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mccoydetlef's avatar
mccoydetlef
Explorer
Sep 04, 2020

trip to mt rushmore

Leaving virginia on sepy 15 stoping at the ark then branson then arriving at mt rushmore sept 24 then vegas sept 29 sams town for a week then williams az to take train to grand canyon OK Any help ideas or whats shut down and safe

27 Replies

  • Ball parking...6-9 driving days depending on how hard you push, so not a good hard push but not unreasonable with 14 days.

    If you aren't pressed for time, adding a few days could provide some nice additions like in Utah: Brice and Zion NPs
  • Do Meteor Crater and "and Stand on the corner of Winslow AZ and look for a girl in a red Ford truck" Good Flying J in Winslow and dry camping at the lake a few miles out of town.
  • Almost nothing is shut down in South Dakota. No mask mandates, and some businesses seem to be taking social distancing more serious than others. We were there in June. Visited Mt Rushmore on a Monday around dinner time and it was not busy at all. Had great meals at Desperado's in Hill City (close to where you are if you're staying at the Rushmore KOA), and at Mt Rushmore Brewery and Custer Wolf in Custer. Desperado's was operating business as usual, and it was very crowded for Sat night dinner, but not for a weekday lunch. The Custer restaurants had limited capacity and more space between tables. We went to Deadwood on a Tuesday and it was less crowded, and had a late lunch at Deadwood Social Club which is above Saloon 10. Had drinks at Saloon 10 but it started getting crowded around 5:00. If you like breweries and wineries, Miner Brewing/Prairie Berry Winery are next to each other outside of Hill City and have a huge outdoor area that's really nice and not crowded.
  • Here's a little Mt Rushmore tip- be sure to drive 244 around the west end of the monument, as the profile view, which puts you closer to the actual monument, is very impressive. Happy travels!