If you have seen my Badlands or Black Hills travel itinerary, you know that South Dakota is a beautiful place to visit with a rich history and stunning landscapes. This would be a perfect state for a 5 day family road trip, and today I’m going to give you some options for a Badlands Black Hills travel itinerary.
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45+ Things To Do in South Dakota – South Dakota Travel Guide
Things To Do in Sioux Falls South Dakota
Falls Park – This beautiful park is one of the reasons Sioux Falls is one of the best South Dakota vacation spots.
Sioux Falls bike trail – Explore Falls Park easily by bicycle.
Japanese Garden – Beautiful traditional Japanese garden next to a lake.
Butterfly House and Aquarium – Small aquarium with a beautiful butterfly area.
Great Plains Zoo – Many outdoor exhibits of live animals and a museum of mounted animals.
Devil’s Gulch – Nature trails lead to a waterfall and ravine with some interesting local history.
Best South Dakota Vacation Spots in Mitchell
Corn Palace – This downtown building is covered entirely in corn and is one of the most unique things to do in South Dakota.
Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village – This archaeological dig site has a few exhibits.
What To Do in Badlands & Wall
Badlands Loop Road – Drive through Badlands National Park South Dakota and look for bison and prairie dogs.
Sage Creek Rim Road – Another scenic drive through the Badlands.
Sheep Mountain Table Road – A dirt backcountry drive is always one of our favorite things to do in national parks.
Hike Window or Door Trail – Hiking these two trails are some of the best things to do in Badlands National Park.
Badlands Paleontology Lab – Learn about fossils found in the park.
Wall Drug Store – This tourist trap is a fun spot for the whole family to visit.
Minute Man Missile Site – Learn Cold War history at this ballistic missile control center.
Buffalo Gap National Grasslands – Wilderness area surrounding Badlands National Park. The Visitor Center in Wall has some animal exhibits that our kids enjoyed.
Prairie Homestead – Tour a sod home and learn about early South Dakota pioneers.
1880 Town – A historic cultural village of buildings and a museum.
Best South Dakota Vacation Spots in Hot Springs, SD
The Mammoth Site – Visit an active paleontology dig site.
World Fossil Finder Museum – Checking out some fossils is one of the best things to do in South Dakota in bad weather.
Things To Do in the Black Hills & Rapid City
Mount Rushmore – Seeing the four presidential carvings on the side of the mountain is likely at the top of your South Dakota road trip list.
Iron Mountain Road – This scenic drive leads to Mount Rushmore.
Needles Highway – This beautiful scenic road is famous for the Needles Eye Tunnel and is one of the top Black Hills attractions.
Custer State Park – One of the best South Dakota vacation spots. Our two favorite things to do were driving the Wildlife Loop and visiting Sylvan Lake.
Wind Cave National Park – Book a tour of the cave to see the boxwork formations.
Crazy Horse Memorial – Visiting this still-unfinished Native monument is one of the most unique things to do in South Dakota.
Borglum Story – Learn more about the sculptor of Mount Rushmore.
Reptile Gardens – A small zoo of reptiles and birds in a botanical garden setting.
Jewel Cave National Monument – Another cave tour.
Museum of Geology – Free museum on the campus of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Rapid City’s Dinosaur Museum – Realistic looking dinosaur exhibits, mirror maze, and miniature golf.
Black Hill Caverns – Another cave tour.
Things To Do in Deadwood South Dakota
Spearfish Canyon Highway scenic drive – A beautiful drive with mountain views and waterfalls.
Bridal Veil Falls – A roadside waterfall along the Spearfish Canyon Highway.
Black Hills Mining Museum – Learn about local gold rush history.
Adams Museum – Learn about local mining history inside a historic home.
Mount Roosevelt Friendship Tower – Hike to this tower for 360 degree views of the area.
Roughlock Falls – A popular short hike to a waterfall.
Spearfish Falls – Short trail to a waterfall located next to a restaurant.
Anywhere – Unique Things To Do in South Dakota
Eat kuchen – A traditional German cake that looks like a custard pie.
See a bison – Two great places to see bison are the Wildlife Loop of Custer State Park and driving through Badlands National Park.
Watch prairie dogs scamper around – We saw the most prairie dogs in Badlands National Park.
Learn about the fossil history, indigenous history, and gold mining history in the state.
5 Day Badlands to Black Hills Road Trip Travel Itinerary
For Day 1 of your South Dakota road trip itinerary, drive Badlands Loop Road and do as many of the short hikes in the park as you can. You’ll also want to spend a good amount of time at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and Paleontology Lab.
On Day 2 of your Mount Rushmore Badlands Itinerary, try to catch either sunrise or sunset in Badlands National Park. Check out my Badlands itinerary for sunset overlook ideas. Explore Sage Creek Rim Road, Roberts Prairie Dog Town, and Sheep Mountain Table. Wrap up your day at Wall Drug and be sure to enjoy the maple donuts.
Start Day 3 with a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Badlands to Black Hills. I recommend staying in Custer State Park, either in the Game Lodge or Legion Lake area. But with 3 days in the Black Hills, you have enjoy time to fully enjoy this area even if you stay somewhere a bit farther away. Drive Needles Highway today, enjoying the viewpoints and Needles Eye Tunnel. If you’d like to do a hike here, try Cathedral Spires Trail or Sunday Gulch Trail or take a leisurely walk around Sylvan Lake.
On Day 4, take 2-3 hours to drive Wildlife Loop looking for bison, prairie dogs, and pronghorns. Book a tour at Wind Cave National Park or go for a paddle on Legion Lake.
I’d wrap up your Mount Rushmore Badlands Itinerary on Day 5 with Mount Rushmore itself. Drive Iron Mountain Road on the way there, enjoying the various viewpoints of the presidential carvings. Be sure to enjoy the Mount Rushmore museum, which may close earlier than other parts of the historic site.
5 Day South Dakota Road Trip Travel Itinerary – Sioux Falls to Black Hills
We’ll need to condense our Mount Rushmore Badlands Itinerary a bit to fit in stops in Sioux Falls and Mitchell on our road trip across South Dakota. This South Dakota road trip itinerary includes about 7 hours of driving, so it’s a very manageable distance to cover in 5 days.
On Day 1, explore Sioux Falls. We enjoyed the bike paths and Falls Park was a lovely spot to visit. You’ll have plenty of time to explore, before ending the day with a 1 hour drive to Mitchell, South Dakota.
On Day 2, I recommend spending a few hours at the Corn Palace and the Prehistoric Indian Village. Spend the afternoon driving 3.5 hours across the state to Wall, South Dakota.
On Day 3 we’re going to hit all the highlights of Badlands National Park and the famous Wall Drug. Drive Badlands Loop Road. For a short visit, we recommend the Door and Window hikes as well as the Fossil Exhibit area and the exhibits at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. And be sure to stop at many of the overlooks.
Pop into Wall Drug and soak in the unique atmosphere before spending a 2nd night here on your Sioux Falls to Black Hills road trip.
Begin Day 4 with a 1.5-2 hour drive to Custer State Park. We recommend staying at one of the campgrounds or lodges inside the park. The Game Lodge or Legion Lake areas are the most central to everything you’ll see in this area. Spend the afternoon and evening driving Iron Mountain Road and exploring Mount Rushmore.
On Day 5, spend a few hours driving Wildlife Loop Road and visiting the Custer State Park visitor center and Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center. Drive Needles Highway to Sylvan Lake and enjoy a walk around.
South Dakota Road Trip Optional Add-On:
The evening of Day 5, drive 90 minutes north to Spearfish and spend Day 6 exploring Spearfish Canyon Highway and the surrounding area.
South Dakota truly has some hidden gems and there’s no wrong way to build a South Dakota road trip. But after driving through this beautiful state, we’d have to say that a Mount Rushmore Badlands Itinerary is pretty top notch. We hope this South Dakota travel guide helps you plan the perfect Mount Rushmore vacation.
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5 Day South Dakota Road Trip – South Dakota Travel Guide for Families – Best South Dakota Vacation Spots
