Ingalls Homestead and Mount Rushmore

michigansandzilla wrote:
Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse
Wind Cave
Jewel Cave
Badlands National Park
Mammoth site in Hot Springs
Custer State Park
Haven't been to these places yet, but they are on my itinerary for our visit in 2016.

This is just a small amount of the things to see in this area.

Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse
Wind Cave
Jewel Cave
Badlands National Park
Mammoth site in Hot Springs
Custer State Park
Haven't been to these places yet, but they are on my itinerary for our visit in 2016.

We did not stay at the CG, but plan on spending the better part of a day at the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet. We also toured the house in town and the Surveyor's House. Great stuff for the kids (ours were 12 & 9 at the time and we still talk about the things we did there....that was back in 2004).

Rushmore - we stayed at the Palmer Gulch KOA a few mile down the road from the monument. Many here on the Forum prefer Rafter J Bar CG but again, with kids the KOA might be a better choice. Lots of stuff for kids to do - the usual things like a pool, water slide, game room, etc. BUT they also rent horses there and give guided tours on horseback. Free shuttle service to the monument. I'll suggest taking in the monument during the day AND go back at night for the lighting ceremony. MOST impressive.

Yellowstone - by all means do it if you have enough time. Four days would give you enough time to take in the major highlights, like Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Firehole River, etc. Rent a boat and go out on the lake for a couple of hours. Be sure you have warm clothing and a good supply of LP for the furnace. Nighttime temperatures can routinely dip into the 30's even in July. Also, stock up on food and other consumables before you get in to the park; the trading posts have very limited selections of brands & sizes and what is available is VERY expensive.

Enjoy & safe travels.

Jim Shoe wrote:
Over the years, I've built a data set for "(State name) Tourism" for most states that I intend to drive through. South Dakota's is one of the best sites. Some things would interest you, some for your girls, some for all and some not at all, but it gives you pictures and a brief description of 48 of them. When I enter a state, I stop at the first rest area/visitors center I come to. Gives me a chance to stretch my legs, check out the brochures on the wall, and find out if there are any reported road problems.
PS - Skip the "Ripley's Believe it or not" Brochure. The answer is "Not".

I agree about skipping Sturgis. I know you want your girls to grow up, but not THAT fast.

Over the years, I've built a data set for "(State name) Tourism" for most states that I intend to drive through. South Dakota's is one of the best sites. Some things would interest you, some for your girls, some for all and some not at all, but it gives you pictures and a brief description of 48 of them. When I enter a state, I stop at the first rest area/visitors center I come to. Gives me a chance to stretch my legs, check out the brochures on the wall, and find out if there are any reported road problems.
PS - Skip the "Ripley's Believe it or not" Brochure. The answer is "Not".

Not sure when you are planning your trip but keep in mind the Sturgis motorcycly rally is the first week in august. It's the 75th so they are predicting a very large crowd this year.

Near DeSmet we stayed at the Lake Thompson Recreation area. Great spot

We stayed here also last summer on the way out to Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore. Much nicer than camping in a dusty field at the Laura Engels place. We almost stayed there, and now so glad that we didn't.

Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD is an interesting place. You can walk right through the dig itself.
Mammoth Site

Add the museum at the School of Mines in Rapid City to your list of places to see, a very special exhibit of prehistoric fossils found in the WY/MT/ND/SD region. Your girls are old enough to gain an appreciation for the dinosaurs on display. Very inexpensive

Near DeSmet we stayed at the Lake Thompson Recreation area. Great spot