Experience Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, Custer State Park, and the Badlands in one epic South Dakota Road Trip!
South Dakota is a beautiful yet rugged state to travel through. In fact, the Black Hills is one of the most visited areas of the Midwest. Between the caves, cliffs, and canyons are endless miles of prairies, forests, and wildlife.
And with thousands of years of Native American history and lingering Old West adventure vibes, taking a road trip through South Dakota can make you feel like you have stepped back in time. This South Dakota road trip itinerary highlights the most iconic and picturesque spots for an adventure-filled vacation!
Where to Begin an Epic South Dakota Road Trip
For those traveling from out of state and flying in to South Dakota, the closest airport for this road trip is the Rapid City Regional Airport. Rapid City is a great location to start and end your trip, but you will need a rental car to see everything on our list.
Alternatively if you are planning on beginning a South Dakota road trip from a neighboring state such as Colorado or Wyoming and will be driving, here are some estimated travel times:
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota: 5.5 hours, 370 miles
- Billings, Montana: 5.5 hours, 340 miles
- Denver, Colorado: 6 hours, 370 miles
- Omaha, Nebraska: 8 hours, 545 miles
- Jackson, Wyoming: 8 hours, 495 miles
South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary, Day One: Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Four U.S. presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, sit proudly with their profiles on display 5,725 feet above sea level upon Mount Rushmore. The faces each measure 60 feet in height, and you really don’t get the full effect of their sheer size and magnitude until you see them up close.
The carving started in 1927 and took 400 workers 14 years to complete, using dynamite, jackhammers, and steel cables. Surprisingly, there were no deaths during construction of the memorial.
Tips for Visiting the National Memorial
- You don’t have to pay an entrance fee to enter the Mount Rushmore memorial, but there is a parking fee. Currently it is $10 per vehicle but discounted fares are offered, check the fee schedule here.
- Like any public space, the earlier you arrive the less crowded it will be. However, we visited at noon on Memorial Day and still weren’t bothered by crowds. The park is actually very large.
- The Carver’s Café is the only dining facility in the park, offering buffet-style food from breakfast to dinner.
- Taking the Presidential Trail Loop is the easiest way to see the carvings up close and from different angles.
- Mount Rushmore can be seen in half a day if you don’t want to do a lot of hiking. From here, the Crazy Horse Memorial is only a 30 minute drive and can be added on to this day’s itinerary.
Where to Stay near Mount Rushmore
This South Dakota road trip itinerary is best utilized by staying near the memorial. This is a great central location for taking day trips to visit the best sights in the Black Hills. For campers, the KOA Mount Rushmore is in a fantastic location in the Black Hills just minutes from the memorial, with amenities including swimming pools, water slides, mini-golf and bike rentals.
Or if you prefer glamping in a luxury canvas tent, book a stay at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore. We have stayed at their Yellowstone location and it was a highlight of our trip, from the nightly group bonfires to the super-luxurious beds. There are also several inexpensive hotels close by, such as the Comfort Inn in Keystone (10 minutes from the memorial) and the Super 8 by Wyndham (7 minutes from Mount Rushmore).
Day Two: Custer State Park, Sylvan Lake, and the Needles Highway
You could easily spend more than one whole day in Custer State Park, it is a massive park with extreme variations in topography and landscape. Day two itinerary starts and ends at Sylvan Lake and gives time to stop and take in the sights. Starting at Sylvan Lake and driving the Needles Highway through the park allows for some of the best sights while traveling through the area.
Travel tip: Pack a cooler with a picnic lunch and plan on a full day in the car, there is so much to see!
Custer State Park
Custer State Park covers 71,000 miles and has been named one of the world’s top ten wildlife destinations. As South Dakota’s first and largest state park, Custer State Park is known for its scenic drives and abundant roaming wildlife.
The park is home to a herd of 1,500 bison, along with mule deer, pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, coyotes, otters, mountain lions and prairie dogs. After the bison, a big draw of travelers driving through the park is to spot the “begging burros”.
The burros (feral donkeys) are not native to the area, but were released into the wilderness many years ago. This little herd is thriving in Custer State Park, most likely due to tourists feeding them. While not encouraged, they are fed so frequently that park rangers allow it.
Travel tip: Drive slowly and be alert for the wildlife as you drive through the park.
Sylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake is at the north end of Custer State Park, and is one of the most photographed and popular areas to visit. Several hikes start at Sylvan Lake, and it is also an entry point to the picturesque Needles Highway. Here huge boulders jut out of a glassy lake, providing areas for climbing, picnicking, hiking, or relaxing.
In the summer months the lake can also be explored by kayak, canoe, or paddleboard. The lake provides a respite to cool your feet after a long hike through the Black Hills, or to go fishing for rainbow trout right off the shoreline. Read our post about visiting the Black Hills with kids for some fun movie facts about this lake!
Driving the Needles Highway
The Needles Highway (Hwy 87) connects Sylvan Lake to the larger section of Custer State Park. This 14-mile byway was named for the “needle-like” formations of granite jutting out above the tree line. Driving the Needles Highway is one of the most scenic routes through the Black Hills, twisting past pine and spruce forests, lush prairie meadows, and jagged mountain peaks.
Travel tip: The Needles Highway closes to vehicles with the first snow of the season and does not reopen until April 1 (or later, depending on weather conditions).
After leaving Sylvan Lake and heading south on the Needles Highway, you will pass through a tunnel with a unique rock formation called the Needle’s Eye. Named for the slit opening that has been created by eroding wind and rain, this is one of many tunnels carved out along the Black Hills scenic highways. Once you have passed through the tunnels, check behind you- many of these tunnels were carved to distinctly frame the faces on Mount Rushmore!
Travel tip: Be sure to check clearance requirements if you are driving a larger vehicle. This one-way tunnel is only 8′9″ wide by 9′8″ high. Before entering the tunnel make sure no other car is coming from the opposite side.
The Black Hills
This entire South Dakota road trip is located within the Black Hills, which cover more than 8,426 square miles of forests, caves, huge rock formations, lakes, prairies, and canyons in South Dakota and Wyoming. This creates the perfect backdrop for stunning scenic roads and spaces for climbing, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, camping, and enjoying the water.
South Dakota is deeply rooted in Native American history and culture. The name “Black Hills” comes from the Lakota phrase “Paha Sapa,” which means “hills that are black”, due to the fact that from a distance the granite rocks and thick forest appear to be not green and grey but black.
Day Three: Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is unlike any other place we have visited. Although it is stark, windy, and dry, thousands of animals ranging in size from tiny to massive call the Badlands home.
Highlights of Badlands National Park
- Drive the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway for the best overlooks in the park.
- Watch for wildlife: Bison, bighorn sheep, badgers, elk, coyotes, prairie dogs, mule deer, porcupines, bobcats, and pronghorn live here and roam the area.
- Take a hike: There are 8 official hiking trails ranging from short boardwalks to over 10-milers, plus the Badlands has an open hike policy where hikers can go off-trail.
Where to Stay near the Badlands
If you don’t want to drive back towards the Mount Rushmore or Rapid City area, the town of Wall (named after the Badlands Wall, the iconic rocky mountain ridge running through the park) is the closest stop to the park entrance.
Travel tip: Stop at Wall Drug on your way into the park, a famous roadside stop on I-90. Originally opened as a drugstore in the 1930’s, Wall Drug now attracts over 2 million people per year! Grab a coffee and donut, or stay a while at their restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
More Things to Do on a South Dakota Road Trip
There are still so many great things to see in South Dakota, and with a few extra days added on to your road trip you can see other national parks, more wildlife, or even natural wonders from long ago.
Drive the Wildlife Loop Road
Located within Custer State Park, the Wildlife Loop Road is an 18-mile long scenic drive past prairies and through pine forests. Noted to be the best place to spot wildlife in the Black Hills, travelers may encounter bison, deer, prairie dogs, elk, bighorn sheep, and the feral burros.
This road takes about an hour and a half to complete, not counting stopping for “wildlife jams” where a bison herd or begging burro will slow or completely stop traffic. The best time to see the wildlife is early morning or just before sunset, although we were there in the middle of the day mid-May and the animals were out in abundance.
Visit the Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial, once finished, will put Mount Rushmore to shame! The carving will eventually depict the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse riding his horse and pointing towards his tribal lands. It will be the world’s largest mountain carving, standing 563 tall and 641 feet long. For now it is pretty amazing to see the work in progress, which was started back in 1948.
Travel tip: This could easily be an add-on to your Mount Rushmore day, as the two are very close. You can get glimpses of the memorial from from US Highway 16/385 (the Crazy Horse Memorial Highway), but to really see it you have to pay the park entry fee. This carving is by private donation only so your payment goes towards finishing the project.
Spend a Day in Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park is home to one of the longest cave systems in the world. It is actually two parks in one, with the above-ground sunny prairies and green grasslands filled with wildlife and the dark and cool caves below ground.
Wind Cave was the first cave system in the world to be designated as a national park, and new sections of the cave are discovered every year. The park contains over 30 miles of trails to trek and is free to enter, but exploring the cave system requires purchasing a ticket for a guided tour. Wind Cave is less than an hour drive from Mount Rushmore and makes a great addition to your South Dakota road trip.
Visit the Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming
Although not located in South Dakota, the Devils Tower National Monument is a natural mystery that is impressive to behold. Located just across the state line in Wyoming stands a solitary rock tower reaching 870 feet tall. This may not seem that high until you approach the tower and realize that it is surrounding by endless miles of flat prairies, and it seems completely out of place.
The Devils Tower was the first national monument created in the U.S. The exact process of how the tower was formed from has not been determined but it is thought to have been created by the remains of a volcano. The tower is popular for rock climbers and hikers, and is the site of many Native American religious ceremonies. It is worth a stop if you are beginning your road trip to South Dakota from the northwest.
When is the best time to visit South Dakota?
South Dakota is filled with dramatic landscapes, with the weather to match. For example, in the Badlands National Park summer temperatures can reach over 110°F and can drop to -40°F in the winter. In contrast, the Black Hills are more moderate with summer temps staying in the low 80’s. Summer also brings occasional thunderstorms.
The best time for a South Dakota road trip is during the shoulder seasons – April and May, and August through October. The weather is much more cooperative and you will miss the summer heat and crowds.
Tip: Avoid visiting the area in August during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally if crowds aren’t your thing. Over half a million bikers flock to Sturgis, South Dakota and the Black Hills in early August for 10 days of celebrations, and the increased crowds and traffic can basically turn roads into parking lots.
How many days do you need for a South Dakota Road Trip?
Four to five days is ideal for a South Dakota road trip, especially if you are driving from out of state. We drove from Denver during a long 4-day weekend and felt like we had time to see everything on our list, including one “rest day” where we stayed in the camper most of the afternoon due to rain. There are additional landmarks and nearby parks listed at the end if you have more time.
We hope we have inspired you to visit South Dakota. It seems the state was made for road trips, with epic drives and scenic landscapes around every turn.
Other epic road trip itineraries:
Happy Travels!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you choose to make a purchase using my link to Amazon.com.
2 thoughts on “South Dakota Road Trip: Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, and Badlands National Park”