks for the reply! I think we are going to try it out.

Without any kind of package, most hotels will give you five or ten coupons for whichever casino may be associated with their hotel. I usually use a couple and the rest aren%26#39;t worth it.

What you%26#39;d get with this package...I%26#39;m not sure. The biggest thing to look out for is which hotel you get and how much cheaper would that hotel be if you didn%26#39;t buy the package. If the hotel is acceptable and it%26#39;s a good price for lodging, go for it. If they don%26#39;t tell you which hotel you%26#39;re going to get and just assign you one, my preference would be to avoid the package.

Driving through area and need advise

We will be driving through on our way to Missoula from Omaha for a bicycle tour. We plan on spending the night both ways in this area. We won%26#39;t have much time to see the sites, but do want to spend Thursday morning and early afternoon site seeing. I would love suggestions on a place (or places) to stay in the region as well as what we shouldn%26#39;t miss in such a short time frame.

Driving through area and need advise

You could stay in Keystone and get Crazy Horse,Mt. Rushmore and possibly Iron Mt. Road in Custer state park done in that amount of time.

Driving through area and need advise

The Black Hills has a wide variety of attractions to keep one busy for well over a week, so with your limited time frame, you will need to pick and choose.

The region offers national monuments, museums, caves, national parks,hiking, Custer State Park, wildlife viewing, scenery, and so much more. Can you tell us some of your interests, and we will be able to help you much better?

I%26#39;m sure Mt. Rushmore will be obviously on your list of must sees, as this is what most come to see. CeCe mentioned Iron Mountain Rd, which is part of Custer State Park. This road is known for its pigtail bridges and tunnels that frame Mt Rushmore. Custer State Park also has the Wildlife Loop where you can see bison, prairie dogs, big horn sheep, pronghorn,etc,and the Needles Hwy. offers some classic Black Hills Scenery. Any of these drives is fantastic and will give you a good feel for the Hills.

Most visiting the area stay in Keystone, Hill City, or Custer, as these towns are most central to the attractions.

Be sure to visit travelsd.com to get a feel for the area and its numerous attractions.

Please come back with any more specific questions you have.

Need advise/Badlands National Park & area

We are planning a vacation to the area for late May or early June. We have never been to the area and will only have a few days to spend there so we would like opions on; things to see, things to do,restaurants, best town to stay in, motels,etc., etc. Does it cost to get into this national park? If so, how much? Any advise will be apperciated. Thank you!

Need advise/Badlands National Park %26amp; area

We were there in June 2008. We stayed at K Bar S Lodge in Keystone. We did Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park and Badlands. We did not spend much time in Badlands or in Custer because we knew we would see wildlife in Yellowstone. I know that you are going on the YNP because I saw your post under YNP. The State Game Lodge buffet lunch in Custer State Park is great. They have the best bison stew and delicious homemade desserts. After the Black Hills we went on to Deadwood and Devil%26#39;s Tower and Cody before going on the YNP again. We did part of YNP in 2007.

Need advise/Badlands National Park %26amp; area

Hi Tennessee,

How many days will you be spending in the area? What are some of your interests? Hiking? Museums? wildlife? If you can be a little more specific, we can help you so much better. In the meantime, I will help as much as I can.

Badlands National Park has a $15 entrance fee that is good for one week. This park is more of a ';drive-thru'; park that doesn%26#39;t require a lot of hiking to see. There are numerous overlooks and some great photo ops.

Here%26#39;s my short list of my personal ';must sees'; in the area:

Mt Rushmore

Custer State Park

Crazy Horse

Badlands

Devil%26#39;s Tower

Wind Cave

Jewel Cave

There are many other things of interest that you might be able to work in, depending on your time frame.

Ok..lodging..As I tell everyone, visitors typically stay in Keystone, Hill City or Custer, as they are most centrally located. I have personal experience with the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone and really liked it. K Bar S Lodge gets very good feedback on this site and really looks nice from the website. Hill City has a nice looking Holiday Inn Express that usually gets pretty good reviews on here.

Restaurants....We absolutely loved the Alpine Inn in Hill City. They only serve filet for dinner, so if that%26#39;s not for you, try the lunch menu. The desserts are to die for anytime! We also really enjoyed Big Time Pizza, which is located right at the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone. Very good gourmet pizza!

I see CeCe mentioned you are headed to Yellowstone after the Hills. Be sure to stop at Devil%26#39;s Tower on the way there. You could also include a drive on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Highway to see a couple nice waterfalls.

travelsd is a great website to visit to get a feel for the area.

Hope this helps to get you started. From what I read here, you might get some cooler weather that early in the season.

Please stop back with any more questions.

We are hoping to stay 2 or 3 days at each place. (Badlands %26amp; Yellowstone) We would like to see some waterfalls if they are not a long hike (we will have the 3 year old granddaughter with us) Mt. Rushmore we will be seeing for sure. Crossing into Wyoming we would like to see Devils Tower if its not that far off interstate. I have read a lot of great reviews about it too. Right now we are just trying to get some ideas of where others have been and found interesting and like very much and then go from there. Theres not much we don%26#39;t like but I don%26#39;t think we will have the time for long, long hikes. (plus I don%26#39;t want to have to be the one to carry a 3 yr. old) We are going to try to get this trip ';mapped-out'; before going on it so it don%26#39;t end up like the trip we took several years ago to the Grand Canyon. (we had nothing reserved, spent half a day finding a motel then went to the park and didn%26#39;t know what to do or where to go...LOL) Thanks for everyones help!

Tennessee,

Your description of yourselves helps greatly. First of all, I would probably nix the caves with a 3 year old. You have no idea how she will react underground, and there%26#39;s no point in upsetting her unnecessarily. If she were a bit older, I%26#39;d say go for it, but there are other things you could do she would enjoy.

Mt. Rushmore is great for all ages. Definitely include a trip to Devil%26#39;s Tower if you can. You and she will love seeing the prairie dog town there. I would also include a drive on the wildlife loop in Custer SP. She will love seeing the animals, especially the wild burros. Watch out..they will put their entire head in your car looking for food. I remember my husband hollering a few unmentionables, followed by ';it%26#39;s a rental!'; They are VERY tame, but neat to see.

The Badlands would also be a good choice for you, as it doesn%26#39;t require long hikes.

Given the age of your granddaughter, I%26#39;d also recommend a visit to Bear Country and/or Reptile Gardens in Rt. 16 in Rapid City. Bear Country is a drive through animal park with a small zoo at the end. There%26#39;s a nice gift shop on site. Reptile Gardens has some fun shows on birds, alligators, and snakes,along with many reptile exhibits. We loved seeing the giant toroise. There%26#39;s one area that children can put their head into a glass dome and feel up close and personal with the prairie dogs. Our daughter was 7 when we visited, and she loved this.

One of the waterfalls on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic drive is right along side of the road. The other requires a hike of a little less than a mile. When you go to Yellowstone, you will see the waterfalls at the canyon, which are much more impressive than any of the ones you will see in the Black Hills.

Speaking of Yellowstone, I am defintely going to go off topic here and say one thing about a 3 year old there. I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ve already considered this, but be very watchful of her around the thermal areas. The colors can be brilliant...very enticing for youngsters. There are boardwalks, but it%26#39;s very easy for someone to walk right off the side into a hot spot.

You will see some wonderful wildlife in Yellowstone that will amaze your entire family! It%26#39;s such an amazing park to experience!

Back to SD, definitely visit the website I mentioned...travelsd.com. It will really help you. There%26#39;s a good map in the center of the booklet if you have them mail one to you.

You are wise to have a plan and everything mapped out. It%26#39;s no fun trying to get a plan once you get there. With only 2-3 days in each place, you just won%26#39;t have time.

If you have any additional questions, just ask. Have fun planning.

rimmel

shampoo for colored hair

5 day july trip

hi! i need help plotting out a 5 day iterinary. we%26#39;re (8 adults) planning to see mt rushmore, the badlands, crazy horse, jewel cave and custer park. we%26#39;re driving from chicago and i%26#39;m wondering if custer would be a good choice as base camp, or staying one night in keystone, 3 in cluster and 1 somewhere near the badlands would be a better choice. Any other interesting (not to be missed) places i should consider?thanks!

5 day july trip

The nice thing about the Black Hills is that attractions are very close together. I think for the time you will be there, I would probably stay in one area, but I am not a person who enjoys packing up and moving around if I can feasibly stay in one spot. To me, the Black Hills is one of the areas where you can stay in one spot since most attractions are less than 2 hours away.

Since you are driving from Chicago, you will probably see the Badlands either coming or going. This is one time where it might pay you to stay somewhere near there, either in the park or maybe at Wall just to give you a driving break. For the other items on your itinerary, you could stay in Keystone, Hill City, or Custer for your base and get around easily.

If you have time, I would consider adding Wind Cave to your itinerary. If you like the old west history and/or the gambling scene, you might enjoy Deadwood. If you to go to Deadwood, it would probably be nice to make a day trip from your Black Hills base and include Spearfish Canyon and Devil%26#39;s Tower. Devil%26#39;s Tower is one of the must sees of the area, imo.

Hope this helps. Have a great time.

5 day july trip

We based our stay out of Custer worked fine for us for Mt Rushmore, Custer SP and Jewel Cave.

Nice pizza place in Custer. We like the Jewel Cave tour better than the Wind Cave tour.

Deadwood may be fun, a little gambling.....

Have fun.

thanks guys for the advice. We had so much fun on our trip that we were all so disappointed when it was time to go home. We stayed @ custer, and u are all right, black hills attractions are near each other. Badlands was spectacular. What I didn%26#39;t expect to be so great was Spearfish Canyon. It was so worth the drive.

We are going to the Black Hills in July as a family of 4. Did you stay at Custer State Park or in Custer? We are looking at the rustic cabins at Custer State Park. Thanks in advance.

Reservations?

There will be 5 couples coming to Custer (Mt. Rushmore) in July, some think we don%26#39;t need any reservations. I think we do, what do you locals think, should we make reservations! Ill go by your word!

Reservations?

We were there in early June of 2008 and our hotel-K Bar S Lodge- had no vacancies. So I would say yes have reservations.

Reservations?

Although I am not a ';local,'; July is peak tourist season here, so I, too, would recommend reservations. Although I will say that it still will not be anything like trying to find lodging during Sturgis in early August. I%26#39;m sure you will be able to find places; however they may not be your ';first choices.'; Why take that risk?

July 4th around Mt Rushmore is also very busy. When are you coming in July?

The K Bar S Lodge CeCe mentioned is extremely popular and well received on this site; it doesn%26#39;t surprise me that it had no vacancies.

Let%26#39;s see what the locals think!

Are you looking at hotels or cabins?

Thanks, CeCe and Travel Planner. I guess you would say that%26#39;s what I usually am. But, these relatives have no clue sometimes. We%26#39;re coming July 10th thru the 20th. Looking at Hotels, some do have certain requirements,(see what I mean). I usually set it up then just tell them the way it is!! What Do You Think!!

Do you have a hotel in Custer in mind where you think the ';group'; would be happy? Are you interested in any of the lodges at Custer State Park?

Custer has a mix of Mom/Pop motels, chains, and the lodges I just mentioned. The park also has cabins. Personally, I%26#39;d choose Hill City or Keystone over Custer as a base for the Black Hills, but it all depends on what you like. Albeit touristy, Keystone is closest to Mt Rushmore and has a wide selection of hotels, and Hill City is just a short drive away and has some quaint shops, the phenomenal Alpine Inn restaurant, and hotels. The Holiday Inn Express here looked very nice, and we have personal experience at the Roosevelt Inn in Keystone and were quite pleased.

When you have 10 people, you may be right in just taking the lead in choosing a place, depending on how adaptable everyone is.

Please let us know if we can help in any other way. Good luck planning, and keep the questions coming.

I would definitely make reservations, especially based on the time of year you will be visiting and the fact that you are going to need several rooms. As others have mentioned, your best options are Hill City, Keystone, or the town of Custer, as well as the lodging choices within Custer State Park, which range from cabins to lodge rooms. You should have a great selection of choices if you start planning now and be able to find something to please everyone.

Make reservations for any trip to the area from June through August--especially July. If you would be one couple driving through and only staying for a night or two, a reservation wouldn%26#39;t be absolutely necessary but prefered. Five couples trying to stay at one place? Don%26#39;t even consider not making reservations.

Black Hills in July with family of 4

We are planning a trip to Black Hills with an 9 and 11 yr. We have a week to spend out there. Is it too much time? Any suggestions for staying in a cabin? We no longer do tenting but saw that Custer State Park has rustic cabins. Anyone stayed in those before? Suggestion for places to visit would be great. We plan on going to East Wyoming for a day to visit friends. Thanks in advance.

Black Hills in July with family of 4

There seems to be plenty to do in the Black Hills area to use up the whole week. Do you enjoy hiking? Fishing? Sightseeing? History? Spelunking? Animals?

Custer State park has an abundance of animals. There are 2 caves that are National Parks. Driving some of the roads is an adverture in itself. I enjoyed The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs at the southern end of the Black Hills. Reptile Gardens is one of the attractions I enjoyed many years ago and they are still operating and wowing tourrists. Ask about other activities too. Try to make time in your schedule for Devils Tower in eastern Wyoming too.

Black Hills in July with family of 4

I have no personal experience staying in the cabins, but at the website, custerresorts.com, they look quite nice. Legion Lake Lodge, Sylvan Lake Lodge, %26amp; State Game Lodge offer cabins, I believe. Blue Bell Lodge is also one of Custer SP%26#39;s properties, but I don%26#39;t think they offer cabins. I%26#39;m sure if you check out these properties on this site and look at the review, you will get some insight.

Definitely include a side trip to Devil%26#39;s Tower when you visit your friends in E Wyoming. It%26#39;s fascinating to watch the climbers. There%26#39;s a great prairie dog town there.

RM offered some very good suggestions for activities. Wind %26amp; Jewel Caves are the ones operated by NPS and would be interesting for your family. A week is a great amount of time for you to see the sights. You should visit Badlands National Park, Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, the 2 caves, %26amp; Devil%26#39;s Tower at minimum. The week time frame will allow you to also see Reptile Gardens metioned by RM, Bear Country, the Mammoth Site, and maybe even the Wild Horse Sanctuary if this would fit your budget and interest. I always recommend visiting travelsd.com for ideas of what is in the area. Gold Panning, mine touring, hiking in Custer SP, and some of the fun kid attractions like the Cosmos Mystery Area would be fun for the kids. Keystone has an alpine slide, and Rapid City has an indoor mini golf course on Rt. 16 called Putz %26amp; Glo.

You could include Deadwood %26amp; Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway enroute to E Wyoming.

Have fun planning, and be sure to stop back with any additional questions.

We were there in June 2008. There is plenty to do including Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind and Jewel Caves, Custer State Park as well as Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood and Devil%26#39;s Tower. We stayed at the K Bar S Lodge so cannot comment on the cabins at Custer State Park. I will recommend the lunch buffet at the State Game Lodge. The bison stew and homemade desserts are great. Enjoy your trip planning.

The Custer State Park cabins (custerrestorts.com) can make for a good place to stay. You can find cheaper cabins in the Black Hills but the Park%26#39;s cabins are generally worth it if it doesn%26#39;t break you budget.

Ask four different people which cabins to pick and you%26#39;ll get four different answers. I like the Sylvan Lake Resort because of the proximity to the Needles, Harney Peak and Hill City. The high altitude makes for cool (sometimes cold) nights.

Families tend to like Legion Lake because it%26#39;s the most kid friendly lake--the water is warmer than Sylvan.

The Blue Bell cabins are probably the nicest. It%26#39;s a quieter area closer to the Wildlife Loop. The horse stables are at Blue Bell so you can take horse rides there.

Some love the Game Lodge area.

Some of the cabins have air conditioning and some don%26#39;t. Most of the time you won%26#39;t need it at night...but there%26#39;s always that chance you%26#39;ll be here for the hottest week of the year since you%26#39;ll be here in July.

One thing to consider when reading reviews of the resorts is that renovations have been ongoing for about two years. Most of the lodges and cabins have been updated so some of the older reviews that mention the condition of the cabins may not apply anymore.

What are the best places to visit?

My husband and I are planning a 5 day vacation to the Black Hills sometime in late May or early June. We haven%26#39;t been there in over 20 years. Of course, Mount Rushmore, but are there any suggestions as to what would be some must-sees for a couple of oldsters like us? We are from the Twin Cities area, so one day will be used up just driving.

What are the best places to visit?

Hoping you%26#39;ll get enough other responses despite the post getting tagged as Badlands NP.

';Must see'; is a pretty individual thing but our favorites have been....

1. Driving through the wildlife areas of Custer State Park. Especially in Spring.

2. The Needles Hwy (when not in RV) for the scenic views and tunnels.

3. Crazy Horse...if never been there before or even in last 20 years....well worth visiting the museum(s) and closeup viewing the carving progress.

4. Deadwood is interesting for some history and if you like casinos. Not sure if the rates have gone up but without kids we found Hickok%26#39;s Iron Horse Inn really interesting in a restored historical sort of way. It%26#39;s old and small but nicely renovated.

5. Never actually gone in the caves but Jewel Cave and Wind Cave are still on our ';must do someday'; list. Part of the reason we%26#39;ve not done them yet are my wife%26#39;s physical disabilities meaning she would have to sit and wait while I spelunk (tourist type...not hard hat type). Many years ago we did Rushmore Cave and it was interesting.

6. Mammoth Site near Hot Springs in the far south Black Hills has always sounder interesting. Hot Springs too is sort of cool with the really different sandstone architecture. Hot is a misnomer...the springs are only warm. Really nice trail along the river with a warm waterfall. http://www.hotsprings-sd.com/

7. Devils Tower just over in WY is a nice side trip. If you go also stop at exit 199 on I-90 to view the Vore Buffalo Jump (free but donation requested). Big sinkhole the Indiands drove buffalo into. Bones are something like 30 feet deep. It%26#39;s a research site now.

Late May - early June expect chances of cool weather and rain/wind. We drove from Hot Springs to Saratoga, WY one year on June 7 that started as wind driven rain and ended as whiteout near Laramie. The Black Hills are high enough it was probably snowing there too.

What are the best places to visit?

Fronnie,

Here is a short list of the must sees of the Black Hills area:

Badlands National Park (can be seen enroute from MN)

Custer State Park (Sylvan Lake, Iron Mt Road, Needles Hwy, Wildlife Loop)

Mt Rushmore (day and night viewing)

Crazy Horse

Wind Cave

Jewel Cave.

Devil%26#39;s Tower

What activities do you enjoy? Do you like walking/hiking? Museums? If you give us some ideas, we can possibly help you more.

Visit travelsd.com to receive your SD travel guide for a full listing of attractions.

Some other activities we did with our family included:

Bear Country

Reptile Gardens (both in Rapid City--kids love both!)

Mammoth Site (Hot Springs)

Wild Horse Sanctuary (Hot Springs)

Rushmore Cave--as mentioned by Sequim---The Black Hills has many privately owned caves if they interest you; however the ones operated by NPS (Wind/Jewel) are best.

1800 Train

Deadwood

Spearfish Scenic Byway--very nice drive

Do you have a town in mind for lodging? Custer, Keystone %26amp; Hill City offer convenience to attractions and a wide selection of hotels. Rapid City is a bit further outside the attractions, but it does have more dining selections.

Hopefully you can provide us with more specifics so we can help you better. Have fun planning!

If you decide to visit one or both of the caves mentioned, be aware that the tours of Jewel cave are smaller groups and they fill up. Make reservations for the time you want or you may not get to go. Wind Cave didn%26#39;t seem to be as likely to fill it%26#39;s tours but it wouldn%26#39;t hurt to reserve there too.

Excellent point by RM. We visited Jewel Cave in late August, and we waited close to 2 hours to get on a tour. At Wind Cave, we got on a tour almost immediately. Jewel Cave has nothing to do on the surface, and the visitor%26#39;s center is quite small, so you run out of activities quickly. Advance reservations are a great idea!

Thanks! Appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks for your suggestions. We are both in our (very) late 60%26#39;s, so not too much hiking. We like museums, etc. that doesn%26#39;t required excessive walking. Husband just had another knee replacement so can%26#39;t overdo it too much.

Fronnie,

Thanks for the info. on yourselves. First of all, I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;d recommend taking full cave tours right now with your hubby%26#39;s knee. Full cave tours have over 450 steps. However, you can get an abbreviated tour at Jewel Cave that is only about 20-30 mins. and involves minimal walking and only 15 steps (It%26#39;s called the Discovery Talk). It leaves in and out by elevator. This might be of interest to you. The shortest tour at Wind Cave is 150 steps (Garden of Eden tour) and lasts about an hour.

I think you would enjoy driving through the Badlands, which can be enjoyed with minimal walking.

Crazy Horse has a great native American museum, and the story behind the monument is every bit as fascinating as Mt. Rushmore, imo. Of course, I doubt Crazy Horse will ever be finished, but just hearing the story and seeing the exhibits is interesting.

I also think you would enjoy seeing the Gutzon Borglum museum in downtown Keystone. This facility provides a bit more insight into the life of Mt. Rushmore%26#39;s sculptor. You can also learn about him at Mt Rushmore%26#39;s visitor%26#39;s center.

The drive to Devil%26#39;s Tower would be neat for you. There%26#39;s a great prairie dog town there, and seeing the climbers on the tower is fascinating. It%26#39;s about a 1-2 mile walk around the base, but it%26#39;s all flat, which is nice.

You would also probably enjoy the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs to see the skeletal remains of these amazing creatures.

Custer State Park is another good possibilty for you, especially if you enjoy scenic drives and wildlife. Sylvan Lake is a great picnic spot if weather permits. (you may very well be too early in May/June) You could walk the shore, which can be as long as you like. Once again, it%26#39;s flat...good for knees! Needles Hwy %26amp; Iron Mt Rd are great scenic drives, and the Wildlife Loop will afford the opportunities to see wild burros, big horn sheep, prairie dogs, bison, pronghorn, and deer. Iron Mt. Road is known for it%26#39;s pigtail bridges and tunnels that frame Mt. Rushmore.

The Adams House %26amp; Museum in Deadwood is interesting as well. You also might enjoy enjoying the western ambience of the town itself, and maybe playing the casinos.

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is a very drive that has a couple of pretty waterfals, and once again, hiking is optional.

I hope this gives you some ideas. I think you will find plenty to do during your visit. Please let us know if you have any more specific questions.

If you are around Rapid City the Journey Museum is a great stop.

bike week 1 week with wife and 7 year old 1 week with frei

i would like to stay some were there is alot to do with the family but i also want to stay with my freind for bike week were there is all the venders and bike things to do i have a thirty four foot toy hauler and I will be driving up from florida my family will be fly into rapid city on july 26 2009 they leave on augeust 2 and my freind flys in on the 5 i would have stayed in two diffrent parks but they are having min night stays does anyone have the best of both world or if you have drive her before and have any tips for me that would bew great

bike week 1 week with wife and 7 year old 1 week with frei

Rbhrt,

Forgive me, but I am a little confused. Your ';34 foot toy hauler';---is that the one that is a travel trailer that has a section for bike storage? I%26#39;m not a camper, so I just need some help on the terminology. LOL!

With this being said, are you looking to camp or stay in a hotel, or a combination of both? Hotel rates are very high during Bike Week, as I am sure you already know. Here%26#39;s a website to check out in case you haven%26#39;t already done so:

rallyinfo.com

Here they post hotel rates and campground listings. Many are listing no availability already for bike week, but there is a bit more availability when your family comes in. Even though they are coming before the rally, there will still be crowds, as many arrive early.

The key areas to stay in the Black Hills are Keystone, Custer, and Hill City. These are central to the attractions and would be good choices to stay with your family. As for Sturgis Week, the northern towns of the hills are more central for here and include Sturgis, Deadwood, Lead, and even Spearfish.Of course, they are the first areas to book up. Even Rapid City isn%26#39;t a terrible choice, as you can get up around Deadwood in about an hour.

The longer you wait to book accomodations of any type, the worse off you will be. Sometimes people end up in Hot Springs, which is significantly south of Sturgis away from the action. Some people just book here to be ';somewhere'; in the area.

Do you have any ideas on what you want to see with your family? Give us an idea on what you like to do,and we will do what we can to help you out. A great website to view attractions of the area is travelsd.com. There%26#39;s a large variety of attractions all within a close radius, so commuting from place to place is very convenient.

bike week 1 week with wife and 7 year old 1 week with frei

From what I can tell you%26#39;ll be here for a couple weeks? I don%26#39;t think any place would have a minimum stay for over a week or so.

I%26#39;d pick somewhere in the Black Hills (further in than Sturgis) for when your family is here. It looks like they%26#39;ll be here before the Rally and there isn%26#39;t a huge reason to stay near Sturgis before the Rally. Then pick up and move to the Stugis area when the Rally begins. If you think staying in one spot is a good idea for the whole time, pick something in the northern Black Hills. Something in the area of Spearfish to Deadwood to Sturgis.

Not sure what you%26#39;re looking for in a campsite--you%26#39;ll have to be more specific to get better recommendations.

For the money and convenience to Sturgis and other great attractions my favorite place is Lake Park Campground just west of Rapid City on Highway 44. It is so pretty and your%26#39;e just a short distance from 16 to Keystone and the monuments and everything in between. The folks there are very nice and the sites are shaded with two laundry facilities within a block, the lake with paddle boats, a lovely park within a few blocks (as well as a really nice golf course)and you are not far from Hill City, Deadwood and all the great riding in between. I think the website is Lakeparkcampground.com. Good luck.

teenagers to have acene

Hotels close to I-90

hi

i see this post from before but its dated in 2006! Does anyone know if there are any newer or nice hotels that are easy to find when you exit 1-90? Thanks!

Hotels close to I-90

There%26#39;s a newer Holiday Inn Express in Brandon if you%26#39;re just passing by and need a place to stay.

Hotels close to I-90

For hotels close to I-90 on Cliff Avenue are:Cloud 9 605-338-6090, Super 8 605-339-9212, Comfort Inn 605-331-4490, Days Inn 605-331-5959 Homewood Suites is at the sw side of Sioux Falls on I-29 605-338-8585

thanks all. Will it be difficult to find the Sheraton hotel? I can get a great rate there but if its gonna be hard to find in the dark then perhaps i should just go with the holiday inn??

No, you shouldn%26#39;t have any trouble finding the Sheraton in the dark. It is 6 stories tall so it isn%26#39;t hard to spot. Also,it is connected to the Sioux Falls convention center

To get to the Sheraton take I-29 south from I-90 and then take the Russell Street Exit east--you can%26#39;t miss it.

Take I-90 East to I-29 South and take Exit 81. Take Russell Avenue East to West Avenue. The hotel is located on the corner of Russell Street and West Avenue and next to the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Thanks all! Lets just hope the weather is good! I hope the roads arent slick.

rimmel

best time to visit

I%26#39;m newly retired and my hubby and I plan to take a roadtrip from NH to include the Badlands, Yellowstone and Banff National Parks. Weather wise and site-seeing wise, when is the best time to go? Also, how long should we plan to spend in each park. Hubby can%26#39;t walk far (knee replacement) so it%26#39;s basically a sight seeing trip. Thanks.

best time to visit

Crysabel,

I would also post in the Yellowstone %26amp; Banff forums to get input as well. I have not been to Banff, so I can%26#39;t comment there. The Badlands is mainly a drive through park, so it will be good for your hubby, as not much walking is involved. If not hiking, you can really see the park in about a 1/2 a day. There are many scenic overlooks in the park with lots of photo ops.

Yellowstone, on the other hand, is much larger. If not hiking, I would allow a minimum of 2-3 days. We are planning to spend 11 days in this area this coming July and August. There are many ';boardwalks'; at Yellowstone that are flat and very navigable, but they can be long. They are handicapped accessible if he has a scooter or wheelchair, or he could just do what he can. Yellowstone is more of a park where you really have to leave your car to experience it.

We visited the Badlands in late August and actually had cool weather. It can actually get hot here, especially in July, but I think sometimes the temps cool down a little in later August. Although I have not visited here then, I would imagine early September would quite nice.

I can say that early September is a wonderful time to visit Yellowstone! Crowds are light, as kids are back in school, and the weather is pretty nice. When we visited the first time, we had the luxury of going when we wanted, as our daughter hadn%26#39;t arrived yet. We are now roped into the July/August vacations.

Hope this helps some. Posting in the other forums will allow you a wider variety of responses. Have fun planning.

best time to visit

I agree that late August or early Sept. would be the best time to visit. We also like late May/early June for Black Hills and Yellowstone but that is too early for Glacier. We are doing Glacier and YNP/GT in late August this year. We did YNP and GT in May, 2007 and Black Hills, YNP, and Cody in June, 2008.

Enjoy your trip planning and if you have more questions just let us know.

Snowpack and road closures at higher elevations make any time short of mid-June iffy beyond the Badlands and Black Hills. Even up through early July passes may have a lot of snow on the sides of the roads and in viewpoint areas. The Bighorns, Beartooth Pass, Glacier and especially farther north into Banff later in the season all face this.

We are planning to drive to Seattle via Banff this year and have selected mid-August. On the flip side though late June can mean any waterfalls along the route will be running heavier and be more spectacular than say, September. Also...beyond mid-September it starts to get cold and windy more often even in Yellowstone.

We were in Laramie, WY once on June 7 in a blinding whiteout. Later the same year on Sept 30 in Yellowstone we found many roads closed due to snow.

Thanks for the info...it will help. Seems like the weather out there is just like New England...wait a minute and it will change. Hope your enjoy your excursions...

Thanks for the info...it will help us to decide.

Thanks for the extensive info...I will take your advice and checks other forums.

Assuming this is a 2 to 3 week trip, my preference would be to start in South Dakota in mid-June and go west from there. You%26#39;re not quite at peak season but it%26#39;s close.

You don%26#39;t mention the Black Hills. If you%26#39;re going to the Badlands, you%26#39;ll want to include the Black Hills--Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore at a minimum. Also include Grand Teton with Yellowstone.

Thanks....appreciate your input.

Best Time to Visit

When is the snow over. What would be the best time to visit. Thinking of going to Deadwood next year with my two sons for a father and son vacation. Also wondering how many days would be needed to really enjoy everything that Deadwood has to offer.

Best Time to Visit

We were there in the first week of June. The mornings were very cool but temps warmed up nicely each day. We only spent a day in Deadwood since we had just spent several days in Black Hills and were on our way to Cody and YNP. We enjoyed the museums and the cemetery but we were not into the gambling.

Best Time to Visit

Average snow depth in deadwood goes to zero in May and lasts until October.

www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?sd2207

By June it would be safe. Temps are sumemr average for there by June. Note the higher precipitation amounts in May/June...mostly afternoon thunderstorms more so than all day rain. The Black Hills are amzing thunderstorm generators.

Aside from Deadwood there are many touristing options in the Black Hills that can make it an OK base so the total time depends on if those will be involved or just Deadwood. Depeending on the age of the sons Deadwood alone might not offer that much if not old enough (21) to gamble. Some things to see %26amp; do around Deadwood...http://www.deadwood.org/OfficialGuide/AttractionsTours/

For just Deadwood two days would be sufficient. Besides gambling there are some good history aspects. Check out the calendar of events to decide if something appeals....or busy dates to avoid. http://www.deadwood.org/DeadwoodEvents/

We were there a couple years ago when they were setting up for Wild Bill Days and it looked like it would be really fun (for adults). But the only reason we got the room we did (at Iron Horse Inn) was because we were checking out the day before it started. Very busy.

To me, Deadwood wouldn%26#39;t have enough to offer to be a major component of your vacation. The Black Hills, however, have endless opportunities for recreation and exploring. Deadwood is set in the northern region of the Black Hills and is an ideal base for seeing Devil%26#39;s Tower %26amp; Spearfish Canyon. You could stay here for a couple days and then move to one of the more central towns of Keystone, Hill City or Custer. The Badlands to the east are well worth a look also.

How much time do you have to spend on your vacation? You could easily spend a week exploring the Black Hills and not see it all. Let us know your interests, and we can make some recommendations for activities.

No craps--just cards and slots. Craps supposedly doesn%26#39;t fit the historic nature of Deadwood gambling.

Blackjack limits are $100 per hand--most places will let you play two hands at once if there%26#39;s room on the table. Most tables are $5 minimum, some $10 but there are some $2 tables depending on how busy it is.

Mostly five deck shoes. I can%26#39;t think of any single deck but I think there are some 2-3 deck tables around. What each place offers seems to change by the hour depending on what kind of crowd they have.

Is October 8-18 a good time to visit Badlands?

I am planning my vaction for this year. I would like to see Badlands National Park, Blackhills, and Custer State Park. I would also like to see a Powwow. I like to trave in the fall of the year when it is not so crowded. Will there be snow? Would I be better of in the middle of September? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sharon

Is October 8-18 a good time to visit Badlands?

Those dates in October will work for you, but I%26#39;d pick mid-September given a choice. Mid-October starts to get iffy on weather. Enter Custer, SD into this website and the dates you%26#39;ll be here and you%26#39;ll see what temperatures can do. www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp

The number of visitors really falls off after Labor Day so there isn%26#39;t a lot to be gained by going even later. You%26#39;ll find a few more tourist-oriented attractions open in September--nothing significant but small things. Although most of the trees in the Black Hills are pine, there are some nice areas with leaf trees to see some color. Timing it just right can be tough but sometime around the end of September is pretty good for Spearfish Canyon.

I don%26#39;t know if many powwow schedules have been made yet. The Black Hills Powwow will be Oct. 9-11. http://www.blackhillspowwow.com/

Here is a listing of 2008 powwows to give you an idea of how many are held annually. http://www.state.sd.us/oia/powwow.asp

Place to eat near Bear Country

We will be visiting Bear Country and then moving on to Reptile Gardens, with children. Can anyone suggest a good restaurant nearby. Preferably with some vegetarian options. Thanks!!!!

Place to eat near Bear Country

The closest place is Shipwreck Lee%26#39;s Bar and Grill. http://www.sweetgrassinn.com/grill_bar.html

I%26#39;d recommend going into Rapid City. Really good pizza (brickoven type pizza) is at Stonewalls Espresso Cafe and Pizzeria. This will just north of the intersection of US16 and Catron Boulevard as you%26#39;re going into Rapid City. It%26#39;s near the Ranch amusement park.

If you go all the way down the hill further in Rapid City, you%26#39;ll find quite a few places. The Colonial House is a local favorite with good variety. There is also Perkins, Ruby Tuesday and fast food.

Place to eat near Bear Country

Sounds great! Thanks so much for your help!

Julie

Hi Julie,

If you like buffets, you will find the Golden Corral (a chain) right off I90 at the LaCrosse St exit in Rapid City. It%26#39;s a bit further away, but still workable. We hit there a couple of times when we visited, as it%26#39;s a good kids option. Everyone can get what they want, and they did have a pretty good selection of vegetables. We didn%26#39;t get too adventurous with food since our daughter was only 8 at the time our visit, so Accomodator%26#39;s suggestions may very well be better suited for you.

Enjoy Bear Country and Reptile Gardens. Both are wonderful family attractions!

Oh, I have an 8 year old too, so you never know... Thanks for the suggestion!

store properties

super bowl

We are going to be in deadwood on super bowl sunday, where would be the best place to watch the game? is there a sports bar or does the saloon #10 have big screens? Also wich casinos are the best for playing blackjack, and have the best drink comps? We are in our mid 30,s and are looking for some night life where is the best place to go for a 30,s something crowd if any? we will be there sun-wed so i%26#39;m sure the town might be slow during that time.

thanks.

super bowl

Typically the Saloon #10 only has smaller TVs, but I would think they%26#39;d so something special for the Super Bowl. Diamond %26#39;Lil%26#39;s above the Midnight Star is a sports bar that always has games on big TVs. I%26#39;m sure there quite a few places that will accommodate Super Bowl viewers by bringing in TVs.

Unless you%26#39;re big into players points and other gimmicks, I don%26#39;t know that one casino is really any better than any other for blackjack. My favorite place is one with an open table--an open $2 table! There are tables at the Saloon #10. Most casinos have drink comps--the Silverado seems to be one of the quickest to keep your drink full. It%26#39;s not really my favorite place but they sure keep your beer full if you%26#39;re at a table.

Sun-Wed in the winter will be slow for night life. Not terrible but it won%26#39;t be Las Vegas. I don%26#39;t think there will be any bands playing.

super bowl

Thank you again for your help.

Deadwood complete series for $65 shipped!

I just picked this up from amazon.com, thought id share:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FA1OTU…

rimmel

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

I didn%26#39;t pull up anything on this in a search. Has anyone been there? I see there is a museum, and I was wondering how interesting it is? Anyone with first hand knowledge?

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

No museum.

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

I don%26#39;t know anything interesting to do on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. We haven%26#39;t ever seen anything worth stopping.

Thanks! I searched online too, and found a trip report from someone that raved about it, but they were big big BIG Wounded Knee buffs........by their description it didn%26#39;t sound like much to keep the interest of a family.

If you have a strong interest in the Lakota Sioux, I think it%26#39;s a necessary place to visit. It isn%26#39;t very tourist friendly so you have%26#39;ll to do some research to come up with your own list of places to see and things to do. There is some pretty country to drive through--especially the northern portion of the Reservation where the south unit of Badlands National Park is located.

If you have more of a casual interest in Lakota history, you may want to instead stop in Rapid City at the Journey Museum and the Prairie Edge store downtown.

Your family may enjoy watching, listening and eating at one of the many summer pow wows around the state. Visit web link:

http://www.drumhop.com/sdpowwow.html#July

Two Pine Ridge offerings:

Oglala Nation pow wow and rodeo. Early August 2006

Location: Pine Ridge, SD.

Info: 605-867-5821

Wounded Knee Memorial Ride and pow wow. August 7-13

Location: Wounded Knee, SD.

Thank you! I would say our interest is casual, so your recommendations are good ones.

I%26#39;m still planning the big summer trip for this year, so I can%26#39;t review any of these places yet, but there do seem to be a few cool things to do on the reservation. We will be driving through it in any event, south from the Badlands through Wounded Knee and Pine Ridge and over and up toward Hot Springs and Mount Rushmore, after an afternoon tour of the Minuteman Missile National Monument up just east of Wall.

There are several B%26amp;B%26#39;s and guest ranches in the vicinity. Here is a link to the Pine Ridge Chamber%26#39;s lodging page:

www.pineridgechamber.com/chamber/page7.html

We ar probably going to try either the Circle View Ranch - which has an authentic 1880s homestead cabin, no electricity or running water, out by itself on the prairie, away from the guesthouse - or the Blacktail Deer B%26amp;B - Sioux owned and operated, with some tipis to sleep in. It is across the road from the ubiquitous casino, which doesn%26#39;t interest us at all but at least provides a buffet if we aren%26#39;t feeling like fixing our own, and also has a hotel.

prairiewindcasino.com/prairiewind/hotel.htm

The Lakota Prairie Ranch resort also looks interesting, but not many details on the website.

I%26#39;ll be writing some reviews after we go in June-July, but that%26#39;s what my research shows at this point.

For your information, there is nothing in Wounded Knee and there is nothing spectacular in Pine Ridge, SD either.

We missed the Wounded Knee Memorial in of all places, Wall, SD. We drove a consideable winedy distance to Wounded Knee only to find a dilapedated vendor stall and the cemetary sitting on a lonely hill next to a church. We were somewhat disappointed.

We were drove through Pine Ridge during their annual Pow-wow/Rodeo. THere is of course the traffic snarls and back-ups as there is only one way in and one way out of the locality. When you attend the pow-wow, obviously it is a carnival atmosphere and certainly there is no order, rhyme or reason. Just be aware of traffic snarls whereas you may have to park it and walk into the Pow-wow grounds.

THere is an admission fee to attend the event.

I have been here 4 times, and I always stay for at least 10 days and last time I was there for 3 weeks.

I just love it there! The people I have gotten to know is so warm, kind and generous. They are like family to me.

I love the great sense of humor and how they take care of the elders and care for their children.

Yes, there is poverty and bad stuff going on too, that’s what I’ve heard. Still that’s not all I see. There is much to be said.

I’m still shocked when I hear people advising people not to go here and to be careful. Careful of what? Friendly loving people?

Yes, be careful every time you travel anywhere, but don’t listen to racist advices/warnings about this place, because that’s all it is. Racist.

What I see is people giving and giving, even if they don’t have everything themselves. I see smiles, I hear laughter and the best damn jokes in town:) I’m sad and crying every time I must go back home, and I’m thrilled and happy when I can return to my friends on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation.

The best place for vacationing:) And to enjoy the best smoothie in the world, visit Higher Ground Coffee House in Pine Ridge:)

www.facebook.com/group.php…

43places.com/places/view/206437/pine-ridge-i…

Fly Fishing near Rapid City?

My husband is an avid fly-fisherman. Is there anywhere near Rapid City/Hill City that will be worthwhile for him? He is talking about making a 10 hour detour to Yellowstone and I really don%26#39;t want to take away from our limited time in the Black Hills area.

Fly Fishing near Rapid City?

Yes, there are quite a few areas for fly-fishing. Dakota Angler and Outfitter is a fly shop in downtown Rapid City. Their website has some good info:

http://www.flyfishsd.com/hillsfishing.htm

Traveling Times in South Dakota.

Hi,

We are coming over next year, can anyone give me rough driving times/mileages for the following routes.

Wall-Batesland via the Badlands (entering eastern most entrance)

Batesland-Wind Cave-Hot Springs

H.Springs-Wild Horse Sanctuary-Jewel Cave-H.Springs

H.Springs-Custer Park loop-Mt Rushmore-Hill City

Spearfish-Sundance-Devils Tower-Aladdin-Spearfish

Cheers Roger

Traveling Times in South Dakota.

I would use Google maps to estimate times.. usually fairly accurate.

Out of curiosity, what is in Batesland SD?

Traveling Times in South Dakota.

The loop form Wall through Badlands NP is about 34 miles but is definitely not designed for speed so expect better than an hour...two with stops.

Now from there to Batesland you have a couple options....possible poor roads and/or gravel roads or backtrack a bit on the freeway to kadoka and go south on SD-73 to US-18. Direct via possible poor roads is 67 miles (no gravel route via Kyle %26amp; Allen). Better roads...96 miles. Figure 1-1/2 to 2 hrs either way.

Batesland to Hot Springs....90 miles then 15-20 more to Wind Cave and same back to HS. Hot Springs is a misnomer...more like sort of warm springs. Very nice walk along the river. There is a really nice little restaurant in an old hotel (can%26#39;t recall name). Just ask about the place with the big rock in the dining room.

Not familiar with the Wild Horse Sancutary but about 37 miles from HS to Jewel Cave NM. Note though that all the roads in the Black Hills tend to be slow or congested in the summer so figure an hour each way to Jewel. Custer can have a lot of slow traffic in town. Crazy Horse Monument is just north of Custer and worth seeing at least once.

Hot Springs thru Custer SP to US 385 and then to Hill City is about 38 miles. Suggest though a route to Rushmore via Alt-US16 and Keystone (58 miles from HS). There are some very interesting views of Rushmore on Alt-16. Rushmore to Hill City is not far but again expect congestion and slow driving in that area in summer.

Spearfish loop....on route to Spearfish be sure to do the scenic US 14 Spearfish Canyon route. About 30 miles to Sundance via freeway. Just prior to exit 199 (anout 6 miles into Wyoming) look for a teepee structure on the right next to the freeway...more about this later. From Sundance it%26#39;s about another 30 miles to Devils Tower. There to Aladdin is 35 miles.

Take WY-111 south but before you get to the freeway turn left on the frontage road. About a mile or so more is the world famous (or should be) Vore Buffalo Jump. A sink hole in the ground where the Indians drove buffalo (Bison) over the cliff. The bones are over 30 feet deep at the bottom (take the trail down to the bottom - caution, possible rattlesnakes in area). In the summer there are often volunteer college students at an archeological dig site who will give tours (donation in drop box suggested). Very interesting. Either backtrack to exit 199 or go right and take frontage road to Beulah (last chance cheaper gas before SD, so they say).

Also...another slow %26amp; congestion area on the way to Spearfish is the Lead-Deadwood gambling district.

Hi There, Many thanks for your help, its greatly appreciated

Cheers

Roger

Hey,

Really sorry, I didnt see your question (it must be my age!) We are going to Batesland as theres a great B%26amp;B there called the Wakpamni. Were staying there so we can attend the Oglala powwow on the first weekend of August!

Again sorry about the very lonnnng delay in replying. Best Wishes

Roger

curly hair

Staying one night

We will be spending one night this June in Hill City on our way to Montana. We need a nice place where we can get our bike inside during the night. We would also appreciate suggestions on dining. From HC we plan to see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and drive the Needles. Is it best to take the east to west drive or west to east? (Will be doing this on a Thursday.)

Staying one night

Comfort Inn is nice.

Definitely dine at the Alpine Inn.Get there early they will be packed,opens 5pm for dinner.

Good steaks and deserts The BEST,very reasonable $.

The Needles or Iron Mountain rd both spectacular drives but very time consuming.Narrow,twisty and very scenic.I would stop at Devils Tower NM on way to Wyoming.Also Evening lighting ceremony at Mt Rushmore a must...

Staying one night

In the interest of time, your best route will be to drive the Needles beginning at Sylvan Lake and going east. You%26#39;ll then take Iron Mountain Road to Mount Rushmore. I%26#39;d take the Playhouse Road short-cut road between the Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. You%26#39;ll miss some of Custer State Park (the Game Lodge area) but it will shorten up your time without missing the best. I%26#39;d take that time saved and spend it driving through Spearfish Canyon on your way to Montana. Take 385 north to Deadwood and then take Spearfish Canyon to I-90.

As for a place to stay in Hill City, there are a quite a few places. Everybody has their favorites but for someplace reasonable and fast for one night (and close to the Alpine Inn), the Super 8 is OK. For a Super 8, it isn%26#39;t too bad inside. Call ahead for your bike, though.

Alpine Inn is a great place to eat, but as I tell everyone, they only serve filet mignon at dinner. If you are not a steak eater, try it for lunch. As Joeman said, the desserts are fantastic! Joeman is right; it does get very crowded at dinner.

The Holiday Inn Express in Hill City is pretty highly rated on this site, but I%26#39;m not sure on the bike policy. As Accomodator said, you can always check. I have not stayed at HIE, but it did look very nice from the outside.

Mount Rushmore in March? -- Tips needed

Hi,

Has anyone visited Mt. Rushmore in March? What is the weather like, and are there anything to see/do other than winter sports?

I am worried that there is not much to see except snow in March (the only time I can go there).

Many thanks!

Mount Rushmore in March? -- Tips needed

Hi,

Never been there in March but we were in Rapid City and Deadwood around the end of May. Even then we ran into some snow but still found alot of things to do in the area. I%26#39;d recommend the Black Hills Institute in Hill City, maybe a trip to Deadwood and Custer State Park (think it%26#39;s still open at that time).

bleino

Mount Rushmore in March? -- Tips needed

Check out this prior post:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28962-i673-k16189…

Belle Fourche: Things to do?

Hi, I%26#39;m coming over to SD next year (August)for my wifes birthday (its a surprise), is Belle Fourche a good tourist stop, what is there is to see/do in the town and how long would you suggest we stop there for.

Thanks

Roger (UK)

Belle Fourche: Things to do?

Belle Fourche isn%26#39;t a real popular tourist stop. A good way to get to Devils Tower is to loop through Belle Fourche from Spearfish and then go west through the Bear Lodge Mountains (Wyoming Black Hills) to Devils Tower. Then return to the SD Black Hills through Sundance. (Or do this loop the other way.) This will give you an overview of the town.

A common stop in Belle Fourche is the recently rededicated Center Of The Nation monument.

If you%26#39;re looking to stop for a meal in the area or stay overnight, I%26#39;d recommend Spearfish. I like Belle as a real western cowtown and it%26#39;s worth taking a look at and a drive through, but you%26#39;ll probably find more hospitality in Spearfish.

Belle Fourche: Things to do?

Keep in mind that the Sturgis Rally dates for 2009 are roughly August 1-9. This will greatly affect your ability to find affordable lodging and impede traffic flows in the Black Hills area. The Wednesday of Rally Week every year (Aug. 5 in 2009) is the ';Hulett Ham %26#39;n%26#39; Jam';--the highways near Devils Tower are especially clogged this day.

Thanks for your help, the center of the nation sounds cool, is it near to Belle? We will be staying at Spearfish and driving to Sundance then Devils Tower and back via Aladdin, so I thought maybe a brief stop at Belle for a drink/stroll etc,

Thanks Again

Roger (UK)

Belle Fourche has a monument in town in a park-like setting. It%26#39;s near where the north-south highway (US 85) crosses the Belle Fourche River (north of downtown). There are flags, etc., at it. The actual marker that is the center of the nation is about 20 miles north of town on a gravel road out on the prairie (if I remember right, it%26#39;s the road to Harding). The marker is coincidentally close to the road so you don%26#39;t have to walk far to see it. All it is a pipe in the ground--when I was there last winter sometime there was a makeshift sign on the road fence and a US flag at the marker so you could see it.

Thanks for your help (again), doesnt sound like its worth a 40 mile round trip. Will visit Belle however if only for a walk aroundCheersRoger

Belle Fourche is a great town. It is unlike the rest of the towns in Western South Dakota. Belle Fourche is unique in so very many ways. It is the Geographic Center of the US. Just north of the visitors information center is a beautiful SD granit monumnet that is 21 feet across. They are in the process of finishing an avenue of the 50 state flags, a brick court yard, and park area for guests. The actual site of the center of the nation is about 20 miles north of Belle Fourche off a gravel road in a field. For the purest at heart, it is a great trip and wonderful adventure. Also while at the visitors center make sure to stop into the Tri-State Museum and check out all that they have to offer. The admission is free...can%26#39;t beat that!

Belle Fourche has many unique shops in the town. You can check out Weather Hat Co. and watch hats being hand made...they even do tours. Very neat to experience. You can check out Office Emporium and purchase many local and South Dakota made products.

For a meal you must check out the Stadium Bar and Grill. Their speciality is the steak tips...excellent in so many ways. You can get them with fries or on a salad. I don%26#39;t even look at the menu...I just order the tips! Belle Fourche also has many wonderful hotels with great staff that is more than willing to help people out.

Belle Fourche may not be a major tourist stop...but it is worth the time to check out all that it has to offer. The people are friendly, deals are great and you are sure to have a great time!

Thanks alot for the feedback, Belle Forche is now definately on the itinerary, the steak tips sound goood!

Cheers

Roger

There is also a Stadium Sports Grill in Spearfish--Belle and Spearfish are the two locations for this ';chain';. The food is pretty good. I consider the Stadium to be the best sports bar in the Black Hills.

Thanks for the info...

Roger

Roger:

There is a new walking/biking path through Belle Fourche. Also, at the end of July (31) and the first of August, we are planning to have the ';boys'; from the John Wayne movie ';The Cowboys'; here. So far, ';Singin%26#39; Fats'; and ';Homer'; have responded affirmatively and ';Weedy'; and ';Charlie'; are planning to come out and bring the Carradine kid with them!

Anyway, back to Belle%26#39;s offerings, we have many rodeos in town, several good restaurants: The Green Bean Coffee House; Ground Floor; Mish Mash (home cooking~our corporate boss loves it!); American West Steakhouse and Branding Iron Steakhouse as well as the Stadium. Take the Historic Walking tour and see our beautiful Courthouse! Downtown has a lot of interesting shops. Our Museum, monument and Avenue of Flags are a must see. Then on to Devil%26#39;s Tower via Hwy 34 where you can see one of the last two coal tipples in the USA, the Aladdin General Store (over 110 years old) and they serve the best pie in the cafe%26#39; next door! Go on to Devil%26#39;s Tower, loop back through Sundance then go West to the Vore Buffalo Jump. Back through to Spearfish to the High Plains Heritage Museum, through Spearfish Canyon and see the Falls, to Adams Museum in Deadwood. There are so many things to do out here!!! And I don%26#39;t know why someone would post that Spearfish is more friendly ~ we hear from people all the time that Belle Fourche is VERY friendly. We even received the Customer Service Award for the AmericInn chain!

Good luck on your trip!

rimmel

Lead - Mount Rushmore....

We are thinking of staying at Barefoot condos in Lead in mid July. Looks great and peaceful! staying a week and doing maybe every other day of going to Mount rushmore, custer, a cave and then the other days staying closer around Lead,hiking, horses etc.

I know we would have an hour drive to get over to Mount rushmore but I assume it is a nice drive.

is it nuts to stay that far away? or ok if you vary it with other stuff.

Lead - Mount Rushmore....

Here are a fwe things to think of:

1) will you have your own vehicle or a rental? If you have a rental is there unlimited miles or will you be charged extra if you go over? If it%26#39;s a rental consider the cost to drive back and forth.

2) are you getting a GREAT deal in Lead? What makes you want to stay there?

3) Gas prices could be anywhere when you go. They may be abck to $4 a gallon which could raise the price of the drive

Here is a suggestion. We drove from Wisconsin on our way to Yellowstone in 2007 with our 3 kids; 5, 2, and 1. Here is what we did:

We went through the badlands (1/2-3/4 of a day spent here) and then stayed in Rapid City at the HoJo for $99 a night for 2 nights. This was a great location for exploring Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, caves, and other places. I would highly recommend this hotel; great rooms, awesome pool, free happy hour, great cont. brk.

We didn%26#39;t have time but we wanted to explore Deadwood and Lead. If we would have had time I would have reserved rooms in this area and seperated my hotel stays. It is always nice to be closer to your attractions so you won%26#39;t waste so much time driving.

Unless there is a reason you want to be in Lead or it is a can%26#39;t pass offer, I would seperate my hotel stays. There are a lot of things you may want to see and do that aren%26#39;t highly advertised when in the Rushmore area. The drive back to Lead may cause problems with some activities you want to see and do.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have! :)

Lead - Mount Rushmore....

Hi Casey! I%26#39;m in Iowa so we are almost neighbors! We will be driving our own car, hubby and I and our 2 teenage boys. The place in Lead is a condo, so 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, full kitchen, living room. Looks like a peaceful area if we feel like just chillin out part of the time. I don%26#39;t like packing up and switching places during vacation if we can help it. I like to have one base.

We are driving straight out on a Sat and straight home on a Sat. So we have several days there.

thanks!

Is there anything that is more in the vicinity of Rapid City that you would be interested in? I only question this as it is a more central location compared to being on one side of the activities. I would think you could find a secluded condo closer to this area???

If Lead is the place you want to be and you really like the condo, area, and the price is right I would stick with it. With 2 teenage boys an hour drive in the morning isn%26#39;t that big of a deal. We drove straight home from Miles City Montana with our 3 kids who were all 5 and under. It was a 16 hour trip and wasn%26#39;t that bad at all.

I would leave early in the morning to be at Mount Rushmore as soon as it opens if you don%26#39;t like crowds. We aren%26#39;t a fan of them and are early risers so it worked good. We were at Mount Rushmore for a couple hours and when we went to leave it was getting pretty crowded.

Take advantage of the mornings. It seems like everyone else likes to sleep in. We are up early beat the crowds and then can go relax at our hotel and enjoy the facilities during the hot part of the day when it is empty.

Any other questions feel free to send me a messge.

The drive from Lead to Rushmore is a beautiful one on HWY 385. I second the early rise for heading towards the touristy areas (Custer, Keystone, ect.) as that tends to be the coolest part of the day in July. Barefoot will be good weather-wise as it is anywhere from 5 -10° cooler up in the Lead-Deadwood are as compared to Rapid City (I work near Barefoot, there are great views of coming T-storms that time of year). Lead will be a good jumping off point for hiking, fishing, nature loving but you%26#39;ll have to do the horses down in the tourist areas, I believe.

I would recommend the Mickelson Trail from Lead towards Rochford and the drive from Spearfish up Spearfish Canyon towards 4-corners, WY.

Any questions are welcome!

Hi Penguins,

I always say the nice thing about the Black Hills is the close proximity of the attractions. Many do divide their time between the northern hills (Deadwood/Lead/Spearfish) and central hills (Keystone/Custer/Hill City). However, if you don%26#39;t do this, I don%26#39;t see a big problem. You have many attractions in the northern region, including the mining museum in Lead, Broken Boot Gold Mine in Deadwood, Adams House/Museum in Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, and maybe even Gulches of Fun Park in Deadwood. You can also make an easy trip over to Devil%26#39;s Tower, which is well worthwhile.

You are correct that you will be about an hour from Mt Rushmore and Hill City, and about an hour %26amp; 15 mins from Custer. You could incorporate several attractions on your ';driving days'; to get the most bang for the buck. As you said, the drive will be pleasant...much nicer than anything here on the east coast!!! To me, an hour to 1.5 hours really isn%26#39;t a bad drive time at all.

If you venture out to the Badlands or town of Hot Springs, you will have about a 2 hour drive. I think between the 2, I%26#39;d%26#39; choose the Badlands. Hot Springs is home to the Mammoth Site and Wild Horse Sanctuary, which depending on your interests, you may or may not find worth the drive.

Getting a early start is great advice, as July can be crowded and warm.

So, to summarize, if you really like the condos in Lead, go for it. I really don%26#39;t think you are that far away that you will not enjoy all the area has to offer.

Your plan of only south to the Mount Rushmore/Custer State Park area about every other makes a stay in Lead OK. You%26#39;ll find plenty to do in Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Devils Tower and some off-the-beaten path places in the northern Black Hills.

However, if you plan your trip and find yourself going to the Custer State Park area everyday, I would advise against it. This fall I had relatives stay in Lead at a ski condo because it was a good deal. Unfortunately, they had way too many things planned further south and ended up renting a hotel room in Custer for the last night (and paying for the condo).

I agree with trying to hit Delvil%26#39;s Tower. We did this on our way to Yellowstone and are so glad we did. Well worth it!

Thanks everyone! Some great ideas here! I booked the condo today! Am very excited! Can%26#39;t wait for summer as it is freezing in Iowa and I am very sick of snow!

We have been to devils tower so not sure if we will go there or not. We will see how it all goes. We will go thru the badlands on the way there.

thanks for all the super ideas!

Hi, we are from Germany and intend to tour South Dakota in late May/early Jun. We intend to travel from Salt Lake City to Yellow Stone Park on to the Badlands. Where and/or how can I get information of what items of interest to visit, where to stop for how long, what roads to expect, etc. ? Is this a mountain area and what type of rental car would be appropriate ? I would be thankful for any information or who we could contact to get answers to our many questions.

Thanks a lot for your replies !

Hi Gisela, and welcome to the forums!

You may want to post a new thread to get more replies. Questions attached to someone else%26#39;s post tend to get buried.

Here%26#39;s a website for South Dakota tourism:

travelsd.com

Here you can get a travel guide with helpful ideas. It would help to know how long you have for this trip so that we can adquately help you. Both Yellowstone and South Dakota have a wide variety of things to do. You can easily spend 3 weeks in these areas.

A full size rental car would be fine for your needs. The areas aren%26#39;t that mountainous that an SUV is necessary. The roads aren%26#39;t frighteningly high.

A good website for Yellowstone is nps.gov. This contains detailed information on our national parks. Click on Wyoming to reach the Yellowstone link.

Once you do a little more research, I think you%26#39;ll be able to ask more specific questions that will enable us to help you more. Have fun planning.

Rapid City to Yellowstone

I am planning a summer trip with the fam (including my 10 and 7 year old boys), and part of the trip involves a drive from Rapid City, SD to Yellowstone NP.

Although warned that this is a VERY long drive, is it possible to go straight through without going nuts? We%26#39;re the type of family who likes to ';nest'; as opposed to staying one night at multiple hotels.

What are some good stops between the two places to get out, stretch, and spend 1-2 hours enjoying something? Devil%26#39;s Tower is already on my list. After that and before Cody, what else?

Thanks!

Rapid City to Yellowstone

It%26#39;s really not that bad of a drive. We%26#39;ve done Thermopolis to St. Paul in a day. DT will consume a bit of time. If you leave from Rapid City pretty early you will have rising sun behind you so not in the eyes. Getting to DT while sun is still low in east may afford some nice pictures because the entrance to the monument is on the east side. On the otherhand the visitor center is on the west side of the tower so too low a sun angle would put that side in shade.

If you use the Highway 111 exit from I-90 at exit 199 to get to DT (via Hwy 24 near Aladdin) there is a quick site to see a mile or two east on the northside frontage road. A big sinkhole where the Indians drove Buffalo over the edge. The bones are 30 feet deep. There is a trail to the bottom of the hole and a display above telling about it.

There%26#39;s a relatively nice rest area on I-90 where it crosses the Powder River about 35-40 miles west of Gillette. The area is scenic ina stark badlands sort of way. If I recall correctly the actual building for the bathrooms was an experiment in solar heating %26amp; lighting and handling of the waste water.

The town of Buffalo has lots of options for lunch. Especially on Business-90 just before it connects with Main St. There is a fairly large city park (Prosinski Park) with the largest free swimming pool in WY just south of US 16 on Burritt Ave., a little past Main St., that would make a nice picnic spot.

Taking US 16 over Powder River Pass then down through Ten Sleep Canyon is very scenic with lots of pull out areas. Not much for doing anything in particular but there may be some alpine meadow hiking opportunities near the summit of the pass. One might be:

summitpost.org/mountain/鈥azelton-peak.html

or even just a portion of the route without actually going all the way up. Disclaimer...I%26#39;ve not hiked this area. Also...at 10,000+ feet the air is thin if you are not used to it.

At Greybull there is an WWII airplane graveyard at the airport (just off US 16/20) but it is on the opposite side of the runways and not accessible up close except for a few planes right at the corner of Airport Rd. and US 16/20.

Rapid City to Yellowstone

we did yellowstone-cody-rapid city with a detour to devils tower over 2 days. i would not like to do it in one. the cody stopover was relaxing and it%26#39;s a nice town, and fun,to visit. we went via the granite pass route which is quite spectacular. lots of animals on the road between cody and yellowstone even during the day so would be very careful at night if u decide to drive straight thru. nothing much else to see on that leg after the dam but some wonderful scenery.

How about stopping at the Little Bighorn Battlefield? Haven%26#39;t done it with kids but my husband and I did on our first trip out.

We%26#39;ve always driven from the Custer SP area to either Billings or Red Lodge and then gone on to the park the next day. It is a long days drive between those 2 points.

If I%26#39;m reading your post correctly, I think you%26#39;re going in thru Cody and the east entrance, but not staying overnight in Cody? Definitely doable if you get up and out early from Rapid City but the road from Cody to YNP is winding and slower going than you%26#39;ll find on the interstate. Cody is a neat town too. Might be worth your while to stay there for the night, and then get going early and really enjoy the road in to YNP.

We went in 2007 with our 3 kids; 5, 2, and 1. We drove to Rapid City and did the activities around that area for 2 days and then headed to Yellowstone.

I would suggest staying in Cody for one night before entering Yellowstone. If you are going to stop and stretch your legs and enjoy for a couple hours, you will never make it to Yellowstone in one day.

Devils Tower is a must hit and there is a lot to do in Cody.

Definetly take two days for the drive so you can actually enjot things along the way. You don%26#39;t want to drive at night as you will miss many pretty sights.

automatic stability control

Custard State Park

I am planning our family%26#39;s annual ';short'; road trip this summer. We are driving from Livingston Montana with two 14yrs, one 12 and two eighteen yr olds. We are all hikers and have done some epic hikes in Yellowstone and Glacier. I am trying to decide if we would be better off staying in CSP or in Keystone. Not sure what would be best with teenagers. I am planning on spending about three days in the area. I would love some suggestions for hikes and places to stay in the park. Is everything close by or a long drive?

Thanks

Custard State Park

Where to stay really depends on what you like. You could stay at a cabin in Custer State Park (custerresorts.com), which would put you closer to hiking, or you could stay in Keystone with its many hotels and boardwalk with souvenir shops. The kids would probably love the shops, along with the mini golf course and alpine slide in town. Keystone is touristy, which is a turn-off for some, but kids usually enjoy it. You would probably enjoy staying in Custer State Park more if you dislike touristy places and want a more rustic experience that is closer to nature.

The Black Hills attractions are all within no more than a 2 hour radius, which is one of the best things about the area.

Although I am not much of a hiker, I have heard the hike up Harney Peak in Custer SP is nice. We did the walk around Sylvan Lake and enjoyed it immensely. I would also recommend seeing Wind %26amp; Jewel Caves, Crazy Horse, Mt Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and Devil%26#39;s Tower.

Hope this helps some. Have a great trip.

Custard State Park

Thanks for the help. If we have time to see one cave which one would you suggest?

Hi MontanaMom,

The Black Hills is home to many caves, but the two best are the ones operated by the national park service, namely Wind %26amp; Jewel. Jewel is the 2nd longest cave in the world and is a very open cave with many formations including popcorn, bacon, stalagmites and stalacties. Wind Cave ranks around 5th in length and is known for a formation called boxwork, which resembles spider webs. Wind Cave is more closed in (has lower ceilings), so if you are claustrophobic, it might not be for you. Neither cave is overly strenuous, and both offer 2 hour tours. To get a good idea of the formations you would see, check out nps.gov.

Although a tough decision, if I had to choose between one or the other, I%26#39;d pick Jewel for the beauty of the formations. While boxwork is very unique, I didn%26#39;t find it as appealing to the eye. Jewel is also so open; you just don%26#39;t find many caves like it. I hated for the tour to end! If you do visit Jewel Cave, I%26#39;d recommend making advanced reservations, as tours sell out quickly, and there%26#39;s little to do on the surface other than seeing the visitor%26#39;s center, which is quite small.

Please let me know if I can help you in any other way. Have fun planning.

Thanks. Do you think you could do Mt. Rushmore and a cave in one day?

Yes, Mount Rushmore and a cave in one day will still leave you with some extra time.

Here is a copy and paste about hiking I wrote on another post:

The best hiking scenery is in northern Custer State Park and in the adjacent Black Elk Wilderness. The Needles Highway is near here. Try trails such as Sunday Gulch, Cathedral Spires and Little Devils Tower to Harney Peak. Other Custer State Park trails that are worth trying out are Lovers%26#39; Leap and Grace Coolidge Creek.

The (arguably) second best hiking is in Spearfish Canyon. You can find trails right off of the road or you can try Little Spearfish Creek.

Another good area is on Rapid Creek and Slate Creek west of Silver City which is about half way between Custer State Park and Spearfish Canyon.

The Badlands are a completely different environment from the Black Hills. You%26#39;ll want to try the Castle Trail for sure. You can also try the Sheep Mountain Table Trail.

You%26#39;ll find yourself spending the majority of the week in the Black Hills. As for the Badlands, most drive through in a few hours. If you%26#39;re more adventurous, you could spend up to two days but that might be a little long.

The best hiking map for the Custer State Park/Black Elk Wilderness trails is:

…nationalgeographic.com/product/…246.html

You can find Custer State Park info at:

sdgfp.info/Parks/…20Map

Badlands:

…nationalgeographic.com/product/…320.html

Also try Black Hills National Forest for maps and info:

http://www.fs.fed.us/bhnf/

You would have plenty of time to see Rushmore and a cave in one day. For Mt. Rushmore, you%26#39;d probably need about a morning to walk the Presidential Trail and explore the visitor%26#39;s center. The cave tours run about 2 hours each. I also highly recommend returning to Mt Rushmore at night to see the evening lighting ceremony that honors our veterans. This is a very moving event.

Thanks for your help.