Southeastern Wisconsin to Mt. Rushmore- need advice:)

[TracysCampWI]

We are looking into traveling to Hill City, SD. Want to stay at Rafter J. We will be taking our TT. Just looking for places to stop, places to plug in for the night and must see's. Last year we traveled from Waukesha, Wi to MA. We were able to stop on the turnpike in Ohio (there and back) and plug in for the night. We loved it! We would love to do that again if possible. What are our options?

[RinconVTR]

We did this exact trip last year (plus Yellowstone and Cheyenne).

From Milwaukee we stopped for an overnight at Cabela's in Mitchell. Then we stopped at Corn Palace before hitting the interstate in the morning.

We stopped in Murdo for gas and a 2 hour walk thru tour of the Pioneer Auto Museum.

Then we entered the Bandlands, took a few hikes, and slept at Badlands / White River KOA.

On the way out the next day, we drove 240 (to Wall drug) we drove into SAGE CREEK RIM ROAD. This is a gravel road and drivable with an RV, but you dont want to go far nor do you need to. IT IS the ONLY spot you will see Wildlife in the area. There are turn around points, but if you are not comfortable...just dont do it. Park along side 240 and walk in just a 1/4 and look to the south in the valleys.

On to 3-4 hours at Wall drug and the general shopping area, then to Rafter J's for a 5 night stay. No complaints here. Its a good campground for the area, but they do not serve food like they used to. They do have a nice store.

We did the Blue Bell stables horse ride, which was fantastic. The Jeep tour, which was ok, as you can see most things in your own car on the Wildlife loop, but the Jeep takes you some places you are not allowed in your own vehicle.

We did an UTV ride with the whole family, if you're comfortable with these machines and know how to read a trail map...this is a MUST DO. It was one of the unforgettable s for us.

Mount Rushmore was incredible, and we went back a second time for the night show which was a great site and the show was ok. The Crazy Horse night show can be missed...for sure! Its too long...super boring.

Got kids and like zoos? Bear Country USA. Unique drive thru zoo with a walking portion at the end. Go very early or very late.

A few less traveled sites and fun things to do with family; Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, book a tour ahead of time. And on the way back, you MUST stop at Cascade Falls. Bring your swimsuit.

Need a beach day? Angostura Recreation Area. 100% worth the drive. We actually ended our day here from the Wild Horse Sanctuary. It was awesome sauce frosting on this day.

[Bumpyroad]

one thing about getting off the IS and taking the bad lands road is that when I took it it seemed like there were low/drainage? areas in the road that I would have to slow down for and there was a continual slam/bang of the toad hitch getting thru them.
bumpy

[kknowlton]

There aren't any campsites in rest areas along the way, though they make dandy stops for lunch. The rest area by Chamberlain, SD is an interesting one & has some neat displays on the Lewis & Clark expedition - worth a stop for lunch or just to stretch your legs.

We prefer to spend the night in campgrounds, and SD is loaded with KOAs which are fine for overnighting. We've been to nearly all of them over the years. That said, We liked the Jellystone in Sioux Falls and LOVED the Rafter J Bar when we stayed there years ago.

I second the recommendation to take the Badlands loop drive. It's quite do-able while towing, though you may find parking spaces for longer rigs at a premium if you want to stop for a hike. (It will be HOT there in the summer.) You can see plenty of the badlands scenery from the road, however. Should you want to spend the night, we really liked the KOA several miles south of the Badlands - nice shade (welcome in that area) and close enough to be a good base for sightseeing. Quiet there too (unless you're there during the Sturgis rally.)

Lots to do in the Black Hills. We filled a week, easy. Don't miss the Crazy Horse memorial.

[FC]

I would recommend the drive through the Badlands as one of the very important visits on your trip there. Also the Needles |Highway in the Rushmore area.
We were there for a few days last summer and really enjoyed these stops as well as Wall Drugs, and Mount Rushmore. We visited Mt Rushmore on July 3 and they had actors playing the parts of some of the presidents.
Great area to visit
JM2CW

[pjsky]

hokeypokey wrote:
Sioux Falls, SD has beautiful Falls Park but there's no camping there and I think that's what you're looking for.

There is a lot of camping in or very near Sioux Falls SD.

[hokeypokey]

Sioux Falls, SD has beautiful Falls Park but there's no camping there and I think that's what you're looking for.

[pjsky]

The Butterfly House and Marine Cove in Sioux Falls SD is well worth a stop there.

[Thom02099]

If you search Rafter J Bar here, you'll find a lot of comments on it, most of them favourable. Been there several times, the location is ideal to getting to most everything in the central Black Hills area, and even access to the northern and southern parts as well.

Only drawback (and I qualify this as maybe a drawback -- depends on your perspective) is that cell phone service within Rafter J can be spotty. Have stayed in the Ranch Camp and Lower Ranch Camp, and in both cases, Verizon coverage was occasional. Have also heard that TV/Satellite coverage can also be spotty, depending on what section you're in. That said, we didn't go there to watch TV or play games on cell phones;) :B

[JesLookin]

On a couple of trips to that area from Appleton we stopped at KOA in Jackson, MN. Nothing special, typical KOA.

[cubmaster252]

TracysCampWI wrote:
We are looking into traveling to Hill City, SD. Want to stay at Rafter J. We will be taking our TT. Just looking for places to stop, places to plug in for the night and must see's. Last year we traveled from Waukesha, Wi to MA. We were able to stop on the turnpike in Ohio (there and back) and plug in for the night. We loved it! We would love to do that again if possible. What are our options?

We did that trip two summers ago. Left Ohio, first stop was Fort Atkinson, WI, not far from you. From there, drove to MN, stayed overnight at the Albert Lee KOA. It is right off the interstate in MN where 35 and 90 come together. It is a KOA Holiday, pull in, plug in, pull out. It was the right distance for a day of travel from where you start.

The only place we stopped on the way to Mt. Rushmore was Mitchell SD for the Corn Palace and then Wall Drug. Be prepared for a lot of 'space' between Albert Lee and Mt. Rushmore.

We had the kids taking pictures of what 500 miles from home looked like, what 1000 miles from home looked like. Etc.

At Mount Rushmore, I would HIGHLY recommend the KOA there. It is one of the closest if not the closest resort to Mt. Rushmore, very clean, lots and lots to do. You'll see it also advertised as Palmer Gulch. They have horses that the kids can ride and restaurants, shops. If I had known all that before we traveled we would have booked more time there. Paying it forward.

[Bumpyroad]

as you whiz along I-90 be sure to honk and wave as you pass Wall Drug.
bumpy