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

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