This coming summers big trip for DW and I will be to travel as quickly as is reasonable from home to relatives in the Minneapolis area for a short visit. Then the real fun begins. The ultimate goal is the Black Hills and surrounding area. So my trip planning questions are: What suggestions does anyone have for stuff to see between Minneapolis and the Black Hills that's outside of the usual "visitors guide" kinda stuff? Is there more worth seeing to stay off the big highway (I90)? The relatives are on US 212 west of Minneapolis - I could just drive straight west on that or I see US 14, too. No hurry in this part of the trip and we are even contemplating one or 2 nights boondocking - Possibly one of eth Grassland areas, but will go to a FHU site when we spend multiple days on one spot in the Black Hills.Thanks!

Unless you like crowds, reduced menus and double priced campsites, You should avoid the Black Hills at the end of July thru the middle of August. ;-)However, it is a great time to bring your Harley and experience the Sturgis Rally!I personally would go... Anytime! The Black Hills and the surrounding area are very special.Craig

cmoecmoe wrote:Unless you like crowds, reduced menus and double priced campsites, You should avoid the Black Hills at the end of July thru the middle of August. ;-)However, it is a great time to bring your Harley and experience the Sturgis Rally!I personally would go... Anytime! The Black Hills and the surrounding area are very special.CraigYeah, we're shooting for early June. I guess I should have put that in the first post.

The terrain is pretty flat until you hit the Black Hills. So it's the river valleys that provide the most points of interest. The Minnesota River makes a slow loop from the SD border to Mpls, while the Red River meanders north along the ND border to Canada.The Missouri River crosses the middle of SD, and has recreational dams, and L&C points of interest (including at the I90 crossing).Most of the attractions on I90 seem to have arisen as a way of taking advantage of the tourist traffic headed to the Hills (and Yellowstone). Wall Drug is the most notorious example of this.I'd check for state parks, and Corp of Engineers campgrounds. And look for roads the curve. There has to be a reason why they deviate from the normal grid pattern.

the spam musemum is closed until 2016 but the store is still opened. 701 18th Ave. NW, Austin, MN 55912kinda of neat place off of I90.

Just did this in reverse this last fall. We stayed at Wall to visit Badlands (very cool to see), stayed on the Missouri in Chamberlain, and cut up through backroads to Minneapolis. There are some scenic state parks but you are also in peak mosquito season.Check out Watertown SD, great parks, lakes, and museum. Pierre is another neat option with a nice campground in town and on the river Link

Minneapolis to the Black Hills -- any suggestions?

frizzen
Explorer
Jan 14, 2015
CloudDriver wrote:
If you are familiar with the Laura Ingalls books (think Little House on the Prairie), a stop at the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet SD may be of interest.

In Minneapolis you won't be far from the Laura Ingalls museum at Walnut Grove.

Be sure to stop at the overlook on the east side of the Missouri.

If you have anything hanging from your mirror, take it down in Minnesota. It gives them an excuse to execute a profile stop for vehichles with out of state tags. Ask me how I know.
dewey02
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2015
We are in Duluth, and we've made this trip a couple of times, most recently just last September. For variation, we went out through North Dakota and returned through South Dakota.

Other folks have already listed some great places. Corn Palace, Badlands, Wall Drugs. While at that exit, go a few blocks further west and visit the National Grasslands visitor center. Very nice exhibits on the grasslands, and very helpful staff that can direct you to some neat places. Minuteman missile site - they will have their new visitor center open in 2015 and it is right on the highway. Theodore Roosevelt NP was one of our favorite stops. See both north and south units. Dinosaur museum in N. Dakota. Don't miss the town of Medora, ND. Great historic places, a wonderful stage show and steak cook out.
If you're going to the Black Hills, try to do a meal at the Circle B Chuckwagon. Great food and wonderful family entertainment (family plays and sings western music). Bear Country USA, Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park. There are several scenic byways in both North and South Dakota that will take you off the interstates and let you see some of real America. You can find these on the internet, or by visiting the websites of the N or S Dakota tourism commissions, which I highly recommend that you do. They will send you loads of info.
Jim_Shoe
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
The Bakken Oil fields are still operating in North Dakota. Here's the story.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
just North of Sioux Falls is Devil's gulch, lore has it that Jesse James jumped the gulch to escape a posse or something like that. I plan on swinging by on one of my trips.
bumpy
Islandman
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
Maybe head west towards Bismarck ND, visit Mandan across the river where Lewis & clark spent the winter, then head over to Teddy Roosevelt NP. Some oilfield traffic around Dickinson, but really not bad at all. After you're done with ND, then head south to the Black Hills.
rbtglove
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
Lots of tourist stuff on that route but if you do stay near Wall they offer a tour of one of the last minuteman, Bravo 4 I think, silos that is a litlle different, you need to make a reservation The Corn Palace and area is one of a kind and it changes every year. I do not like Deadwood anymore, think the casinos ruined it but if you like to gamble. Crazy Horse worth a stop but they sure havn't made much progress in the last 40 years we have been going. Lotsof scenic beauty to choose from but don't go during the bike rally, its ahuge parking lot all over the Black Hills a week before until a week after.
CloudDriver
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
If you are familiar with the Laura Ingalls books (think Little House on the Prairie), a stop at the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet SD may be of interest.
Dick_B
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
Swing by Theodore Roosevelt National Park; one of our best kept secrets. Stay in the town campground that has a pool.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015
I avoided Wall drug my first dozen trips but finally had to yield to the wives pressure. I did enjoy the corn palace as they were having a huge square dance shindig at the time that was sort of interesting.
the original Cabela's is just off 90, and the badlands can be a short diversion off 90.
bumpy
tsetsaf
Explorer III
Jan 13, 2015
Just did this in reverse this last fall. We stayed at Wall to visit Badlands (very cool to see), stayed on the Missouri in Chamberlain, and cut up through backroads to Minneapolis. There are some scenic state parks but you are also in peak mosquito season.

Check out Watertown SD, great parks, lakes, and museum. Pierre is another neat option with a nice campground in town and on the river Link