Bad Lands/Black Hills/ Yellowstone Vacation

[RedLionCookie]

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

[bigred1cav]

I would fly over and meet in Pt Townsend Wa. I think you would decide to move there once you visit.. We live in Ohio and travel to Olympic Pen as often as possible stayed 5 months last summer.

[RedLionCookie]

Update.....

First of all thank you all for the great advice. I feel like you've pointed me in the right direction and I'm on my way.

Over the weekend I made my reservations.

Here is what I got:

July 3-5 - Spearfish/Black Hills KOA

July 5-8 Rafter J Bar Ranch Campground

July 8-13 Yellowstone/Mountainside KOA

I'm feeling pretty good about these accommodations.
Now it's on to filling in the days.
(Plenty of time for that!)

[Busskipper]

RedLionCookie wrote:
.............. 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.

Note here - Possible to leave the dog at home - will often make the National Parks a Challenge - Just a thought.

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 Fourche 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 Badlands, The Black Hills and then move on to Yellowstone.

I will put my wife on a plane 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.

Look into Jackson or Bozeman both are a little closer/easier, Just a thought.

So I'm looking for recommendations.

How much time should we plan to spend in SD before moving on to Yellowstone?

With 10 days, it appears that it will be tight - but doable - Arrival and departure will each take a day, so now 8 days - driving between will eat a day, so now 7, so IMHO couple days in Custer - one spot will allow you to drive to the sites you want to visit - there is a lot to do so plan it well - the drives are outstanding - Mt Rushmore at Night/Dusk for the full effect.

Needles - ......on and on See here so much to see never enough time.

Then on to Cody (Note here to stock up at the Wal*Mart) - one night then through the Park - Boondock? - couple days that need to be LONG - then down to Tetons out to Jackson to fly home.

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?

ONE CG. I'd Recommend Custer's Gulch

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

The way we do it - is pack a good lunch - start early - No Really Early 🙂 - and beat the crowds - as traffic is the biggest issue IMHO, do the loops North and South - Grand Canyon - Old Faithful - Might even spend a night in the lodge, if not a night a Dinner, as it is special - then on down to the Tetons and to the airport in Jackson.

I'd call this a Taste not a tour of the area - if you Love it, then do what you Love again Next Year. Understand you are doing a "Tour" of an area that is larger than Delaware and Rhode Island Combined 🙂 so you will only really see a lot, not Experience a Lot. Plan the drives well - Every Drive is IMHO, just Unbelievable, be sure to Take a Camera and Take Thousands of images, you will never forget it.

Do your Do Diligence - Get a GOOD MAP of the park and the locations you wish to Visit - Remember that the traffic is the Enemy - you really need to get out ahead of it, because once you get behind it you will see Little so timing is critical.

You have selected the BUSIEST Time to be in the Park - so.........

After the DW flies out I'd suggest you head south into Colorado, while still busy - it is also Still Beautiful - No Really BEAUTIFUL! I could go on and on but.....

Thanks in advance for your help.
Dave

Hope this is of some help.

Best of Luck,

[agesilaus]

If the OP mentioned exactly how much time his wife has until she has to fly out, I never saw it. Assuming 2 weeks they don't have that much time to look around the BH before heading to YNP which obviously is a lot more scenic to someone new to the area.

[CharlesinGA]

You might find my trip report on my 2017 Badlands, Black Hills, and Eclipse trip useful for some of the links in it.

I did not spend near enough time in the region and will eventually return. Spearfish canyon is a peaceful place where you drive along admiring the cliffs on either side until you come to a pull off, and then you get out and simply enjoy the sound of the water in Spearfish creek rushing over the rocks, I did this several times in my drive thru the canyon.

Depending on your interests, there are many things in the Hills to see and do, momuments, museums, trails, trains, scenery, scenic drives, wildlife............

Charles

[dodge_guy]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:

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.

As far as the BH`s go, no offence but I didn't care at all for Spearfish Canyon! However we really liked Custer and really enjoyed Iron Mountain rd!

[agesilaus]

Variable in the Black Hills can be cool or in the 90's

[wiskeyVI]

What's the weather up in those areas like during the summer?

[dewey02]

While you are to the east at Badlands, be sure to visit the Minute Man Missile Defense museum and silo site. The new visitor center is right off the interstate.
link here

[ppine]

I have been going to the PAha Sapa since 1969. I really like the buffalo, Sylvan Lake and some of the sacred peaks for hiking. Deadwood was a very historic town for a long time, not sure what it is like now. I would spend at least 5 days. The Badlands are really interesting a great place for contemplation.

I now drive through Yellowstone in July and August, but try to visit in spring or fall. Spend at least a week if you can. Much better to dry camp in the park instead of commute to the park. Get off the main roads. Get out and walk. I like to take a dinner out to Lamar Valley and look for wolves chasing buffalo in the evening. Stay out past dark in the American Serenghetti.

[agesilaus]

I'll say the most exciting 4th of July fireworks I've ever seen was in Scenic SD. We were staying at the Badlands KOA in Scenic for the Badlands park. It is excellent by the way.

And the Volunteer FD put on a fireworks display. They must have hired Moe, Larry and Joe to do it. Fireworks were slamming into the ground all around the crowd, one scared my oldest son when it hit about 20 feet away from him. No one was hurt and it was memorable!-------------

[dieseltruckdriv]

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. 🙂

[dieseltruckdriv]

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.

[RedLionCookie]

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.