Ingalls Homestead and Mount Rushmore
We are planning a family trip out to Mount Rushmore, and possibly Yellowstone. I was wondering if anyone has stayed at the ingalls homestead in Desmet SD? The place sounds like a great place to visi...
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
