dhicks3

I am planning on travelling to South Dakota in late May with my nine year old nephew. Does anyone have any suggestions as to lodging that would be convenient for several attractions? Thanks

quimbymoy

if you are planning to go to badlands national park, you could stay in wall, sd near the pinnacles entrance. there are a number of motels in that town. plus you could visit prairie dog town and see the fat, overfed prairie dogs.

then a little further west, you could stay in custer or keystone (we liked custer better, less touristy) and go to custer state park (your nephew would enjoy the wildlife loop road - hopefully you'll see bison and the beggin' burros!), mount rushmore, crazy horse memorial and perhaps wind cave national park to see the boxwork caves (if he's into that kind of stuff).

ARKANSASNURSE

If your trip is taking you to the Black Hills try the Mountainview Lodge in Hill City. We stayed a week, and had a cabin with a bedroom and loftbed. A gas grill on the deck and a fire pit next to the drive way. Marilyn the owner has smores and cocoa by the campfire on fRiday night. A must do is the chuckwagon supper and show between Rapid City and Hill City on Hwy 16. It has the set of Dances with Wolves on site and is wonderful. My husband and son didn't want to go, but now consider it the best meal of the trip. You will enjoy a drive around the Needles byway. you can get out of your auto and climb the large rocks and formations. hill City is also close to Custer, Rushmore, and Crazy Horse. Please post a report when you return. For Mountain view lodge go to www.mountainviewlodge.com

mlm59

We will also be traveling to South Dakota in late May. We know we will visit the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park. We are still deciding on the other places to visit. We are considering a side trip to Hot Springs to tour the Wild Horse Sanctuary and the Mammoth Site. We also are considering a visit to Deadwood. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions as to which places would be most enjoyable to visit.

small_town_girl

If you go to Custer, SD check out the Flintstones attraction. I was there as a kid & then took my own a few years back...just as fun as ever! In Rapid City there's a drive through zoo called Bears USA that my kids found very enjoyable. In Rapid City there's also Reptile Gardens, a water park, & the Rotary Club does a fun theme park for kids each year... Lots of stuff in Rapid City for kids of all ages. It's one of our favorite family vacation spots....

placeu2

When we did this trip a couple of years age, we stayed in Deadwood for a couple of nights and Keystone for 1. We did the major things but did a 1/2 day side trip to Devils Tower in WY..well worth it! You can take a easy to walk path all around it. It is likely that you will be able to see wildlife and rock climbers. Youngsters can scramble on some rocks/boulders if they want to.

reneeinva

I do not have any lodging suggestions, but some of my best childhood memories are from the South Dakota trip I took with my family when I was nine. In particular, Crazy Horse was just a huge rock when we went and I remember all of us looking at the model and then the rock and thinking 'yeah, right!" But now I look at it and feel old! Have a wonderful, wonderful trip!

I had totally forgotten about the Flintstone thing!