South Dakota is perhaps the best kept secret among travel destinations in the United States. With open grasslands, rolling hills, historical monuments and national parks, and of course, Mount Rushmore, South Dakota has a lot to offer.
Here’s a suggested itinerary to help you get started with planning your road trip to South Dakota this summer. There are a lot of options, so you can choose to spend as little as four days, to an entire month exploring this region.
The good news – South Dakota has way more to offer than just a trip to see George, Tommy, Teddy, and Abe.
Accommodations in South Dakota
Fly into Rapid City, South Dakota. From the airport, call Casey’s Car Rental to get your set of wheels ready for the trip (whether you need a car, truck or van). The local establishment has been open since 1989 and will give you a true taste of friendly and personal Dakota culture.
Plan to spend a couple of nights in the city, as it is easy to do day trips to neighboring national parks from here. I suggest the Adoba Eco Hotel/ Rapid City. It is one-of-a kind property located in the heart of downtown, offering top class amenities without the carbon footprint left by frequent travelers. The hotel recently underwent major renovations and implemented considerable changes in everything from bedding to bathroom fixtures. As a result, you can experience beautiful Dakota inspired rooms that are also eco friendly. Breakfast is included with the room rates and is worth waking up for. The all-organic Enigma restaurant serves the most delicious biscuits and gravy to prepare you for the long day of activities in the Black Hills.
Parks, Picnics, Picturesque Tours
On your first day, head out to the Badlands National Park, one of the most unique landscaped in the world due to its rich Oligocene epoch fossil beds. The park consists of nearly 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. You can spend the day hiking through some of the scenic trails or drive around the mapped loop observing hundreds of black-footed ferrets, bison’s and mountain goats engaging in their everyday lives at the protected wilderness.
I highly recommend stopping at Dakota Thyme deli, café and marketplace located at The Shops at Main Street Square in Rapid City for a quick bite or a picnic basket to go before you start your drive. They have some of the best selection of cheeses, fresh homemade breads, scrumptious sandwiches and delightful pastries.
All of the products at Dakota Thyme are sourced from local farmers, organic growers and sustainable manufacturers. If you are one who appreciates fine dining at reasonable prices, you will appreciate the visually attractive Mont Chevre with pressed in real dried flowers, light and fluffy lemon tiramisu cake or the unique Belgium raspberry beer.
After returning to town, walk over to Curry Masala in downtown for a casual dinner. It offers a small menu but ingredients are locally sourced and all dishes are prepared from scratch. The menu has great option for vegans and vegetarians and those looking to eat healthy. Try the vegetable biryani and Chennai chicken curry for a satisfying meal. Curry Masala is the closest you can come to southern Indian home cooking.
Reserve a full day with the Mount Rushmore Tour Company for an experience to remember. The tour guide will pick you from the hotel and take you to Fort Hays Chuckwagon, which was a set for the movie Dancing with Wolves. Here you can experience how life was like in the old cowboy country village. The guided tour will then take you to one of America’s landmarks, Mount Rushmore making its way through the windy picturesque and narrow Iron Mountain Road into Custer State Park. Here you will make an 18-mile Wildlife loop spotting buffaloes, sheep, elk and antelopes.
The afternoon will be a great time to unwind at Sylvan Lake, a beautiful manmade lake that is often found as a backdrop for South Dakota brochures. The final stop is at Crazy Horse memorial, the largest mountain carving in the world in memory of Native American Lakota leader, Crazy Horse. From here, you will be taken back to the Chuckwagon grounds for an evening of cowboy style traditional dinner and a cowboy music variety show. Standupcomedy, country singing and good old fashioned spice cake sound like the perfect ingredients to wrap up a day in the Black Hills.
Day 3 – Harleys & Gold
Spend your third day in South Dakota on another scenic day trip through the northern Black Hills. Drive through Sturgis, site of the largest motorcycle rally that takes place every August, then head on to the historic gaming town of Deadwood. The quaint street in Deadwood is dotted with mid western saloons and casinos. This was a happening place during the gold rush and has legendry stories about Wild Bill reminiscing everywhere.
Make your way back into Spearfish Canyon where you will witness nature’s work in action over the past 30-60 million years. The park is abundant with ponderosa and spruce pine trees, cascading waterfalls and wildlife making it perfect for hikes, picnics or just taking in some fresh air and a few moments of silence.
While the Black Hills are quite expansive and can be leisurely enjoyed, many visitors drive to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming from South Dakota. It takes about 8 hours by road and you will want to spend at least 3-4 days there.