South Dakota - what to do?
 

My friend & I will be going to SD on Sat July 29 - Aug. 3. We don't have a whole bunch of money. What should we be sure to see & do? Where to stay that won't break us? What are some good restaurants?

Of course we plan on seeing Mt. Rushmore & Custer state park. We've never been outwest & don't know what to expect.

We'd really appreciate your input.

Thanks, Lisa

Badlands National Park is scenic. Deadwood City in the Black Hills is an old west town that still has gambling.

Custer State Park is a great place. Scenic drives, bison and other wild life.

Utahtea

stay at the Chief Motel in Custer...doesn't look like much from the outside but it's inexpensive, very clean and comfy & the proprieters are very friendly & nice. I stayed 4 nights there. The restaurant next to it has decent food for a reasonable price and a variety on the menu...I'd call it a 'family dining' kind of place. Custer State Park and the Black Hills are very pretty. Have a great time.

I forgot to mention that we'll be flying into Sioux Falls & renting a car to drive to Rapid City area. Does anyone know any good stops along the way?

The Corn Palace in Mitchell SD for a stop. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/SDMITcorn.html

..after you get to the Black hills.

http://www.blackhillstouristinfo.com/

I will second the town of Custer as a good place to stay.

For a real fun stop, Wall Drug in Wall, S.D. WWW.walldrug.com
Do you know how far Rapid City is from Sioux Falls?

I hope you have reservations already. The Sturgis bike rally starts Aug 7 and am sure a number of bikers will already be in the area. Just like the price of gas, hotel rooms go up when a major event takes place.

No, we don't have reservations already. I was hoping to get some good leads for places to stay on here. Do you really think we're going to have a lot of trouble?

Lisa

I would book immediately if you are going the same time as Sturgis. It will be very, very crowded.

Good luck.
Taitai

This years bike rally is 7-13 August.

http://rally.sturgis.sd.us/

Try to get your motel in the southern part of the BH. We have camped in Custer State Park and stayed in the town of Custer during the Rally and have had no problems even without reservations. I would say the Dakota Cowboy Motel on the west side of town is a good place to stay. Our rooms were less than $100 a night.

http://www.custersd.com/accommodations.html

We are going to be in Custer area from July 30 - Aug. 3 so hopefully we'll miss most of the the rally crowd.

I just made reservations at the Rockcrest Lodge. They didn't have a cabin available so we had to get a lodge room. Does anyone know anything about this place? Good or Bad? Would the Chief Motel be better?

We can't afford over $100 per night place.

Thanks, Lisa

Lisa

We have never stayed in a Motel in Custer that was bad, and we have stayed in at least a half dozen or so..... The price range has been from less than $50 to $100+. All have been clean and well maintained. Some were a little more spartan than others. We will be in the BH the same time, camping in the Center Lake CG, Custer State Park. Don't forget to wave as you go by..

Redrock & everyone,

Thanks for your help. I just get so overwhelmed with so many choices & I only get 1 vacation a year. I want it to be the best. That's why I come to this board!

Thanks again, Lisa

Feel free to make any further suggestions too.

I am from Mitchell, SD and have a cabin at Terry Peak (ski area) a couple miles from Lead, which is a couple miles from Deadwood. doglover888, you will love Custer, there is so much to do and see, just ask waitresses, hotel staff, etc. Needles Highway is AWESOME and in the Park. Sylvan Lake is a great paddle boat lake, hiking around the lake by climbing on boulders, etc. (not strenous - we did it 12 yrs. ago with small children). I think the answer to another post may have been, Buffalo Burgers at Wall Drug - not absolute though. Driving through the Bad Lands, if you have and extra 1/2 hr. is beautiful. Mt. Rushmore will be the highlight. Enjoy. It is 5 hrs. from Sioux Falls to Rapid City on I-90.

Dyer,

You're a peach even if you're not from SC like me! You're from one south state & from the other. This will be the furthest I've ever gone from SC, so I really appreciate everyone's help - you're all peaches!

Is the weather going to be as hot in SD as it is here? I checked the weather today in SD & it was a cool 82 I think. Down here in July, we'd call that a cold snap. We topped out with a very moist 98.

Lisa

Lisa: Here is the SD portion of my trip last summer including motels & restaurants. I don't like spending alot on motels & the restaurants were pretty cheap. You will see that we saw some shows that included dinner. Have a great time. We loved SD!

Hot Springs:
Wind Cave NP
Natural Entrance Cave Tour

Custer:
Heritage Village

CUSTER FRENCH CREEK INN
Heritage Village Dinner & Show
Crazy Horse Legends in Light Laser Show

Custer:

Custer SP/Harney Range
Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway
Buffalo Herd

Jewel Cave NM
Lantern Tour

Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
Needles Highway
Iron Mountain Rd
SD244 (behind Mt Rushmore)

Crazy Horse Memorial
orientation center/movie
sculptors studio
mountain sculpture
Indian Museum
Native American Cultural Center

KEYSTONE MINERS MOTEL
Pitchfork Fondue Dinner & Show
Mt Rushmore Illumination

Keystone:

Mt Rushmore NM
VC
Lincoln-Borglum Museum
“The Shrine”: movie & exhibit hall
Sculptors Studio
Presidential Trail

Keystone Museum

Rushmore Borglum Story/Borglum Historical Center

Rapid City:

Mt Rushmore Gold Factory

Journey Museum

RAPID CITY MOTEL 6
Circle B Chuckwagon Supper & Show

Wall:

Wall Drug

Wounded Knee Museum

National Grasslands VC

Cactus Flat:

Minuteman Missile NHS

Prairie Homestead Historic Site/White Prairie Dog Town

Interior:

Badlands NP
Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway
Ben Reifel VC
Door Trail
Window Trail
Notch Trail
Pinnacles OL
Yellow Mounds OL
Conata Basin OL
Burns OL
White River Rim OL
Sage Creek Rim Rd
Norbeck Pass
Cedar Pass

Deadwood:

Old Style Saloon #10/Shooting of Wild Bill Hickok

Trial of Jack McCall/Main St Masonic Temple

DEADWOOD FIRST GOLD HOTEL/Taco Johns
Shooting of Wild Bill
Trial of Jack McCall

Historic Hotels: Fairmont, Bullock, Franklin

3 Statues of Wild Bill: Mt Moriah grave, 4 Aces Casino, courtyard

4 Aces Gunslingers Show

Days of ’76 Museum

Adams Museum

Mt Moriah Cemetery

Tatanka: Story of the Bison Sculpture & Educational Center

Old Deadwood Set

Eagle Bar/Original Saloon #10

Deadwood History & Information Center

Celebrity Hotel Hollywood Memorabilia & Car Museum

Midnight Star Kevin Costner Museum

Spearfish:

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

If you have never been out West, it is a great thrill to see a wild buffalo. Ask the rangers at the Badlands where you can see one; there are some dirt roads that wind throught the Badlands and we have seen buffalo by driving out there.