Is this doable? Badlands, Custer, Rushmore and Crazy Horse
Jun 11th, 2009, 10:10 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is this doable? Badlands, Custer, Rushmore and Crazy Horse
We have a limited amount of time in western South Dakota in about 2 weeks. My question is : are we able to see Badlands, Custer, Rushmore and Crazy Horse in 2 maybe 3 full days that we are going to be there? If not, what would you cut out? What would you not miss?
PS: We like hiking and general exploring..I think the long hikes are out for this trip though....THANKS!!!!
PS: We like hiking and general exploring..I think the long hikes are out for this trip though....THANKS!!!!
Jun 11th, 2009, 11:33 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,981
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, Unless you hike at Mt Rushmore you can see it in a couple of hours. Same with Crazy Horse. Drive thru the Badlands but stay at Custer State Park at one of their lodges. I like Sylvan Lake Lodge. It's scenic and you can paddleboat or row on the lake. Drive Needles Hwy and Iron Mountain Rd http://www.custerresorts.com/sylvan-...photo-tour.php
Jun 11th, 2009, 01:02 PM
#3
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 506
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Definitely doable. I've done a similar trip 3 times now. We love to stay in Custer State Park in a cabin at the State Game Lodge but I imagine anywhere in the park is great.
You can do Needles, Iron Mountain Rd, Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore in one day if you're energetic and don't necessarily want to see one of the night time events at Mt Rushmore or Crazy Horse. The Mt Rushmore is a very patriotic event and it's all lit up - pretty cool but the world won't end if you miss it imho. The Crazy Horse one is a laser show - I've never seen that one.
If you started out in the morning and drive the Needles Highway (Rt 87) giving yourself a couple of hours to get to Crazy Horse (go left on Route 16). A couple of hours at Crazy Horse including lunch (the Indian taco is quite good). Head back the way you came on Route 16 - this will bring you around the back side of Mount Rushmore which is interesting from a different perspective. That will take you 45 minutes to an hour depending on stops. Mount Rushmore for a few hours. Make sure to at least do the walk that goes to the base of the monument. If you want to drive the Iron Mountain Road (16A) back to Custer I would highly recommend doing it in daylight as it's a bit hairy. In a few weeks sunset should be around 9pm so you could even catch the gunfight at Ruby's at 5:30pm( http://www.historicrubyhouse.com/entertainment.html ) in Keystone just down the road from Mount Rushmore.
We like to have a meal in the State Game Lodge. It's a bit pricey, but the food is good and it's just got a *feel* about it. If you're staying in cabins there it's just a short walk past a field where we have often seen buffalo.
Here's a map - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...1&ie=UTF8&z=11
For the Badlands we like to stop at Wall Drug on the way. It's a super kitsch massive drug store in Wall. If you take the 90 from Custer you won't miss it!
There is a wildlife safari and chuckwagon cookout from the State Game Lodge. I think we had to be there around 5pm to do that. We saw well over 1000 buffalo - it was spectacular - and the cookout was great fun. We did this on the same day as Badlands the last time we went. It was a very long day (about 2 1/2 hr each way to Badlands plus 3 hours there and another hour at Wall) but it's doable if you're trying to fit in a lot.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...81&ie=UTF8&z=9
Have a great time - South Dakota is Fantasic!
You can do Needles, Iron Mountain Rd, Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore in one day if you're energetic and don't necessarily want to see one of the night time events at Mt Rushmore or Crazy Horse. The Mt Rushmore is a very patriotic event and it's all lit up - pretty cool but the world won't end if you miss it imho. The Crazy Horse one is a laser show - I've never seen that one.
If you started out in the morning and drive the Needles Highway (Rt 87) giving yourself a couple of hours to get to Crazy Horse (go left on Route 16). A couple of hours at Crazy Horse including lunch (the Indian taco is quite good). Head back the way you came on Route 16 - this will bring you around the back side of Mount Rushmore which is interesting from a different perspective. That will take you 45 minutes to an hour depending on stops. Mount Rushmore for a few hours. Make sure to at least do the walk that goes to the base of the monument. If you want to drive the Iron Mountain Road (16A) back to Custer I would highly recommend doing it in daylight as it's a bit hairy. In a few weeks sunset should be around 9pm so you could even catch the gunfight at Ruby's at 5:30pm( http://www.historicrubyhouse.com/entertainment.html ) in Keystone just down the road from Mount Rushmore.
We like to have a meal in the State Game Lodge. It's a bit pricey, but the food is good and it's just got a *feel* about it. If you're staying in cabins there it's just a short walk past a field where we have often seen buffalo.
Here's a map - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...1&ie=UTF8&z=11
For the Badlands we like to stop at Wall Drug on the way. It's a super kitsch massive drug store in Wall. If you take the 90 from Custer you won't miss it!
There is a wildlife safari and chuckwagon cookout from the State Game Lodge. I think we had to be there around 5pm to do that. We saw well over 1000 buffalo - it was spectacular - and the cookout was great fun. We did this on the same day as Badlands the last time we went. It was a very long day (about 2 1/2 hr each way to Badlands plus 3 hours there and another hour at Wall) but it's doable if you're trying to fit in a lot.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...81&ie=UTF8&z=9
Have a great time - South Dakota is Fantasic!
Jun 11th, 2009, 04:58 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,900
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I hope your plan is doable in 2-3 days; we're planning on doing much of it in one!
So here's a question for those of you who've been there: We are staying the night at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park. The next day we will drive some of the scenic routes there in the Park, either to or from Mt Rushmore, spend some time at the monument, go to Crazy Horse, and then end up (late that night?) in Spearfish (so we can get on the road to Yellowstone early the next morning). My question is --can you suggest which roads in Custer State Park to drive on to and from Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse and in what sort of order? I've sorta got Needles and Iron Mountain penciled in, but wondered what would be most logical. And is the night illumination of the monument really missable? We haven't decided whether to stick around for that or not--looks like it might not be done til nearly 10?
So here's a question for those of you who've been there: We are staying the night at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park. The next day we will drive some of the scenic routes there in the Park, either to or from Mt Rushmore, spend some time at the monument, go to Crazy Horse, and then end up (late that night?) in Spearfish (so we can get on the road to Yellowstone early the next morning). My question is --can you suggest which roads in Custer State Park to drive on to and from Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse and in what sort of order? I've sorta got Needles and Iron Mountain penciled in, but wondered what would be most logical. And is the night illumination of the monument really missable? We haven't decided whether to stick around for that or not--looks like it might not be done til nearly 10?
Jun 13th, 2009, 04:20 PM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 506
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
texasbookworm - if you want to do both needles and iron mountain you're going to have to backtrack at some point. So I would suggest needles to crazy horse, needles back to custer state park to iron mountain to mt rushmore. It's about 1h15m to Spearfish from Mt Rushmore but not a bad drive as a lot is on the 90. The evening program at Mount Rushmore is only about 20 minutes so you could probably be out of there by 9:30 if you were keen (and sat at the back of the stadium).
