Looking for South Dakota recommendations

Lurker · 01-06-2015, 09:22 PM

Hello,

I hope everyone has has a great holiday! I am starting to plan for warmer weather (since the weather people are calling for 30 below wind chills tomorrow) and my wife wants to go to South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, and the badlands and we are looking at other attractions. WE have a 9 year old so some stuff needs to be fun (and educational) for him, and a 2 year old labbie (half lab, half beagle...and a lot of attitude)so it must be pert friendly. What can you recommend? Places to stay, maybe less known attractions or other fun things in the area. WE are thinking late June and early July to avoid the Sturgis festivities (although if I can talk my wife into a toy hauler I will bring my Buell XB12X).

Thanks in advance,

Lurker

oldmanAZ · 01-07-2015, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lurker

... snip ... South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, and the badlands and we are looking at other attractions. WE have a 9 year old so some stuff needs to be fun (and educational) for him... snip ...

Of course you will include a stop at Wall Drug, won't you?

Years ago we made a similar trip (but longer) with our 2 boys (7 & 11... ages, not names

).
We included Dinosaur National Monument, Yellowstone, and river raft ride on the Snake River in Jackson Hole area. The youngest got a kick out of Dinosaur and the oldest liked the river rafting. But to be honest, the most important thing to both boys was having a pool each night along the way.

kvangil · 01-07-2015, 09:28 AM

We made the exact same trip this past July, and it was a blast for our 4 young kids (age 2 to 11). We pulled our x23B from Chicago to SD through MN. On the way to our destination, we drove through the Badlands with camper in tow. It's an awesome sight, with the kids climbing all over the rock formations. It could get windy and the dust/dirt blows if that's the case, so pack sunglasses for everyone just in case, lest you get debris in your eyes. The Badlands tour took us about 3-4 hours, as we were in and out of the truck to look at wildlife and scenery. We then stopped at Wall Drug, but honestly was not that impressed.... Made it to our destination about 2 hours later--we stayed at Custer State Park in SD; stayed at the Game Lodge campground; terrific park, terrific scenery, very relaxing and enjoyable. I had posted a synopsis of our trip on here somewhere. I'll link it here shortly. Once you setup camp, you can do the Needles drive, hang out at the beach on Sylvan Lake, of course there's Rushmore, drive the wildlife loop at Custer and go off on a dirt road somewhere to explore... On our way, we made overnight stops at the Jackson KOA in Jackson, MN, and the Camp America in Salem, SD. Both were nice places for an overnight stay; the host at Camp America was kind enough to provide us with grease to grease up our noisy Equal-I-Zer hitch.

Enjoy your trip!!

kvangil · 01-07-2015, 09:33 AM

Here you go...

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=20745

OurJayco · 01-08-2015, 01:19 PM

We made a trip there 4 years ago and stayed at Rafter J Bar Ranch campground and would HIGHLY recommend this location to anyone and everyone.

http://www.rafterj.com/

We went to several different places including the Presidential Slide in Keystone,
Custer State Park, Deadwood, Needles Hwy and others that I can't remember at this time. There is an attraction that they say "Gravity is missing or forgotten in this place".
The name escapes right now, but I say, SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! I was not very fond of this attraction and wish we went somewhere else, but I did it.

MikeNChelle · 01-08-2015, 01:34 PM

We are planning this same trip later this year as well.

Jagiven · 01-08-2015, 02:48 PM

great trip. I like the Custer Area, just wish it was a little closer. Check out the Mamoth dig site in Hot Springs, it is about 30 minutes south of Custer SP. they have a great program for kids to do a "dig" for replica mammoth bones. Our son had a blast and wanted to do it multiple times. There are a couple of cave tours you can do, I like Windcave the best, if I recall it is between Custer and Hot Springs. In Hill City there is the 1880's train, you can take a ride through the mountains. I do not recall where it went to.

Personally, I like Crazy Horse better than Mount Rushmore, take the bus tour it is cheap and you get up a bit closer to the monument. You must do Rushmore with the kids, it is really built up now, even with parking ramps in the middle of no where.

I like to stay in Custer State Park, I do not recall the name of the camp ground, but it is near the west entrance, closest to Custer.

silverark · 01-08-2015, 04:42 PM

I believe that is Stockade Lake near Custer SD. I used to live in Rapid City. Air Force brought me there. The Black Hills are great, my DW and I would even go into Custer State Park when fresh snow covered the hills. any of the campgrounds in the State Park are good. I prefer Hill City area due to less congestion. So go camp, explore the hills and make sure you do the Spearfish Canyon tour, another great place is Hot Springs SD, south of the Hills along with Wind Cave national park.
Happy Trails.

Jagiven · 01-08-2015, 07:32 PM

Stockade Lake is the CG I like, it was even better before they put in electric sites. If you look at the road maps there is a back way to the wildlife loop.

Camping Couple · 01-08-2015, 08:18 PM

We are all booked for a 2-1/2 week stay at Custers Gulch Campground starting the week after the Sturgis bike week. We are looking for any suggestions for a campground to stay at overnight about half way to South Dakota. We will be driving from Michigan and traveling on I-80. I'm guessing somewhere in Sioux Falls?

hayman · 01-08-2015, 08:57 PM

I 29 will take you to Sioux Falls, I 80 is about 150 miles south by Omaha Nebraska.
Jellystone campground a few miles E of Sioux Falls is a good campground.
Level sites and kids activities.
By Rapid City there is Bear Country and Reptile Gardens.
Just relax and enjoy yourself. The hills are beautiful.
Hayman

redenbacher · 01-08-2015, 10:03 PM

Didn't camp on my trip so I can't give you good campground recommendations but here is my thoughts on sites to see (East to West)
Sioux Falls - falls in the downtown area
Mitchell - Corn Palace
Visitor's Center at the Missouri River
Wall Drug - good for a 15 minute stop
Black Hills NP
Rushmore, Custer NP
Spearfish Canyon w/ stops in Lead and Deadwood (one of the most beautiful drives I ever been on)

Lurker · 01-12-2015, 11:07 AM

Thanks for posting the information, some good ideas here to help guide us on this adventure.

sailor · 01-12-2015, 03:37 PM

x2 on the Rafter J Bar Ranch- also check out the Minute Man Missile site near the Badlands. Call ahead for a tour reservation as the tours are limited to a few people at a time. http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm

Flyrotor · 01-12-2015, 10:39 PM

There is a wax museum in Rapid City, don't recall the name, but I remember going there as a teenager, also, at Mt Rushmore my dad bought my brother and I a helicopter tour around the monument, it was awesome

Lurker · 01-15-2015, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailor

x2 on the Rafter J Bar Ranch- also check out the Minute Man Missile site near the Badlands. Call ahead for a tour reservation as the tours are limited to a few people at a time. http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm

I know I would be interested in the Minute Man tours!!!

Thanks again everyone for the recommendations

crocket · 01-17-2015, 09:23 PM

Check out this web site. This campground is located by Sioux Falls. We have never camped there but looks like fun. We usually just camp in the northeast area of the state since that is where we live.
http://jellystonesiouxfalls.com/
Darla

Jaycamper · 01-17-2015, 11:00 PM

We are planning a trip to South Dakota this summer also. Made reservations at horse thief campground a week ago. It's not far from Rafter. Seems to be a great central location to most attractions. We can't wait!

brdbrain2day · 01-28-2015, 08:48 AM

Hello from the Chicagoland area!
I've been putting together same trip the last few days. It's nice to see folks recomending the places I just booked- Yogi in Sioux Falls, SD for way there, Custer State Park (North Stockade Lake loop was recomended by a friend), and the KOA in Jackson, MN for a layover/laundry stop before our last State Park on way home. Anyone ever been to Pikes Peak State Park in IA?
We try to do 1 new Yogi a season with our 7yr old. Yogi and KOAs great for kids between State Park type campgrounds (plus you can get some laundry done).
A few coworkers mentioned Wall Drug. We might check that out. I'm also looking into Chuck wagon cookouts.
This will be our second season with our x23b. Can't wait!

JPBeck · 01-28-2015, 10:02 AM

We go to the Black Hills every summer. We stay at a campground called Whispering Pines. It's quiet and in between Dead Wood (which is blah) and Mnt. Rushmore. By this summer the owners are putting in a pool, which should be nice, though I don't know how warm it will get. The park has WIFI at the general store/ cafe. There's a large field that's attached where you can let your friendly dog off leash.
http://www.blackhillscampresort.com/
The Pactola reservoir is a couple miles away too, which is great for fishing, and swimming.

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