This is an absolutely fantastic state Park! It was $25 per…read morecar, no discounts for entry, but that entrance is good for an entire week, they don't sell simple day passes, unfortunately We came here to drive the wildlife loop and we're not disappointed. We saw antelope, Buffalo, Prairie dogs, and even had the opportunity to feed the begging burrows. It wasn't super busy today either, I thought it would be on a holiday weekend so that was wonderful. Give yourself a good one to two hours as you need to drive slowly to see everything. There are a lot of baby buffaloes right now, so that was great fun

I had a ton of fun visiting this state park! There is lots of great nature and wild life to be…read moreseen, along with a variety of hiking trails for various fitness levels, or even just nature drives if you're not feeling a hike. My personal favorite spots were Legion Lake (both for the easy hike, and the Dockside Grill), and the Wildlife Loop (for the amazing Buffalo photo opportunities). I would definitely recommend checking out Custer!

I love that there is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore, but you do have to pay for parking. It was…read moreregularly $10 or if you're over 62 it's five dollars you take a ticket when you go into the parking lot and you will pay at a pay station before you leave. It will ask you if you're over 62 There is a lot of room to view the monument as well as a restaurant, gift shop, clean restrooms, and plenty of areas to sit on benches and such to enjoy the environment Definitely something you need to check off your bucket list

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of those places that feels instantly recognizable in a way…read morephotos never fully prepare you for. The scale and setting change the experience the moment you arrive. The approach itself is scenic, with winding roads and forested surroundings that built anticipation before the monument even came into view. I kept glancing through the trees, waiting for the first glimpse. Once I reached the main viewing area, the carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln appeared set into the granite cliff. The effect felt both precise and surprisingly integrated into the natural rock face, as if the mountain had always intended to hold them. The visitor area is designed around walking paths and viewing platforms. I took my time moving along them, gradually changing my perspective. From a distant panoramic view to closer vantage points, the details in the stone became more apparent with each step. The space felt open and well maintained, with a structured layout that encouraged moving around rather than staying in one spot. I found myself pausing at different angles, noticing how the light shifted across the faces as the afternoon wore on.

OK we have a new Mayor in town. He is Jason Salamun. He won the elections this past June 6th, 2023…read moreand I'm already seeing changes in the city!! Wooohooo YES!!! We definitely need what he is bringing to the table!!! One amazing thing I saw today when I was walking through Downtown Rapid City, it's a new campaign that the city has started to end panhandling and encourage people to donate to Real Causes. So besides some signs, I also saw a Donations or Giving Meter on some corners of the Downtown!! The Donations made in the Meter will go to Local Charities!! I find that to be a genius idea!! It couldn't be more straight forward, and it's a way to keep crime down!! GO MR SALAMUN!! I can already tell that you are in office!!! :)

Rapid City is the 2nd largest city in South Dakota. We were here 18 years ago & it's now a…read morecosmopolitan city. There is a mall, hospital, university & all of the usual chain stores & restaurants. There are a few Starbucks, Target, Bass Pro Shop, Culver's, Spencer's, Panera, ... Many ethnic restaurants are here now Indian, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese ... The major hotel chains, car dealerships, gas stations, fast food restaurants....The city is very excited as they are getting their first Barnes & Noble's, although I find the independent book store is much more interesting.

Love the night I stayed over, got too see downtown, art alley, a couple of the brewery's, Mount…read moreRushmore and some black hills gold . Nice place to visit!

This stop was definitely not what we expected, but you can get a great view of the city from the…read moretop of this park. The statues are neat, but they are very old and they are more for education than for children to play on. I really liked how accessible the park was and how much information it gave. I would definitely recommend bringing children ages 5 to 8 spend some time here; I think they would really enjoy it. And as I said for adults, there is always that amazing view from up top. There is plenty of parking across the street and there's also a little building that was closed when we arrived, but it looks like they sell drinks and treats during regular business hours.

Dinosaur Park is a fun little stop, an especially good place for little ones (and big ones) to run…read morearound and stretch their legs. It's atop a hill with wonderful views of the surrounding area. There are mobility ramps as well as stairs to the highest point, so easy for everyone to get to the top. There is a decent amount of parking at the bottom. The gift shop/snack bar is located at the parking lot. LOTS of gift items and the snack bar has the usual hamburgers, fries, hot dogs etc, all at reasonable prices. Nice stop for 30-45 minutes!

In the Black Hills a western city that isn't commercial. Drove 3 miles, 8 minutes out of Deadwood…read moreto check it out. It's a small mining town of 3,000 with a historic downtown . A bar, library, Opera House, bridal shop, antiques, small library, and a restaurant all near the town hall and mining museum. Most of the buildings are over 100 years old. Drove past an old shuttered mine, I've never seen that before.

Beautiful area with breathtaking views. We drove to the…read morelookout area and then to the beach. The beach was gorgeous. We saw people setting up for a wedding. We will definitely be returning here to camp.

Absolutely gorgeous state recreation area! This state recreation area is located around 1 hour…read moresouth of Rapid City. It has multiple campgrounds and beach access along the shorelines. We spent the majority of our day biking along the 3.5 mile paved bike trail that follows on the outside of the lake. It was a moderately difficult trail that had it's many ups and downs, however, not too bad considering I was carrying 2 kiddos in a bike trailer that made it heavier and harder to do. Most of the facilities were closed due to Covid but the area as a whole is beautiful, and we cannot wait to go back. If you have a boat, you've got to check this place out. There is another state recreation area on the west side that we didn't get to go to unfortunately but our trip was totally worth it. Another quick note, please ensure that when booking a campsite, you know what you are getting. Many of the sites only haveelectric but some had noth electric and water. Finally, if you live in SD state parks, just go ahead and get the annual membership. By the time you go to Custer once and another time here or another park, it practically pays for itself.

Quaint little library in Deadwood conveniently located near Main Street. A few free parking spots…read moreright in front of the library. Library is small, has some spots to sit although the room I was sitting in didn't have any outlets, Wifi was fast. Good vibes!

It is an original Carnegie Library still in use with wi fi and computers, great building & staffing…read morebut limited hours..

Stopped to stretch our legs & explore downtown Sturgis. It definitely is a different slice of…read moreAmerica. We surely don't look like we belong here, but everyone was friendly. There is a strong motorcycle culture, with a variety of saloons, a motorcycle museum, biker shops & more biker shops. Even the ladies room followed the motorcycle theme here.

For 51weeks of the year Sturgis is just a dying wind blown South Dakota town by past by the super…read moreslab. For one week the town comes alive with bars, vendors, food joints, hundreds of hired out of town cops for the annual motorcycle rally. They've got to make 51 weeks expenses in that one week. Figure it out, the visitors pay dearly for the privilege of visiting their town .