A must visit in the area! Friendly staff, easily accessible and loads of information for whatever…read moreyou want to get into in the area.

From the owner: The Black Hills Visitor Information Center, located on Interstate 90 at exit 61 in Rapid City, is…read morethe unofficial east entrance for the Black Hills region. We'll make sure to welcome you to the area and our friendly and knowledgeable staff is ready to help with an array of free services like: * expert trip planning * free wi-fi * clean bathrooms * ATV and forest recreation passes * free maps, brochures and travel guides designed to smooth your way and max your vacation fun in the Black Hills & Badlands * reservations * weather reports and road conditions Or stop in our gift shop to pickup exclusive Black Hills Road Trip gear, local coupons or other great South Dakota-made products and souvenirs. We are open year-round, summer hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m., seven days a week.

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!

Longest and Last homestead gold mine in Lead, South Dakota (near Deadwood)…read more Everyone should check this gigantic hole out for themselves. The history is interesting, except for the fact that wealthy entrepreneurs exploited the common folks during the 1929 depression and bought their gold claims/homestead for less than market value. The museum was informative and had incredible exhibits but lacked a feature movie to chronically narrate its evolution.

This was not in my itinerary to go here. It was recommended by our friends who are residence of…read moreDeadwood. For sure make a quick stop here in Lead if you're on your way to Deadwood. Pretty cool to learn and see the mine from above ground. It was active until 1998. There are tours available.

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.

There's a whole hidden world under the prairie. The Garden of Eden Tour took us deep underground…read morethrough narrow passageways and into rooms full of rare boxwork formations and delicate honeycomb patterns that make this cave so special. Down there, everything feels slower. It's quiet, cool, and feels almost untouched. Then you step back outside and it's a complete contrast. Open skies, rolling hills, and bison grazing in the distance like something straight out of a movie. Two totally different worlds in one park.

It's getting really depressing to be on a National Parks road trip through the US during a…read moregovernment shutdown. Wind Cave National park was really nice and convenient and had a few interesting things to see. Unfortunately the visitors center and all the restrooms were closed even though there was a park ranger sitting in his running truck in the parking lot trying to avoid the visitors that walked up to him. I can't blame the park for the shutdown and I did really like the ease of navigating the simple beauty here. We caught a glimpsenof a buffalo and saw some prairie dogs (I love prairie dogs!) but I doubt I will ever be back to see it when it is fully operational.

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!

Free WiFi. Bathrooms. Info. Reasonable place to work for a bit. Electric car and RV charging.read more

From the owner: The Custer Area Chamber of Commerce will promote a positive business climate by encouraging…read morecommunity unity, growth and development. When you're up for adventure, stay in Custer, South Dakota and be minutes-not miles-from the best climbs, trails and family fun of the Black Hills. Located on the edge of Custer State Park, Custer and the surrounding area offers travelers unique lodging, dining and shopping opportunities, as well as unlimited family fun. This uncrowded mountain town is a natural playground for all adventure seekers. Plus, you're just minutes from Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Jewel Cave National Monument.

We have been to the location in Arizona that is similar to this, and we were staying in a…read morecampground about 3 miles away, so we thought we would stop in here on our way to see Mount Rushmore and other tourist attractions It cost $44 for entrance, that includes a senior discount. You have a loop that you drive and you stay in your car to see the animals and then you park go through a visitor center and have a separate area where you could walk around and see other animals, such as the younger bears. You are definitely up close in Personal with these animals, they have a ton of bears, and they are all over the place, crossing the road, walking by your car. Everyone was super respectful, stayed in their vehicles. The bears did not seem agitated at all. They also had quite a few buffalo and obviously baby buffaloes too If you like animals, this one is definitely worth a stop. They do have a concession stand in the walkable area and they had pretty reasonably priced snack food, such as uncrushable, peanut butter and jelly, chips and such

Torture Tour. Enslaved animals enduring a lifetime in captivity, far from their natural habitat,…read morewith a miniscule fraction of the space they need to feel comfortable. Human beings don't have the right to do this. Sickening.