Need Help with Itinerary Planning for South Dakota and Yellowstone
 

We are two couples in our 70s, planning to fly into Rapid City SD in September 2016. Would like to spend a couple of days in that area then drive to Yellowstone where we would stay a week visiting the park and doing a daytrip to Grand Teton. Then back to Rapid City to return the car and fly home. We have about two weeks total for the trip but could add a day or two.

Our friends have been to Yellowstone and recommend staying in West Yellowstone where they have stayed before in a condo. We need to reserve something soon for the week there. Any recommendations for something there or somewhere else convenient for touring the area would be welcome. Looking for something under $200/night for a 2-bedroom. Is that doable?

What I'm really trying to figure out is what to do in South Dakota and on the way to and from Yellowstone. Of course we want to see Mount Rushmore and the other top sites, but would love to hear recommendations from Fodorites for what to see in SD and along the routes to and from Yellowstone.

My husband and I were there about a year ago on a driving trip going from Portland, Oregon to St. Louis and back so we were in a little more of a hurry then you guys (your way is so much better, we're going to do that from now on where you fly somewhere first then rent the car) :-) We went to Mt. Rushmore, but on the way out of Rapid City we drove through a drive through animal park. That may not be for some people but we thought it was really cool to get to drive right next to all the bears and other wildlife. We got some great pictures! Also, don't know if any of you would be interested but about 25 miles from Rapid City is the town of Sturgis, we went to their motorcycle museum and thought it was pretty awesome to see all these different motorcycles from about 1910 on up! Didn't stay in Yellowstone but drove through it and we started from West Yellowstone, and that looks like a great place to stay and then drive into the park from there. Hope you have a great trip! We got some great wildlife viewing while driving through there!

Also, don't know if you guys golf but there are at least five or six courses in Rapid City to play if you're into golf. :-)

Distances in Yellowstone are greater than they might appear. Imwould stay in the park if possible, but it might be too late for that. We stayed at the Old Faithful ldge cabins.

Did you check the price on flying to a different airport such as Butte or Bozeman including the car rental?
See Yellowstone first and then decide if it is worth it to drive a full day over to the Rapid City/Mt. Rushmore area.
If the weather is good, you might want to drive Alt. 14 to or from Cody WY.
If you go through NE Wyoming stop to see Devil's Tower.

There is a ton of interesting things to see and do in Rapid City and the Black Hills. I recommend you order the free South Dakota Vacation Guide from www.travelsouthdakota.com I would allow at least 5 - 7 days for visiting this area.

If you take the northern route to Yellowstone NP through Montana, you will go right by the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. This is well worth a visit. Allow at least 2 - 3 hours.

Maine, it a very long days drive from Rapid City to West Yellowstone. I highly recommend staying in Yellowstone Park itself. The speed limits in park really make it tedious to commute to and from the park. I also would stay in the Tetons, not commute.
Cody Wyoming has a museum that is worth a few hours.
Devils Tower is worth a few hours.
Little Bighorn is worth a few hours.
Otherwise there is a whole lotta nothing between the two Parks.

Thanks so much for all this good information. I have ordered the South Dakota Vacation Guide and map, and will certainly need to spend some time choosing sites to visit and driving routes.

In South Dakota, Deadwood is of course super touristy, but it has its Wild West charm, and you can try your luck at the casinos that are new gambling halls.

I liked the Badlands, which can be done in a day trip from Rapid City. Same with Devils Tower, but a much longer drive.

We spent 6 nights in Yellowstone - 2 nights in Old Faithful area, 2 nights in Mammoth and 2 in Canyon, and it worked out well. The park is huge and it really is nice being in the park for peak wildlife viewing. We were there in early Sept and experienced so many amazing wildlife sightings - grizzlies, wolves, coyotes, herds of bison, osprey and eagles, fox and big horn sheep, rutting elk (very exciting!)
Be sure to walk the trails around Old Faithful area very early morning...magical! The thermal features were even more amazing that I expected.
I'm so glad you are devoting a week to Yellowstone - you won't regret it. As others have suggested, a night or two in the Tetons is really worthwhile. We enjoyed some wonderful moose watching near Signal Mountain and Oxbow Bend.

Yellowstone Park has many wonderful sights & experiences for you to explore. We also enjoyed staying in West Yellowstone as our base. It's a small town with numerous lodging, restaurants & shops. Try The Buffalo Bar or Madison Crossing for great food.
Since you asked more about SD Black Hills recommendations, I would suggest these:

Lodging: If staying for a couple days, I would drive out of Rapid City to stay. Hill City is centralized & a good base to stay for day trips. We enjoyed the Golden Spike Best Western (ask for rooms/suite in the new addition). It's standard lodging, but clean, comfortable, safe & good location.

Food: The Alpine Inn in Hill City has a Bavarian menu and great sweets! The lodges within Custer State Park also had good food.

Attractions: Mt. Rushmore (1/2 day), Crazy Horse Monument & Museum (1/2 day)- Jewel Cave (couple hours; can buy tickets in advance) - Mammoth Dig Site (allow 1/2 day to include drive down/back thru Wind Cave Park; pretty drive; will see bison, pronghorn antelope, etc. - Dig Site is an actual, active prehistoric mammoth sinkhole with many fossils, enclosed in a building). These are my top four, and are easy 1/2 or day trips from Hill City. Custer State Park will be a wildlife drive with lodges along the way - The Needles area is a tight, winding area with views and Sylvan Lake nearby - Custer, Hill City & Keystone are little tourist towns that may close some of their shops after Labor Day. Deadwood used to be more historic, but the gambling casinos took a good deal of that away. You can still visit the gravesites of Calamity Jane & Wild Bill Hickock, the local museum, stroll the streets, etc.