In our family, road trips and summertime go hand in hand. This year we decided on a semi-spontaneous 3-day weekend getaway to Mt Rushmore in South Dakota. While planning our trip, I was inundated with recommendations and quickly learned that it would be impossible to see everything in such a short amount of time. I have a feeling that we'll be back for more.
GETTING THERE:
With less than 6 hours of drive time to the Black Hills, this is a great road trip destination for residents of the Denver metro area. There are two routes to get there- via Wyoming or Nebraska. We drove the loop to find out for ourselves which way was better. For a more attractive landscape and more rest stop options, I'd recommend driving through Wyoming; the Wheatland and Guernsey route makes for a quiet, scenic drive.
Driving through Alliance, Nebraska, however, has the added perk of exploring the quirky roadside attraction, Carhenge® . It's free to visit, but you can support the art by leaving cash donations or shopping at the quaint little gift shop.
WHERE TO STAY:
Between the numerous campsites, home rentals, and hotel accommodations, deciding on sleeping arrangements is no easy feat! We ultimately decided to split our two nights between a hotel and a campground to get the best of the indoors and outdoors.
For a kid-friendly hotel, we opted to stay at the recently-renovated La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Rapid City.
- VALUE: When compared to other hotels in the area, we found that La Quinta offers great bang for your buck! With four mouths to feed, it was a nice bonus to have a fresh breakfast included in the cost.
- ENTERTAINMENT: The hotel is attached to an incredible indoor waterpark resort, WaTiki, which we discovered is suitable for all ages & swim abilities. As temperatures in Rapid City reached 100 degrees, we were grateful for the opportunity to cool down and burn off some energy after a long car ride.
- PROXIMITY: La Quinta is located near some family-friendly attractions that we had on our recommended visit list. Since we had already been in the car for quite some time, we were happy to limit our drive time within the Black Hills region.
- BONUS: This hotel is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along with you. We didn't take our pup this time, but it's nice to know that traveling with him is an option.
For our second night in the area, we researched campsites that were most frequented by the locals. Cold Brook Reservoir, located approximately 1 hour south of Custer State Park, was just the spot for us.
- VALUE: We booked our site for only $10 through recreation.gov only two weeks before our trip. The campground was well maintained with a clean bathroom, potable water, and picnic tables at each site.
- ENTERTAINMENT: The sandy beach was packed with families. Locals brought their rafts and fishing gear. A few steps from the beach area is a playground and picnic tables. If the reservoir isn't for you, the campground has plenty to offer. There's a horseshoe pit in the center and a short, flat loop for kids to ride their bikes.
- PROXIMITY: Away from the hustle of Mt Rushmore's touristy areas and 1 hour closer to home, this was a relaxing place to rest up before our trek back to Colorado.
Other recommendations we received but didn't have a chance to try on this trip:
- Rafter J Bar Ranch (Hill City)
- KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch (Hill City)
- Under Canvas Mt Rushmore (Keystone)
WHAT TO DO:
- WaTiki Indoor Waterpark Resort (Rapid City) ~ Parents and kids will thoroughly enjoy this 30,000 sq ft facility that includes a waterpark, arcade center, and dining options. My favorite was the Funky Frog Slide- the big green one!
- Storybook Island (Rapid City) ~ This 7-acre park will bring you back to your own childhood as you encounter storybook characters from throughout history. Our family just recently finished reading Winnie the Pooh, so we were especially enamored with Pooh Bear Land.
Admission is FREE, but you can help support this beautiful park with cash donations or by shopping at the food and gift shops. Also, enjoy ticketed attractions such as the carousel, train ride, and Bibbity Bobbity Bounce.
- Mount Rushmore (Keystone) ~ If you're going to drive all the way to South Dakota, you have to visit Mt. Rushmore. It costs $10 to park your car, but admission to the memorial is free. Kids can complete the junior ranger program while you walk along the Presidential Trail. Carvers' Café offers a variety of meal options and yummy ice cream! And for those who travel with electric vehicles, there are several plug-ins with free charging!
- Custer State Park (Custer) ~ Spanning 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, this state park is abundant in wildlife. We drove the Wildlife Loop Road and saw donkeys, antelope, bighorn sheep, deer, and buffalo. A weekly park license costs $20 per vehicle.
- Other recommendations we received but didn't have a chance to try on this trip:
- 1880 Train (Keystone and Hill City)
- Bear Country USA (Rapid City)
- Cosmos Mystery Area (Rapid City)
- Dinosaur Park (Rapid City)
- Jewel Cave National Monument (Custer)
- Old MacDonald's Farm (Rapid City)
- Rush Mountain Adventure Park (Keystone)
- Rushmore Tramway Adventures (Keystone)
- Reptile Gardens: Wild Animal Park (Rapid City)
PLACES TO EAT:
- You can get your share of savory foods at Bobkat's Purple Pie Place (Custer), but you can't leave without trying the pie. I tried the strawberry-rhubarb pie and will be having dreams about it every night until I visit again. It is seriously the BEST dessert I've tasted... ever!
- Other recommendations we received but didn't have a chance to try on this trip:
- Alpine Inn (Hill City)
- Black Hills Burger & Bun Co (Custer)
What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and hop in the car. It's time for your family to explore the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota!
Disclosure: We received a discounted rate at La Quinta as well as free admission tickets to the WaTiki Waterpark for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own.
