Googs

My family (kids 6 & 9) are exploring SD in June 2014. I have an unplanned day in my itinerary and am trying to choose between Blue Bell Lodge at Custer or Cedar Pass Lodge at Badlands. We do have two full days planned in the Black Hills, but I'm unsure if we need more time there. I'd like to see the Badlands, but we aren't big hikers and don't know if two nights at Badlands is too much.

This is my itinerary:
Day 1) Wake in VRBO near town of Custer. Mt. Rushmore, Wind Cave or Jewel Cave, National Presidential Wax Museum (don's ask), explore small towns.

Day 2) Wake in VRBO. Custer State Park, Wildlife Loop, Needles, Blue Bell Chuckwagon.

Day 3) We have to check out of VRBO. This is where we could check into Blue Bell Lodge, which has availability, for one night and explore more of the area. Is there more "must sees"?
If not....we'd drive to Devils Tower WY and sleep in Deadwood where the rest of the family has an agenda, like a history center and a gold mine.

Day 4) Finish Deadwood and do touristy stuff in Rapids City on way to Cedar Pass Lodge.

Day 5) Explore Badlands

Day 6) Drive home to Minneapolis, MN

If we choose to stay at Blue Bell Lodge at day 3, we would only stay one night at Cedar Pass Lodge and have much less time at Badlands. Thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

WhereAreWe

I love the Badlands but for your trip I would choose an additional night in Custer over the extra night in Badlands.

There aren't a lot of hiking trails in Badlands. Most are relatively short and quick. I think the longest one is the Castle trail and you won't be doing it from end to end (its not a loop but rather starts on one side and finishes in the middle of the park). You are allowed to hike off-trail just about anywhere but in June it will be hot and the rattlesnakes will be active, so I don't recommend that. Best thing really is to drive along the main road near sunset and sunrise to watch for animals and see the Badland formations. They are most dramatic at those times of day and tend to look washed out and not as impressive in the middle of the day.

If it were a cooler month then maybe you could spend another night in the Badlanda, but for me I'd pick the Black Hills in June.

Googs

Whoa, we didn't know there were rattlesnakes. Scary, but fun.

Thanks for the advice on heat and badlands. What are we missing in the Black Hills? Should we concentrate on a town or find more parks? Thanks!

longhorn55

We were in the Badlands last June and while it was warm during the middle of the day, it wasn't what I would call "hot". (For me, "hot" is Texas in July.) Even so, since you are not a family of hikers, I don't think that you need 2 nights in the Badlands.

I think your family would probably enjoy another day around Custer as opposed to going to Devils Tower and Deadwood. The main thing to do around Devils Tower is hike around the base (and you aren't hikers) and I don't think most kids find Lead and Deadwood all that interesting. If you stay at Blue Bell Lodge, there's a lot you could do: 1) go on a guided horseback ride at the Blue Bell Stables, 2) go to Sylvan Lake and do the easy walk around the lake (where the kids can climb around the rocks), swim and/or ride paddleboats or 3) drive to Hot Springs and visit the Mammoth Site. (If you decide to go to Hot Springs, you might want to put your visit to Wind Cave on this day.) I think you'll find plenty to do in the southern Black Hills for an extra day.

Note: If you can, I'd skip Deadwood all together and just go to Rapid City from Blue Bell Lodge on Day 4. There's a lot of stuff for kids in Rapid City and you can easily spend a full day here.

Googs

Thanks for another vote to stay in Custer longhorn55. My new concern of sticking the extra night at Custer is that we'd only have a half day at Badlands and in the morning we head home.

My family is smitten over Devils Tower mainly because of Close Encounters. I feel it's a waste of a day to travel two hours to see, but I am only one vote. I wonder if this is realistic on Day 4....

Blue Bell to Devils Tower. Deadwood cemetary where Wild Bill is and others, drive through town, go to Gold Mine (the only other gold mine I found was closed). Sleep in Rapids City.