Ultimate South Dakota Road Trip Planner and Itinerary

Are you looking for the ULTIMATE South Dakota Road Trip Planner?  With our South Dakota road trip itinerary we cover all of the main South Dakota attractions, tell you where to stay and what to see with 7 days in South Dakota. 

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South Dakota Road Trip Planner Tips and Tricks

South Dakota has to be one of our ultimate US Bucket List experiences and one of the best US road trips that you can do. 

And South Dakota really has something on offer for everyone from amazing national monuments and national parks, great hikes and wildlife experiences as well as some great quirky in town attractions. 

In this South Dakota road trip itinerary we will cover all of the main sights but before we get onto our South Dakota road trip itinerary we thought it would be good to answer some of your frequently asked questions to help you plan your trip. 

How Long do you need for Your South Dakota Road Trip?

When you are looking to put together the first thing you will want to know is how long do you need for your South Dakota road trip itinerary? 

With all that there is to see in South Dakota, and also the likely distance you are traveling to get to South Dakota we recommend having a good amount of time for your Black Hills vacation. 

When we went to South Dakota we had 7 days in this amazing state and I think this is the perfect amount of time to tour this state. For this reason we have outlined out prefect 7 day itinerary. However if you don’t have as long as this feel free to cut out the days that appeal least to you so you have the right amount of days. 

We recommend a minimum of 4 days in South Dakota to ensure you see a good amount of this state’s amazing scenery and attractions. 

Should I drive or Fly to South Dakota?

When you are traveling to South Dakota you really have two options of how to get there 

• flying and 
• driving. 

If you have a shorter amount of time for your South Dakota road your best option is to fly into the state. Most people who decide to fly into the state fo to either Rapid City or Sioux Falls and then rent a vehicle. 

Out of these two options we recommend Rapid City as this is more centrally located to the main attractions.

However if you have more time we recommend driving into South Dakota as this will reduce costs of having to hire a car on arrival.  South Dakota as a state really doesn’t have any public transport to speak of so you will need to have a car with you to fully experience this amazing state.

When we visited South Dakota as part of a large road trip to Yellowstone and Utah, we flew into Denver which is only a 6 hour drive from South Dakota.

If you plan to road trip from other states we recommend trying out some of our other road trip guides:

• Denver to Mount Rushmore Road Trip. 
• Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone Road Trip

Best Time to Visit South Dakota

There are definitely better time to visit South Dakota than others. 

Although not the official state motto, South Dakota is colloquially called the Blizzard State. Therefore it should come as no surprise that we don’t recommend taking your South Dakota family vacation in Winter or winter adjacent months. 

The best time to visit your South Dakota vacation for weather has to summer, however you should also expect crowds to be high during this period (But no where need as crowded as other Northern national parks such as Yellowstone). 

And if you are visiting South Dakota in summer you need to plan for walking in heat – so be sure to check out our South Dakota Summer packing list. 

Peak season in South Dakota technically runs from1st May and ends around 30th September which is when we recommend ed most people, particularly families with small children travel to South Dakota.

It is also worth noting that if you visit South Dakota in Fall (September or October depending on the year) you will see some amazing fall colors especially in the Spearfish Canyon area. 

Where to Base Yourself for your South Dakota Road Trip

The first questions when you plan a trip to South Dakota has to be about where to base yourself or whether to travel.

South Dakota is a large state with lots to see. However for 7 days in South Dakota we recommend basing yourself out of the West of the state in the Rapid City, Custer State Park and Black Hills area. 

If you only want to stay in one location for this road trip, which is especially helpful if you are doing a South Dakota road trip with family or with toddlers and kids, then we recommend Rapid City.

Rapid City is within easy driving of all the major South Dakota attractions so is very convenient. 

If you are looking for convenient places to stay in Rapid City with good family friendly amenities then the following are in prime positions:

• La Quinta 
•  Fairfield Inn & Suites

Alternatively you could based your self out of Rapid City for some of the itinerary before moving on to some lodges or more nature focussed accommodation near Badlands or Mount Rushmore. 

Some great places to stay with older children include:

• Mount Rushmore Under Canvas or 
• Custer State Park Lodges. 

The Perfect South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary

Note about this South Dakota Road Trip Planner and itinerary: The days here are put together to make the most of your time in South Dakota however the days are designed so they can be done in any order.

Day 1 of the perfect South Dakota Itinerary 

Today is all about the outdoors and the thing that was top of my SD Road trip bucket list was  The Badlands National Park.

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is one of the lesser visited parks but it is still worth getting to the Badlands National Park for sunrise. Watching the sun rise over the majestic geological formations of the Badlands is simply breathtaking and well worth the early start. You will also be rewarded with having the park entirely to yourselves. We visited over labour day weekend and we didn’t see people for at least an hour after our arrival.

Depending on which direction you are arriving from, will depend on which entrance you arrive through. We came in via the Pinnacles Entrance as this is the closest (less than an hours drive) from Rapid City.

The Badlands is name because historically this unique landscape was impassable to man. The local Lakota Tribe called the area mako sica traditionally which literally translates to land bad hence why we call it the Badlands today. 

It is worth stopping at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center at the Badlands as a great place to learn more about the park. Also if you are visiting this national park with kids you will want to pick a Junior Ranger pack. The Centre is open daily (Christmas and Thanksgiving exceptions). 

There are lots of great Badlands Hikes, including some easy Badland hikes that are suitable for novice hikers and people traveling to the national park with toddlers. 

Another must do in the Badlands, whatever type of traveler you are is to drive the Badlands scenic loop road, officially known as Highway 240. The views from this scenic byway are beautiful and take in many of the parks biggest highlights. 

The scenic highway is over 40 miles long and without stopping would take an hour to drive. However this would be missing out on so much. 

To be able to avail of some of the fantastic Badlands hikes as well as photo opportunities we recommend spending at least half a day of your South Dakota itinerary for this park. 

Also although there is plenty of things to do on the Scenic byway we also  recommend taking a slight detour at the start of your day to see Roberts Prairie Dog Town. These creatures are great to watch but if travelling with children please make sure they do not get too close.

Once you have visited the Prairie Dog Town you can continue down the road. This is optional but we were glad we did as we saw the most spectacular herd of bison running here. It was a better bison experience than we had even in Yellowstone.

Once you have detoured enough, head back towards the loop road. 

Some of our favourite hikes that we did on our trip with kids in Badlands were: 

• The Notch Trail (1.5 miles)
• Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (0.5 miles)
• Fossil Exhibit Trail (0.25) – this was my toddler’s favourite hike and is sure to be a favourite amongst any kids with the bronze wast fossil replicas and is a very easy boardwalk hike.

There are a few more strenuous hikes for those feeling more adventurous.

For more information on the best and easiest hikes in Badlands National Park click here. 

For those that are in a RV or who enjoy camping there are campgrounds within this national park that you can stay at. The most popular place to camp in the park is at Cedar Pass Campground followed by Sage Creek Campground.

Permits are not required in the campgrounds but it is always prudent to inform rangers of camping plans in more primitive campsites.

But if you prefer a lodge accommodation over camping and want to stay in the park then there is just one option which is Cedar Pass Lodge. 

Cedar Pass Lodge is made of wooden lodge cabins and have beautiful views of the national park. However it is worth noting that as this is the only lodge in the park, that is gets booked up very quickly. Therefore we recommend booking Cedar Pass Lodge well in advance to avoid disappointment. 

If you are not staying the park though we recommend heading to

Wall Drug

There is no way you can miss Wall Drug. Whatever direction you are driving towards Badlands from you will see constant billboards for Wall Drug and really can not be missed.

It is one of those great American roadside attractions and an absolute must see in South Dakota. It is a wild west themed souvenir superstore. But alongside the gift shops there are also restaurants, a museum, a dinosaur and more. Families will really love it. 

It is a great place to get souvenirs from, stop for refreshments and use have a wander. You simply must try the donuts when you stop.

If you want to stay close to Badlands, and you can’t get into the Cedar Pass lodge then your next closest place is the hotels in Wall. Again these hotels fill up quickly especially in peak season so again it is imperative that you make reservations early. 

We recommend spending one day of your South Dakota itinerary at the Badlands but if you want to do lots of hiking you could extend your time in the park. 

And as an added bonus, if you have extra time in your Badlands itinerary you could also stop at the Minuteman Missile Site. From the Ben Reifel Visitor Centre, it is only a 16 minute drive to get to the missile site. 

The Minuteman Missiles are a part of the Cold War history and were located in the great plains ready to be fired if need arose. At the site you can see the Missile launch areas as well as learn about the Cold War history. 

Day Two of the perfect South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary 

Today is another day of bigger hitter tourist attractions, indeed one of the biggest in the whole of the US and features the iconic Mount Rushmore alongside some other big South Dakota attractions. 

Mount Rushmore

For me no South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary is complete without visiting Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous and iconic tourist attractions in the US and a must for any USA Bucket list and certainly at the top of most people’s South Dakota bucket list. 

AS this is one of America’s most famous and revered attractions it should come as no surprise that Mount Rushmore gets very busy. For this reason we advise you to get to Mount Rushmore very early. 

When we visited on the  Labour Day Weekend we arrived at 5am and literally had the place to ourselves. Therefore my top piece of advice for creating your road trip to Mount Rushmore vacation itinerary is to get to Rushmore early – very early.

For those that don’t know Mount Rushmore is a a huge sculptural craiving in the granite of the Black Hills featuring four of America’s famous presidents – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

The monument was completed in 1941, and was carved by sculptor Gutzon Borglum with his son and took just under 15 years to complete (1927-1941). 

I have been asked a few times since we went to Rushmore what was the experience like and how long we actually spent there. I will be honest, I didn’t time our visit but we spent well over an hour at the monument and we could have spent longer if we had done hikes while we were there.

Some of the attractions and things to include when visiting Mount Rushmore include: 

• Strolling the Avenue of Flags
• The Sculptors Studio 
• Lincoln Borglum Museum
• The  Presidents Trail – a hike which will take on an uphill trail to get a closer look at the sculptures.
• Eat the Famous Memorial Team Ice Cream

The Avenue of Flags is a great place for those looking for great instagram photos and captions for Mount Rushmore as this avenue contains all the state and territories flags alongside the dates when they were admitted into the Union. 

In the Lincoln Borglum Museum has many interactive exhibits and is a great place to learn about the sculpting process. 

But perhaps the best thing to do at Rushmore is the President Trail. The trail is only 0.5 mile however don’t let the shortness of the trail fool you. It is more intensive than you think. There are well over 400 steps on this trail that takes you to get a closer look at the presidents heads. 

It is also a great place to spot wildlife though obviously not the best place in South Dakota for wildlife encounters

Also, although we recommend going to Mount Rushmore in the morning, if you can make your way back to Mount Rushmore in the evening, we recommend it. There is the Evening Sculpture Lighting Ceremony that is held nightly at the monument and is a beautiful way to see the sculpture all lit up. 

Now I wouldn’t plan a Mount Rushmore road trip itinerary as the only activity to do in one day but you could certainly plan to spend half a day there. 

For a complete guide to visiting Mount Rushmore including all of our top tips and for a full Mount Rushmore itinerary  check out this post.

Crazy Horse Monument

Once you have finished at Mount Rushmore we recommend taking a short 25 minute drive from Rushmore to the Crazy Horse Monument.

The Crazy Horse Monument is not as well known as Mount Rushmore but just as impressive. Here instead of the presidents being sculpted into the Granite, Crazy horse, Lakota warrior is depicted instead.

The Monument has been under construction since the 1940s and is no where near completion however it is still worth a visit. As once this monument is completed it will be the largest sculpture in the world. 

There is also a visitor center here when you can learn more about the battles between the Lakota Tribe and Government as well as more on the life and heritage of the Lakota.

The final stop of the day will be your second national park of your South Dakota road trip as you are heading to 

Wind Cave National Park 

Wind Cave is actually one of the oldest National Parks in the country and one of the largest cave systems in the world too! 

It is a great place to view wildlife but on your national park bucket list should be one of the guided tours of the caves. Be sure to check tour timings online here and plan your day accordingly.

Alternatively you could spend the afternoon at 

Keystone 

Keystone is known as the gateway to Mount Rushmore and is a town full of activities. If you are short on time for South Dakota vacation and you are most interested in Mount Rushmore then Keystone is a great place to base yourself out of. 

A popular place to stay out of Keystone is Mount Rushmore Under Canvas. However this is really for those traveling as a couple or with older instead of those traveling with younger children or toddlers. 

If you are traveling to Mount Rushmore with kids then they may enjoy the gold panning activity. 

However one of the most popular activities from Keystone is the 1880 Train from Keystone to Hill City, South Dakota. The train is a two hour round trip and is something my train loving son would adore. 

Day 3 and 4 of Your South Dakota Itinerary 

While on our South Dakota road trip itinerary so far we have hit two national parks, today is all about one of South Dakota’s most famous and beautiful State Parks, Custer State Park. 

Custer State Park

Custer State Park is renowned for having some amazing scenic drives as well as some of South DAkota’s best wildlife opportunities. 

Custer State Park, in my opinion,  in any other part of the country is likely to be national park due to the wildlife and drives. And in fact this is the largest state park in the whole of the US. 

There are 3 main parts of the scenic drive known as the Peter Norbeck Byway. These are:

• the Wildlife Loop
• Needles Highway, and
• the Iron Mountain Road. 

On top of these roads are favorite things to do in Custer State Park are:

Driving the Wildlife Loop

The wildlife loop is actually an 18 mile stretch of road that forms part o the Peter Norbeck Byway. We recommend heading to this part of the drive first thing in the morning if you can. Otherwise head there for dusk.

It is well known that animals are more active at sunrise and sundown so if you want to see wildlife this is the best time to go. 

Wildlife that you can see on this drive and that we did see include:

• Bison
• Burros
• Prairie Dogs
• Pronghorn
• Whitetail and Mule Deer
• Elk
• Coyotes
• Birds including eagles and hawks for instance. 

We actually found that we had better bison experiences in South Dakota over Yellowstone. And this is no surprise when you find out that there is a herd of 1000+ bison in Custer! In fact this herd is bigger than any other in the country.

This is definitely a highlight for any wildlife lover in South Dakota. 

Driving the Iron Mountain Road 

The Iron MOuntain Road is also known as 16A. There are lots of switch backs on this road and some amazing tunnels through the tunnels of the mountain. 

This road connects Mount Rushmore and Custer STate Park. 

Although they road is not all that long you will need at least an hour and a half to complete this road as the recommended speed limit on this is 20mph due to the bend and pigtail curves. 

Needles Highway

Perhaps the most famous of all the scenic roads in South Dakota is the Needles Highway. 

The Needles Highway, or Highway 87 (SD 87) as it is otherwise known, is a 14 mile long drive that goes through forests and amazing rock formations made of granite that shoot up from the ground like needles, hence the name. 

This is something you can definitely only do in South Dakota in Summer as this road shuts during the Winter. The reason for this is because it is quite a challenging drive and there are many tight tight tunnels to go through. 

In particular the most notorious tunnel is the Needles Eye tunnel. Please note that only small cars can actually fit through this very small tunnel. RVs and Trailers and larger vehicles definitely can not pass through. 

As only one vehicle can get through this tunnel at one time we advise doing this drive very early in the morning. The reason for this is that later in the day there can become a real logjam as you wait for cars to come through from both sides. 

Also it is worth noting that this drive is very popular with motorcyclists, especially around the Sturgis Rally weekend. 

If you plan to drive both the Iron Mountain Road and the Needles Highway you can expect it to take 2-3 hours. But if you are traveling at peak season and later in the day then it can take longer. 

Other great things to do in Custer State Park include:

 

• having a picnic on Sylvan Lake. 
• Black Elk Peak Hike if you are a more accomplished hiker. 

And on top of these natural attractions there are a few other activities that appeal to travelers but particularly for families. 

Some activities that you could do in Custer State Park include horse riding, restaurants, safari jeeps and more. We also recommend booking dinner in the park at the 

Chuck Wagon Dinner 

This is a traditional dinner from the Bluebell Lodge in the park. You take a 45 minute hayride through the park to go to a chuck wagon feast complete with food and singing. Just be sure to book this experience in advance as it does get filled up early. 

You can stay in the park at the Lodges, the most popular being the Bluebell Lodge, but be sure to make reservations early as this does get filled up very early. 

For more information on the perfect way to spend time in Custer check out our two day Custer State Park Itinerary. 

Day 5 of your South Dakota vacation itinerary 

On Day 4 of our South Dakota vacation itinerary we recommend heading away from Rushmore and Rapid City towards the Black Hills and Deadwood. 

The first activity of the day is to drive the 

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

You may think after driving The Needles Highway and the Iron Mountain Road that south Dakota wouldn’t have many more scenic drives left to offer. However then you drive the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. 

This road is 22 miles long and will take you roughly two hours to drive if you want to stop at some of the amazing overlooks. 

Some of the most popular stops are at the many waterfalls along the road including but not limited to:

• Bridalveil Falls,
• Roughlock Falls, and
• Spearfish Falls

There is also a huge hydro power plan on the route that is worth stopping to see and film buffs will recognise much of the terrain as filming locations for the award winning film Dancing With Wolves. 

Once you have completed your drive we recommend the next stop on your trip as the town of Deadwood. 

Deadwood

Deadwood is renowned because of its connections with many of the Wild West Era heroes and because of its popularity on film and screen such as in the TV show Deadwood with Timothy Oliphant and Ian McShane and also in films such as the classic musical Calamity Jane. 

In case you haven’t watched the TV show which tells the story of the towns foundation, Deadwood was founded in 1876 during the Gold Rush. 

It attracted many of Wild West America’s most famous people such as Wild Bill Hicock and Calamity Jane, both of whom have graves in the Deadwood cemetery. 

Deadwood was a dangerous place and largely abandoned at the close of the Gold Rush but now it is a popular tourist attraction in South Dakota. 

Some highlights on a trip to Deadwood are strolling down main street, finding famous graves in the graveyard or watching a recreation shootout. 

Black Hills National Forest

For those looking for some more outdoor pursuits I recommend visiting the Black Hills National Forest and enjoy some more hikes. 

Or alternatively you could go to Sturgis the town famous for its Motorbike rally but also for having a great Motorcycle Museum. 

Day 6 of your South Dakota Road Trip 

Ok, I know that this is your South Dakota Road Trip planner, however we recommend nipping just over the South Dakota border into Wyoming to visit 

Devil’s Tower National Monument

It would be a travesty to close to a national monument and not visit which is why we recommend heading to the Devil’s Tower. 

Devils Tower is a stroking geological feature and was famously the filming location for the culmination of the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It truly is a great place to spend a morning. 

Once you are finished we recommend heading into Rapid City to spend your last afternoon. 

Rapid City

Rapid City is a great city that has a lot to offer no matter what kind of traveller you are. We have a whole guide on visiting Rapid city with kids here but for your afternoon we recommend heading to one or two of the below attractions, depending on which appeals to you most. 

Dinosaur Park

A visit to Dinosaur Park is a must for your South Dakota vacation itinerary.  The Dinosaur Park was created to capitalised on the tourists visiting the area to see Mount Rushmore and to help spark economic growth in the region. 

The Dinosaur Park in Rapid City contains seven dinosaur statues on a hill overlooking the city and is now on the National Historic Register of Places.

At the park you can see the five original dinosaurs ( an apatosaurus, a T Rex, a Triceratops, a Stegosaurus and a Trachodon) as well as two other statues added at a later date. 

Admission to see the dinosaur park is free so it is a great thing to do if you are on a budget.

While there it is worth completing the Skyline Drive as it offers unrivalled views of the city.

Storybook island

If you are visiting Rapid City with toddlers or younger kids this quirky free attraction is a must. It is a small park created by the Rotary club of Rapid City and contains statutes of all the main storybook and fairytale characters

President Walk

Another must in the centre of Rapid City is to walk the avenue of Presidents. The bronze life size sculptures are a really quirky way to end your visit to south Dakota.

All around the city you will find bronze statues of the presidents of the United States in famous poses. 

What else to add to your 7 day South Dakota Road Trip Planner

For your last day in South Dakota we recommend selecting the option that most appeals to you form the below, or covering something you missed off the above.

Some options for your final day include:

Bear Country

A drive through park that will guarantee bear spotting. This is a great addition to a road trip to South Dakota for people who want to see a bear but haven’t had any luck at seeing them in the wild. We tried during our trip but we didn’t see a bear unfortunately and this is a must do for us on our next visit to the area. 

The Reptile Gardens

The Reptile Gardens is a  guiness world record holding collection of reptiles. This was a huge hit with our toddler and I would say is one of the best things to do in Rapid City with toddlers. 

FAQS about planning a trip to South Dakota

How far out do you need to start planning a trip to South Dakota?

We didn’t have much lead in time when we were planning a trip to South Dakota. We started planning about two weeks prior to our trip and we were travelling at peak season.

However we did find that some of the accommodation we initially considered such as places to stay near Mount Rushmore, Badlands and accommodation in Custer State Park were actually already fully booked.

If you want one of these accommodations, which I think really will enhance your experience then I would recommend that you start planning a trip to South Dakota about a year out however we are proof that you can plan last minute road trip to South Dakota. 

Should you buy an America the Beautiful Pass for this trip?

America the Beautiful Pass is an 80USD pass that grants you access to all the National Parks and some national monuments. However it does not grant access to the State Parks such as Custer. 

In this guide we recommend visiting Badlands (20USD Admission), Devils Tower (25 USD), Mount Rushmore (free)  and Wind Cave (free admission but tour is an additional fee). Custer State Park is outside of the America the Beautiful remit. 

Therefore if these are the only parks you plan to do in the year, it will not be a cost saving. However if you plan to visit more national parks and national monuments then the America the Beautiful Pass may be worth it for you. 

How far is Badlands National Park to Mount Rushmore – can you do it in a one day?

If you only have one day in South Dakota then it is possible to do Badlands and Mount Rushmore in the same day.

The time between Badlands National Park to Mount Rushmore is  about an hour and a half depending on traffic and which Badlands entrance you are at.

If you want to travel from Wall south Dakota to Mount Rushmore the driving time is around 1 hour 20 minutes. 

If possible however I would visit the Badlands and Wall on a different day to Rushmore to maximise time in your itinerary. 

Have you done a South Dakota Road Trip? What would you add to this itinerary?