jimcolorado

I am a frequent poster to the Europe forum, but first time here. No European vacation this year. Got high school daughter going to Oregon on band trip, and am looking for suggestions for driving vacation to Blackhills area with wife and 11 year old son. Family has never been to SD before (wife born in ND but left when baby). I was in Rapid and Hot Springs area some years back on murder investigation that lapped over onto Pine Ridge and Rosebud, so not much sightseeing done then either. Expect to have about 5 days in area. Liked Hot Springs at the time, is it still a nice central spot? Any suggestions welcome. This trip is more for son's benefit, so gambling is probably out. Not adverse to doing any touristy thing.

Marsha

Hi, Jim, welcome to South Dakota. I am also a Europe forum person. Hot Springs is in the Southern Hills - I would suggest three days there to see the Mammoth Site, Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument. The Badlands highway loop is east of Rapid City on I-90, so it is out-of-the-way, but I believe it is worth the trip. Be sure to have an Indian Taco! I would then suggest two days in the Northern Hills - you may want to stay in Spearfish - to see Spearfish Canyon, Lead, Deadwood (although this town now is devoted to gambling, it is still a family-friendly place and chock full of history), and maybe a detour into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower. I would make all reservations before leaving home because hotels often fill up in the summer.

Tess

Jim,
You've gotten some good suggestions here. I'm sure you're planning on visiting Mt. Rushmore--I suggest visiting at night and staying for the evening show--your son will never forget it. When my son was 11 and my daughter was 8, they loved doing the Jr. Ranger scavenger hunt worksheet inside Mt. Rushmore's visitor's center. In the process of receiving their Jr. Ranger badges, they learned a lot more about Mt. Rushmore than listening to boring Mom and Dad and had fun to boot. The other thing my son LOVED was panning for gold. There are quite a few places around Hill City and Custer that do this--don't know that one is better than the other. Whatever gold you find they'll put in a little glass vial for you to take home. Cheesy and touristy but MADE for 11 year olds. Oh yes, speaking of cheesy, there's a Cosmos house on the road to Rushmore--you know, the houses where marbles roll uphill, etc. It's a hoot and the kids got a charge out of it. One more thing--take a drive through Custer State Park. Moose and buffalo will literally come up to the car (even though you don't want to pet them, of course)--stop at Sylvan Lake Lodge for ice cream and a ride on a paddle boat while you're in the park. Hot Springs is nice but I would suggest setting up base camp in Rapid for a few days and then in Deadwood (up north) for a few days. It's not far to Rushmore, Hill City, etc. from Rapid and the hotel/restaurant selection is much better. In Deadwood, try the Holiday Inn Express. We love the Blackhills--let me know if you have any other questions.

Marsha

Some additional thoughts: avoid the Black Hills during the last week of July and the first two weeks of August when the bikers descend on this area for the Sturgis Bike Rally.
Reptile Gardens (just outside Rapid) is also worth a stop. Again, it is a tourist trap, but has an impressive collection of snakes and other reptiles - my 10 year old loved it last year. Also, 1880 train in Hill City is quite a fun activity.

Annam

Took our kids there when they were 15, 12, and 10. For gold-panning, go to Ken's Rocks and Minerals, just outside of Custer (to the East, I think) right on the main drag. Not sure if Ken is even still alive (he was in his 90's when we were there 4 years ago) but his son was doing some trips too. Authentic old prospector, full of stories about the history and geology of the area. He spent an hour and a half with us, sitting on a plank bench in the middle of a stream in big rubber boots, and we did find a few flakes of real gold and several small garnets. It was an unforgettable experience. The kids also enjoyed the Black Hills Maze, and Evan's Plunge (a water park built on a hot spring). Jewel Cave was awesome. Probably the largest cave in the US, possibly in the world when they finish mapping it. Devil's Tower was cool. The KOA campground at the base of it shows Close Encounters of the Third Kind out under the stars every night (or did 4 years ago). Fun hiking around the base and rock climbing at all skill levels from total amateur to "No way Jose".

Photodog

Jim,
In addition to the fine suggestions already given would suggest being in Custer State Park on Sept 29. Starting about 6am they start rounding up 1500 head of bison (buffalo) and drive them into pens. It is quite a sight to see even though the use a number of pickups and SUV's in addition to folks on horseback. Need to be there EARLY as last year nearly 6,000 folks showed up. Not too far away is Badlands National Park. Also well worth the time.

jimcolorado

Thanks to everybody for the great suggestions. Glad I didn't get the old "DO A SEARCH!!!" reply that I see so often over on the Europe side of Fodors. Nice people here.

Annam

Badlands is a nother good suggestion. Somewhere near the entrance there is a prairie dog town. Our kids got a kick out of watching them. There was another one alongside the road up to the base of Devil's Tower.