AUTgrgrl

Howdy, 2 'rents & 2 teens vacationing in SD in a few weeks. We are flying in/ out of Rapid City, 3 nights in RC at the front then, 4 nights at Custer SP.
Must do's: Badlands/Devils Tower/Mt Rushmore/day at Custer including the chuckwagon dinner(already booked).
Would like to's: Crazy Horse/Jewel Cave/Wind Cave/ ziplineing/ATV off-roading.
My tentative itinerary is;
Day 1) travel & afternoon/evening wandering Rapid City
Day 2) Badlands with stop at Wall Drug
Day 3) Devils Tower with stops at Spearfish Canyon, Sturgis & Deadwood either on the way to Devils Tower or coming back to RC (this day may be too ambitious?)
Day 4) Leave RC for Crazy Horse monument, stop in Custer for sightseeing and groceries, check into cabin at Custer SP then late afternoon @ Mt Rushmore & staying for lighting ceremony
Day 5) tour day at Custer SP, hiking & chuckwagon dinner
Day 6) Wind Cave & Jewel Cave, ATV excursion
Day 7) catch up day for anything we may have missed or want to do again
Day 8) home

To add, I also have a room booked at Rushmore Suites the same 3 nights as in Rapid City. Not sure if it would be better to be more Black Hills central for excursions than Rapid City . The drives to the Badlands and Devil's Tower seems shorter & easier from Rapid City........
This is our first trip to SD so any advice would be appreciated!!

tomfuller

Depending on the time that you are there, you may see hundreds (thousands?) of motorcycles in the region of Sturgis. The motorcycle rally is the highlight of the summer in Sturgis. To go to Devils Tower you might want to go west on US 16 from Wind Cave connecting to US 14 and Wyoming 24 to get to the tower avoiding I-90.
Are you renting a car/SUV at the Rapid City airport or taking a taxi into town? The airport is quite a ways from the City and there don't seem to be any motels near the airport.
Welcome to Fodors!

PrairieHikerI

Sounds like a fun trip. Here are some other ideas: Crazy Horse Monument and Roughlock Falls Nature Area and Bridal Veil Falls located in Spearfish Canyon. You can bike a section of the George S. Mickelson Trail which runs through the heart of the Black Hills, connecting Deadwood with Edgemont 114 miles to the south. The trail incorporates nearly 100 converted railroad bridges and 4 tunnels, and goes through ponderosa pines and along a rushing stream. Iron Mt. Road (16-A) is an incredible 17-mile experience with 14 switchbacks, three pigtails and three tunnels. It starts at Hwy 16 and goes south to Hwy 30. Ride the 1880 Black Hills Central Railroad steam train.

AUTgrgrl

Hi & thanks for the insight! We are renting a car at the airport for the week & I just checked and we are there right before Sturgis Rally. We fly home the Wednesday before it starts. I will check out the US16/14/24 route to Devil's Tower, the more scenic the better on this trip.

AUTgrgrl

Thank you so much! Definitely looking into adding Iron Mt Road & the steam train.

HotWheels

If you would like my suggestions for day trips within the Black Hills, SD Badlands, etc. use the Filter by State box - highlight South Dakota - look for the "Black Hills Itinerary Suggestions" conversation. I've listed multiple suggestions that can be done within a days' time. I would also suggest staying your entire trip in Custer, or at least moving to Hill City or Keystone instead of RC. You'll be more centrally located to the things you want to see/do. Custer State Park also has lodging at several sites. State Game Lodge & Sylvan Lake Lodge are at least two I can think of. There's a bypass around RC so if you do want to connect to I-90 to go East to the Badlands or West towards Devils Tower you can still easily connect without much traffic congestion.
Also, if going to Devils Tower WY from Custer, another scenic route would include going thru Deadwood (short drive from there connects to I-90 also). Remember to leave early in AM (7:00) - perhaps stop for later breakfast in Deadwood. In WY there won't be a lot of stops, so fill your tank & pack light snacks/lunch for the drive. We spent just an hour or two walking around the trail/watching rock climbers before driving back; arrived in Hill City SD again by 5:30 in time for dinner. Perhaps you could take one suggested route there, another back.
In addition to the activities mentioned, State Game Lodge has Jeep tours among the bison herds. There are also opportunities for horseback riding, helicopter tours, ATV rentals, Pontoon or paddleboat rentals on various lakes, Reptile Gardens (daily shows featuring birds of prey, alligators, etc.) gold mine tours, Trial of Jack McCall re-inactment in Deadwood (man who killed Wild Bill), Old West train ride from Hill City to Keystone (runs on schedule back & forth so you can explore each town) - lots of activities choices!