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RedLionCookie's avatar
RedLionCookie
Explorer
Feb 22, 2019

Bad Lands/Black Hills/ Yellowstone Vacation

I'm starting to plan our summer vacation and I'm looking for advice/recommendations. My wife and I are in our 50's and it's just her and I and the dog. We live in PA and I'm a high school teacher. My wife works in the insurance business. I obviously have more vacation time than she does.

Here's my rough plan. The dog and I are going to leave Pa on Sunday June 30th and head west.

My wife will catch a flight and catch up with us in Rapid City on Wednesday July 3rd. I've heard the rodeo in Belle Fouche on the 4th of July is really nice. We are planning on attending that. After that we don't have any specific plans other than we want to visit Mt. Rushmore, The Bad Lands, The Black Hills and then move on to Yellowstone.

I will put my wife on a plan to head home on either Friday the 12th or Saturday the 13th. Not sure if she will fly home from Rapid City or Salt Lake.

So I'm looking for recommendations.
How much time should we plan to spend in SD before moving on to Yellowstone?
Would you recommend we stay in one campground in SD or should I plan on moving once or twice?

Where do you recommend we stay in SD?

What is the best way to see Yellowstone? I know that is vague but if you can give me some ideas I would appeciate it.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Dave
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Feb 22, 2019
    We did something like that except I picked up my wife at Bozeman airport some thing you may want to consider as the point for her to fly out of unless you want to go to SLC.

    As for the Black Hills there are basically these main spots to see:
    Rushmore--no more than a half day
    There are two caves- a half day at each
    Custer State Park-- A day or so and it's the prime place to stay
    Badlands NP- Can just be a drive thru plus stopping at various pull outs or longer if you are going to do the trails. Wall drug is in the same area for a hour or two of tourist glitze.
    There are other sites but I'd skip them if you want to maximize your time at YNP. There are many private CG in the Badlands.

    Think about the short detour to see Devil's Tower on the way to YNP.

    There is no best way to see YNP. We have spent maybe 6 weeks there over the years and still haven't seen it all. But concentrate on the geyser basins, spend a day at each of them. Then there are a lot of other places to see if you have time. A day trip to Tetons is something to think about.

    Let me warn you if you don't have reservations by now you could have a problem. The main CG in YNP--Fishing Bridge will be closed for renovations.
  • RGar974417's avatar
    RGar974417
    Explorer
    Feb 22, 2019
    I would plan about 4 days in Black Hills. I would stay in Custer State Park. Rafter J is nice but much more expensive. Spend a day doing the Wildlife Loop and driving Iron Mountain Highway in Custer State Park. Spend another day at Wall Drug and badlands National Park. Spend another day visiting Bear Country USA and the Cosmos.Then relax for a day. In Yellowstone there is so much to see. I would spend at least 4 days there. Stop at all the visitor centers. Old Faithful is a must and try to eat in The Inn at Old Faithful.The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is neat as is Mammoth Hot Springs.We stayed in Madison Campground.No hookups but they allow generators during certain hours.It's centrally located. If you haven't made reservations yet, you should do it NOW!
  • CloudDriver's avatar
    CloudDriver
    Explorer
    Feb 22, 2019
    Rather than driving back to Rapid City for your wife's flight home, have her catch a flight out of Jackson Hole. That way you would have 1-2 days longer to explore Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

    If you can't get camping reservations inside Yellowstone or want FHU, my suggestion would be the campgrounds in West Yellowstone. We like Grizzly RV Park, which is less than a mile from the Park's west entrance.
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Feb 23, 2019
    CloudDriver wrote:
    Rather than driving back to Rapid City for your wife's flight home, have her catch a flight out of Jackson Hole. That way you would have 1-2 days longer to explore Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

    If you can't get camping reservations inside Yellowstone or want FHU, my suggestion would be the campgrounds in West Yellowstone. We like Grizzly RV Park, which is less than a mile from the Park's west entrance.


    That's true they are near the west entrance but from there to the points of interest will be an hour long drive or more. Traffic is awful in the park, not as bad as GSMNP but still either stopped or moving at 20-30 mph. However unless you can camp with no hookups your options are limited.
  • Gonzo42's avatar
    Gonzo42
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2019
    We did Jellystone in Aug and were there for the eclipse. It was all fantastic and I think everyone should go there at least once.

    We stayed near West Yellowstone at a state park (Henry's Lake?) just outside of town, then moved to the Teton Lodge campground at the south entrance.

    Spent an extra several hours at Cody for the rodeo, which is basicly a show, not a real competition.

    Nearly got creamed by 2 elk at O dark hundred on the return trip.

    ONe of the best trips ever.
  • dodge_guy's avatar
    dodge_guy
    Explorer II
    Feb 23, 2019
    4-5 days in the Black Hills one of those driving through and seeing the badlands. then another 4-5 in Yellowstone. We seen everything we wanted to see in that time. I would also recommend heading down to the Tetons which My wife and I liked better than Yellowstone, we stayed there for 3 days.
    On our trip we only did Yellowstone, Tetons and Colorado springs/pikes peak area. We did the Black hills on a previous trip. the Badlands we did a drive through on both trips.

    If you pick up your wife in Rapid City it will be a drive back to the Badlands!
  • RedLionCookie's avatar
    RedLionCookie
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2019
    So I made a call and I now have reservations at the west gate mow from Monday the 8th until Saturday the 13th. I can make adjustments later if necessary but at least I have a start. Now I’ll focus on the beginning part of the trip. Thanks for all the advice. You’ve all been very helpful.
  • dieseltruckdriv's avatar
    dieseltruckdriv
    Explorer II
    Feb 23, 2019
    RedLionCookie wrote:
    I'm starting to plan our summer vacation and I'm looking for advice/recommendations. My wife and I are in our 50's and it's just her and I and the dog. We live in PA and I'm a high school teacher. My wife works in the insurance business. I obviously have more vacation time than she does.

    Here's my rough plan. The dog and I are going to leave Pa on Sunday June 30th and head west.

    My wife will catch a flight and catch up with us in Rapid City on Wednesday July 3rd. I've heard the rodeo in Belle Fouche on the 4th of July is really nice. We are planning on attending that. After that we don't have any specific plans other than we want to visit Mt. Rushmore, The Bad Lands, The Black Hills and then move on to Yellowstone.

    I will put my wife on a plan to head home on either Friday the 12th or Saturday the 13th. Not sure if she will fly home from Rapid City or Salt Lake.

    So I'm looking for recommendations.
    How much time should we plan to spend in SD before moving on to Yellowstone?
    Would you recommend we stay in one campground in SD or should I plan on moving once or twice?

    Where do you recommend we stay in SD?

    What is the best way to see Yellowstone? I know that is vague but if you can give me some ideas I would appeciate it.

    Thanks in advance for your help.
    Dave


    I have been living here in the Black Hills for 23 years, and still haven't seen everything there is to see here.

    1. Do you boondock, or do you want full hookups?
    2. How much time do you want to spend in the Hills and Yellowstone?
    3. Do you like caves?
    4. Do you like fishing?
    5. Do you like watching wildlife?
    6. Do you like gambling?

    The Belle Fourche rodeo is highly regarded, and on the 4th of July Ellsworth AFB normally does a flyover with a B-1B bomber. They also usually do a flyover of the reservoir.

    No one has even mentioned Spearfish Canyon, which the state is considering making a new state park. It can take anywhere from 1/2 hour just to say you were there, to a day, actually exploring. Spearfish Falls are a must see in my opinion, and most never see them, they don't even realize they drive within a couple hundred feet of them. This is about a half hour away from Belle Fourche.

    When it comes to Yellowstone, we don't really care for Mammoth, but absolutely love Norris Geyser Basin. And we love to boondock, and usually stay at the Madison Campground, but there are no hookups.
  • dieseltruckdriv's avatar
    dieseltruckdriv
    Explorer II
    Feb 23, 2019
    One other thing to mention, Belle Fourche will have a fireworks display, but if you make the hour drive to Lead, it is usually one of the best fireworks display you will ever see. There are others that last longer and do more "stuff", but when you are in the Lead city park and the big ones go off over the Open Cut, and then you get the echo from the surrounding terrain, it will be one you will always remember.

    It isn't famous, but the locals know how incredible it is, so the traffic doesn't usually clear for about an hour. :)

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