alines

As part of a wider trip to Yellowstone, we (4 adults and a 2y.o) are looking at taking a detour to the Black Hills area and would appreciate any comments/suggestions on the following itinerary:

Day 1: Drive from Denver to Hot Springs (via Pawnee National Grasslands) - stay overnight at Flat Iron Guest Suites. This is a long day driving but we are doing a round trip to Denver and I can't really see anywhere between Denver and Hot Springs that is worth staying overnight and our itinerary doesn't really allow for an extra night;

Day 2: Visit the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, followed by a visit to Wind Cave NP. We will then drive onto Custer State Park and drive the Wildlife Loop. We are undecided on accommodation here. Ideally we want to stop 2 nights in this area and because we are travelling with a 2 y.o, would prefer to stay in a cabin. For this reason and given we will probably be in the Custer State Park area, we were looking at staying in the cabins at either the State Game Lodge, Sylvan Lake or Legion Lake - has anyone stayed here? If we have time at the end of this day we will drive the Iron Mountain Rd, Mt Rushmore, Needles Highway Loop. If we don't have time we will look to incorporate into Day 3 or Day 4.

Day 3: Day Trip to Badlands

Day 4: Depart for Buffalo or Sheridan, WY, via Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon and Devils Monument - this may be a long trip, however we wanted to stop somewhere on the East side of the Big Horn mountains so we could take time the next day traversing these mountains into Cody.

Any suggestions/comments/advice on the above itinerary would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

BarbaraS

To me it seems like too much driving with a two-year-old. Skip the drive to the Badlands and enjoy your time in Custer State Park and Mt. Rushmore.

RedRock

I agree, skip the Badlands NP this trip and stay in the Black Hills the extra day. Your day two is jam packed so this would give you more time to enjoy yourselves, especially with a 2 year old in tow... If time permits make the loop and see Devils Tower on your way to Sheridan, more choice of places to stay there. Take a break and stop at the Visitors Center at Burgess Junction then take 14A to Cody. Few travelers take this route thru Lovell and Powell.. Again if time permits take the 1½ hike to the Medicine Wheel on the Mountain....

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/projects/geo...s/MedWheel.HTM

CAPH52

We stayed in a cabin at Sylvan Lake in '02. It was very rustic but we really enjoyed it. If you do stay there with a 2 year old, be aware that there are "drop-offs" very near the cabins. They're built on a hill/mountain.

alines

BarbaraS, RedRock & CAPH52, thanks for the comments.

BarbaraS & RedRock you've recommended giving the Badlands a miss. If I were to allocate another day to this area, would you recommend incorporating it into my itinerary (eg possibly drive from Hot Springs to Badlands and stay Day 2 there (eg: at Cedar Pass Lodge) and then spend the next 2 days in the Custer State Park area), or when compared to other things to do in the Custer State Park area is it really not worth allocating a day to?

CAPH52 - thanks for the tip on Sylvan Lake. Would you recommend staying in the Park versus staying in one of the nearby towns (eg: Custer, Hill City or Keystone)?

BarbaraS

Instead of spending the night in Hot Springs, why not drive just a little bit further and stay at the Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park - http://www.custerresorts.com/resortsBlueBell.php. Then you could spend one day visiting Hot Springs, Wind Cave NP, one day visiting Mt. Rushmore and one day visiting the Badlands, and not have to change hotels. If you could add another day to Custer State Park, even better.

We did a chuckwagon dinner at the Blue Bell Lodge and it looked like a fun place to stay with kids.

CAPH52

Yes, I would definitely recommend staying in the park. But book as early as you possibly can. I made our reservations in April for a July stay and had to take our third choice. And I agree with Barbara that Blue Bell would be a good choice.

CAPH52

I was kind of rushed when I posted the other two times. Just wanted to add a couple of things.

Our kids were considerably older than yours when we were there (16 and 12). But they loved Custer State Park. We saw more wildlife there than anywhere else we've gone. Friends of ours had recommended the Jeep Safari tours and we were so glad they had. If you can fit it in, I think it's well worth doing.

Our kids really enjoyed the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. Can't comment on Wind Cave as we didn't make it there.

As for the Badlands, if you do decide to go, I think staying at Cedar Pass Lodge is a great experience. My husband and I stayed there two nights way back in '84. We had such good memories of it that we definitely wanted to take the kids. We were only able to fit in one night with them. But it was great. The best way I can think of to describe it is that it's just so serene. And our son, the 12 year old at the time, loved climbing in the Badlands.

When we did the trip in '02, we drove from our home in the Chicago 'burbs to Frisco, CO., stopping for a night in Lincoln, NE.After four nights in Frisco, we left early in the morning to catch an afternoon game at Coors Field. From there we drove up into WY and stayed at a motel along the interstate. The next day we drove to Devil's Tower. An experience I highly recommend.

After a couple of hours there, we went on to Custer State Park. That was a very long day, but a very memorable one. We spent 3 nights in Custer State Park and then the one night at Cedar Pass Lodge. And then made our way home from there. (We stopped two nights on the way home, one in Yankton, SD, one in Des Moines.)

That schedule worked out very well for us. But, as I said, our kids were older.

Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure it'll be a wonderful trip. That's one of my favorite areas of the country. I think Custer State Park is hard to beat as a family destination.

RedRock

alines- **BarbaraS & RedRock you've recommended giving the Badlands a miss.**

The Badlands NP and Wall are worth the effort and should not be missed if possible.... But the Black Hills do have so much more to offer. You could spend your entire time in the Hills and not come close to enjoying all that the area has to offer.. Another stop you could make while in the southern part of the Black Hills, The Wounded Knee Site, just a few miles off US-18 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

http://www.hanksville.org/daniel/lak...nded_Knee.html

CAPH52

I second that recommendation, RedRock. We went to the Wounded Knee site and found it very moving.

Travelkitty

I agree there is so much to do in this area, and you've got a very limited time.

I'd also reluctantly say skip Badlands on this trip. The scenery is lovely and really striking and I enjoyed my day there, but I don't know how much it has to offer a 2 year old. A good bit of extra driving and not the Park I'd pick or a child.

I loved Custer and can't recommend it highly enough. Great wildlife on the loop, and I think you do it a disservice to rush too much. I did the loop each day I was there, and saw something different each time.

The drive around Mt Rushmore is beautiful and not something I'd rush through either.

I stayed at the lodge in Sylvan Lake and not in one of the cabins but they have a great location near the very scenic lake. I suspect they're very rustic as someone mentioned, so if you want fancy, it's not the place. But they're by the lake and there is a nice beach and pleasant walk around the lake.

So while I loved Badlands and would highly recommend it to you and your husband, I think it's probably best to sacrifice it this trip and spend more time just enjoying where you are at.