Known as the "Gateway to the Black Hills" and the "City of Presidents," Rapid City, South Dakota, is a popular destination for families.
With an abundance of hotels, a wide variety of activities, and a relatively close distance, it makes a great last-minute getaway for Coloradans. My family enjoyed a quick trip one year for Fall Break. The best part is that we all learned so much while having an incredible amount of fun!
Getting There
Although there are direct flights from DIA, Rapid City is only about a 7-hour drive from Douglas County. Since we'd need a car to get around anyway, we felt it made the most sense for us to drive. We didn't have to get up earlier than usual, and we arrived with time to freshen up before dinner.
Where to Stay
There's no shortage of hotels in this area! We chose to stay in a suite at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel, right off the freeway.
The suite had a king-size bed, a sleeper sofa, and a small kitchen area with a coffee maker, mini-fridge, microwave, sink, and pantry. The hotel offers free wi-fi, free parking, and a great restaurant on site (when we asked a local family for restaurant recommendations, it was one of the places they suggested).
But our favorite amenity was the free indoor activity pool with water slides, water cannons, and a pirate ship. Even after a full day of exploration, my boys still wanted to splash and swim every night before bed.
What to Do
Since my two boys never seemed to tire out and the places we wanted to visit were very close together, we did a LOT in just a few days. Below, you'll find our action-packed three-day itinerary with the amount of time we spent at each location... stretch it out into five days or take a few items off the list if needed.
Day One: The Road to Mount Rushmore
REPTILE GARDENS
(3 HOURS)
Admission is $12.50-$17 for adults and $8.50-$11 for kids (varies by season).
Although it doesn't cover a lot of acreage, this family-owned destination has more reptile species than any other zoo or park in the world. The snake and bird shows were both interesting and educational, and so many animals were in the indoor Skydome. But it was the giant Aldabra and Galapagos tortoises that we couldn't get enough of!
BEAR COUNTRY U.S.A (1.5 HOURS)
Admission is $16 for adults and $10 for kids
Open from May to late November (weather permitting), this is a drive-through wild animal park home to buffalo, wolves, mountain lions, mountain goats, reindeer, and — of course — bears!
After the 45-minute drive, visitors can take a walking tour of Babyland to see frolicking bear cubs and other small animals. This was one of our pricier (and shorter) activities, but the boys loved watching the cubs wrestling on the ground.
MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL
(2 HOURS)
Admission is free, but the parking pass is $11 (valid for the entire calendar year).
The faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt are the "draw" for most folks who come to the Black Hills of South Dakota, and it was pretty awe-inspiring. We stopped at the ice cream shop for a "monumental scoop" (Thomas Jefferson is credited with the first recipe for vanilla ice cream), walked the Presidential Trail (approximately half a mile with over 400 stairs), and explored the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center.
Initially, we planned to eat dinner at the Carvers Café and watch the evening lighting ceremony. However, since we visited in October, the restaurant closed at 4:30 PM, and there was no evening lighting ceremony. Instead, we added another destination to our day.
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL
(1.5 HOURS)
Admission is $11 per person or $28 per carload (kids 6 and under are free).
This unfinished mountain monument on private land is funded solely by admissions and private contributions. When it is completed, it will be the world's largest sculpture; the head of Crazy Horse alone is 27 feet taller than the heads of Mount Rushmore!
The Visitor Center houses the Indian Museum of North America, Native American Educational & Cultural Center and Cultural Center, gift shop, and full-service restaurant. From May through September, there's a nightly laser light show.
 Viewing a giant python at Reptile Gardens |
Day Two: Badlands National Park
PRAIRIE HOMESTEAD
(1 HOUR)
Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for kids 10 and older, and free for kids 9 and younger.
This was not a planned stop, but we spied it on the way to the Badlands and decided to check it out. It's an original sod house from the early 1900s, preserved as if a family still lives there. We donned "old-timey" clothes and took a self-guided tour. We all got into our pioneering characters and had so much fun posing for pictures.
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK
(3+ HOURS)
The Park Entrance Fee is $15 and is valid for 7 days
Got a 4th grader? Get in for FREE through the Every Kid Outdoors program.
It's a bit of a drive (75 miles outside of Rapid City), but I had heard that The Badlands were unlike any other place on Earth, almost moon-like, and I really wanted to see it for myself. We had a great time driving the Highway 240 Loop, hiking the kid-friendly trails (Notch Trail was our favorite), and learning at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center (pick up a Junior Ranger Activity Book for the kids).
You can camp overnight year-round if you don't want to drive there and back in one day.
 The scenery at Badlands National Park was otherwordly. |
Day Three: Let's Meet the Presidents
CITY OF PRESIDENTS (1 HOUR)
One of the coolest things about historic downtown Rapid City are the life-size bronze statues of all our past presidents at the street corners of about 10 blocks.
The statues are very detailed and capture a part of each president's personality. Teddy Roosevelt is in his Rough Rider uniform, and JFK presents his son with a toy plane. We picked up coffee, hot chocolates, and breakfast sandwiches at Essence of Coffee, then began our walking tour of every statue!
We also walked through Art Alley and admired the public artwork.
CUSTER STATE PARK
(1.5 HOURS)
A state park permit costs $20 per vehicle and is valid for 7 days.
This state park and wildlife reserve is home to one of the largest herds of bison in the world, as well as bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, antelope, and a group of very friendly donkeys. We drove slowly along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road, pausing periodically for pictures.
We could easily spend a whole day here during the summer, with a host of activities like horseback riding, chuck wagon cookouts, educational programs with park naturalists, fishing, and more.
JEWEL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT
(2 HOURS)
Tours range in price from $4-$31.
Just a 30-minute drive from Custer State Park is the third-longest cave in the world. Four different tours were offered; we chose the Cave Tour, which was fascinating. It's about a half-mile walking tour with over 700 steps and is not recommended for children 5 and under.
Don't forget to bring a jacket... underground caves are pretty chilly!
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Day Four: Headed Home... But One More Stop First
DEVIL'S TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT (1 HOUR)
Made famous by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Devil's Tower isn't exactly "on the way" home, but we figured it was worth a couple of extra hours of driving to see it. It's in a part of Wyoming we don't expect to get to anytime soon, so why the heck not?
Where to Eat
We talked to a lot of locals and did a little bit of internet research. The following restaurants had great food and service with a family-friendly atmosphere.
- Firehouse Brewing Company is a converted fire station in downtown Rapid City with indoor and outdoor seating. They feature locally-made beer and wine (Firehouse Cellars is right next door and has live music most weekends), theater events occasionally, and hearty food. I recommend the Ranchers' Pie and the Spontaneous Heating Gumbo!
- Botticelli Ristorante Italiano, also located downtown, had incredible pasta dishes (gluten-free available) and excellent service. Enjoy half-price wine with dinner on Tuesdays. Reservations are recommended during the high season.
- Colonial House Restaurant & Bar serves fresh-made comfort foods and lots of it. The Steak-N-Bacon Pasta hit the spot!
- Dakotah Steakhouse was the most expensive meal, but we felt we could splurge one night since we generally weren't eating out for breakfast and lunch. They've got traditional steaks and nontraditional choices like pheasant, elk, and walleye.
