Get ready for an extraordinary journey through the captivating landscapes of South Dakota on our epic 4-day road trip itinerary! From the iconic granite peaks of the Black Hills to the sweeping vistas of the Badlands, prepare to be blown-away by the breathtaking beauty that awaits. Immerse yourself in the stunning natural wonders, explore charming towns and cities, and dig into the rich history and vibrant culture of the region. Our ultimate 4-day South Dakota road trip is your gateway to experiencing the very best that South Dakota has to offer!
When to Go
To make the most of this route, you’ll want to visit South Dakota during the spring, summer, or fall. It’s best to steer clear of winter, as certain roads in the area can close with snow. My personal favorite time to visit South Dakota is in the fall, when the weather is cooler and South Dakota’s landscape is filled with vibrant fall colors!
Getting Here
You will want to start and end your trip in Rapid City, which is home to the largest airport in South Dakota.
Day 1: Spearfish Canyon & Deadwood
Explore Downtown Spearfish
To kick off your road trip, you’ll drive an hour northeast from Rapid City to the charming town of Spearfish, South Dakota. Spearfish is where small-town charm meets big adventure. Explore historic Main Street, lined with boutique shops, cozy cafes, and local art galleries. Fuel up with a hearty meal before embarking on the outdoor escapades to come! Popular foodie stops include Dough Trader Pizza Company and Crow Peak Brewing Company.
Drive Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway
Nestled within the picturesque Black Hills of South Dakota, Spearfish Canyon was carved over millennia by the meandering Spearfish Creek and boasts towering limestone cliffs paired with vibrant foliage. As a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, Spearfish Canyon offers a plethora of recreational opportunities! From hiking trails winding through dense forests to crystal-clear streams just begging you to come fish – you’ll have countless options to get out and explore.
Drive the 19-mile Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway for some epic views of the Black Hills! As you wind your way along this scenic route, you’ll pass several viewpoints, trails, and waterfalls. Don’t miss a stop at Bridal Veil Falls – one of the canyon’s most iconic attractions, that also happens to be the most accessible waterfall in the canyon – as it cascades gracefully over a rock face. Other noteworthy stops include Roughlock Falls, Spearfish Falls, and Devil’s Bathtub.
If you aren’t crunched for time, consider booking a fly-fishing or rock-climbing tour here!
Deadwood
The Spearfish Canyon drive will have you finishing the route on the southern end of the byway, from there, head northeast to the historic town of Deadwood. Step back in time and immerse yourself in the Wild West history of Deadwood, South Dakota. Stroll down historic streets where famous figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane once roamed, and uncover the tales of the Gold Rush that shaped the town’s destiny. While strolling along Main Street, make sure to visit Wild Bill Bar, the place where Wild Bill Hickock met his tragic end. Inside, the walls are covered with pictures and artifacts that recount the town’s vibrant history and paint a picture of its lively past.
Once you’ve gotten your history fix, take a shot at the famous casinos and dig into some delicious eats!
Pactola Lake
About an hour south of Deadwood, you’ll find Pactola Lake, the largest reservoir in the Black Hills. Park in one of the free lots surrounding the lake, then head down to the beach for a sunset picnic or an evening swim!
Lodging
You’ll want to end the night in Keystone. From camping and glamping tents to cozy cabins and luxe hotels, there’s no shortage of lodging options in the town of Keystone!
Day 2: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse & Custer State Park
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
If you don’t see Mount Rushmore, did you even go to South Dakota?๐ Personally, I think Mount Rushmore feels a bit anti-climatic in that it looks the exact same as all of the pictures in history books. So, once you see it you’re like “Yep, the books were accurate”. But, if you’re in South Dakota you have kind of have to go๐คท There is a park at the memorial with a short trail, museum, and a gift shop. The park is free to enter, but they do charge $10 for parking.
However, there are several places along the roadway leading up to the memorial where you can pull off on the side of the road and enjoy clear views of Mount Rushmore. We opted to save the $10 on parking and just enjoyed the free views along the roadway, which was substantial for us, but you do you!
Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial is a monumental sculpture and ongoing construction project. Unlike Mount Rushmore, which features the faces of four U.S. presidents, the Crazy Horse Memorial is focused on honoring Native American culture and heritage. It is a tribute to the Native American Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, who played a significant role in the history of the United States. The sculpture depicts Crazy Horse on horseback, pointing into the distance, and it is intended to be one of the largest sculptures in the world once completed.
The memorial also includes a cultural center, museum, and educational programs to provide insights into the traditions, art, and history of Native American tribes.
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is a wildlife reserve in the Black Hills that makes up South Dakota’s first, and largest state park. From rolling hills and serene lakes to rugged terrain and iconic rock formations, Custer offers a diverse array of landscapes and abundant wildlife!
Note: There is a $20 entrance fee to get into the park, which is good for 7 days!
Needles Highway
Begin by driving the scenic 14-mile Needles Highway – famous for its stunning vistas, unique rock formations, and engineering marvels. The highway winds its way through narrow tunnels carved through massive granite spires, or “needles,” and past iconic park landmarks like the Cathedral Spires and the Needle’s Eye.
hike to Black Elk Peak
At 7,242 feet, Black Elk Peak stands as South Dakota’s highest point, and the highest point in east of the Rockies in the United States! At the summit you not only get a vast view of the landscape below, but an up-close look at Harney Peak Fire Tower – a stone fire tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. Several route options lead to the peak, but the shortest and most popular is trail #9, which sets off from Sylvan Lake, and has a roundtrip distance of 7-miles.
Note: The trailheads to Black Elk Peak are located along Needles Highway!
Sylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake can be found right off of Needles Highway and is one of the most iconic spots in the park! With clear waters, sandy beaches, and beautiful rock formations, Sylvan Lake is the perfect place to cool off on a hot day! Pack a picnic to eat around the lake or rent a kayak or SUP to get out on the water. Then, if you have time, stroll the one-mile loop around the lake.
Wildlife Loop Road
Spanning 18-miles, the Wildlife Loop Road winds and twists its way through hills and prairies blanketed by Ponderosa Pines. It’s no exaggeration to call this route the ultimate wildlife viewing hotspot in Custer โ hence the name๐ Along this route, you’re practically guaranteed to see the classic duo: buffalo and prairie dogs, and if you’re lucky you might just catch glimpses of white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, or coyotes.
Towards the southeastern end of the road, you’ll likely encounter the “begging burros” โ these little donkeys will wander up to your car, hoping for a treat!
If time allows, I would recommend booking an experience offered by Custer Resorts! There are several tours to choose from including horseback riding and safari jeep tours just to name a few. We didn’t have time during our trip, but I think that the Hayride and Chuckwagon Cookout tour sounds amazing! The tour leaves from Blue Bell Lodge and takes you on a hayride wildlife tour before returning to a delicious cookout complete with entertainment!
Lodging
Custer State Park has four beautiful lodges and nine campgrounds to choose from if you want to stay in the park. Additional lodging options can be found in the nearby towns of Custer or Keystone.
Day 3: Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park was the first cave to earn national park status, and boasts the world’s largest cluster of rare boxwork formations. Covering 33,970 acres, the park encompasses forests and prairies that create a haven for diverse wildlife like elk, buffalo, antelope, deer, prairie dogs, mountain lions, and black-footed ferrets.
Take a Cave Tour
Take a tour inside the caves…when in Wind Cave!
Going inside of the caves is one of the best things to do in Wind Cave National Park! There are several guided tours to choose from, all of which will lead you through labyrinth passages filled with intricate formations, including the renowned boxwork, a delicate honeycomb-like pattern found nowhere else on Earth. The Garden of Eden Tour is the easiest – and leads you past boxwork, popcorn, and flowstone formations – while the Natural Entrance Tour is the most popular, taking you past the natural entrance to the cave and then entering through a man-made tunnel. If you want to venture even deeper into the cave, consider taking the Fairgrounds Tour, with a long flight of stairs to climb during the tour, this is the most demanding of the three options.
In the summer, the park offers two unique and more adventurous tours – The Wild Cave Tour and the Candlelight Tour – where you can get a lesson on caving or explore a remote area of the cave by candlelight!
Note: I highly recommend booking tickets in advance through recreation.gov as tours often sell out during the busier months! However, if you miss the reservations available online, about half of all tour tickets are held for first-come, first-served purchase at the visitor center the day of the tour. The Candlelight and Wild Cave Tours (offered summer only) must be reserved by phone at 605-745-4600 up to one month in advance.
Go for a Scenic Drive
There are two main roads that travel through Wind Cave National Park: US-385 and SD-386. Both routes offer picturesque vistas and pull-outs. During our drives through the park, we were consistently treated to views of bison and prairie dogs!
To explore the park’s less-developed northern and eastern regions, consider taking NPS 5 and NPS 6, which are the park’s backcountry gravel roads. The good news is that these backcountry routes are well-maintained, so you don’t need a 4WD vehicle to access them.
See the Natural Entrance to Wind Cave
Wind Cave was first discovered in 1881 by brothers Jesse and Tom Bingham who noticed a loud whistling noise accompanied by wind coming from the cave’s entrance. The cave’s name comes from the wind that blows through its small natural opening. The wind is caused by the cave’s air pressure system working to equalize with the air pressure on the surface.
If you go on the Natural Entrance Cave Tour, you will pass the natural entrance during your tour. However, if you are not taking the tour, you can reach the natural entrance to Wind Cave with a short walk along the Prairie Vista Nature Trail that leaves from the Visitor Center.
Hit the Trails!
While the caves may be the highlight of Wind Cave National Park, there are also over 30 miles of trails in the park to take advantage of. Getting out on the trails, allows you to enjoy bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, elk, black-footed ferret, mule deer, and coyote in their natural habitats! Some of our favorite hikes are listed below.
- Rankin Ridge: This easy to 1-mile loop takes you to the highest point in the park at the historic Rankin Fire Tower. Along the trail you get beautiful views of the prairie from above, and on clear days you can catch a glimpse of Badlands National Park.
- Prairie Vista: Prairie Vista is an easy 1-mile roundtrip hike that leaves from the visitor center and provides sweeping views of the prairie. The highlight of this trail is walking by the Natural Entrance to the cave, which is where the cave “breathes”.
- Elk Mountain: This 1-mile loop trail takes you through the prairie and into the forest. Elk Mountain leaves from the campground, making it perfect for a sunset hike! In September and October, you can often hear elk bugling around sunrise and sunset.
- Lookout Point and Centennial Trail Loop: This 4.5-mile loop takes you through fields of prairie grass and ponderosa pine forests, where you will pass several prairie dog villages and are likely to see bison, pronghorn, and elk.
Lodging
There is only one campground within the park, though they do offer free permits for backcountry camping as well. If you prefer a hotel or cabin, you can find additional lodging options in Hot Springs.
Day 4: Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park has a dramatic landscape with layered rock formations, steep canyons, and towering spires. It’s a must-visit destination for nature enthusiasts, hikers, and anyone seeking to immerse themselves in the rich geological history and natural wonders of South Dakota.
Notch Trail
The Notch Trail is a must-do hike in Badlands National Park and is located right at the entrance to the park, making it the perfect place to start! This 1.5-miles round trip hike offers beautiful views throughout. The trail begins with a notch ladder climb, then winds past cliffs and ledges and culminates with a narrow notch that you have to squeeze through, which opens up to stunning views of the Badlands. If you are up for a unique and beautiful hike without too much of a challenge, this is the one for you!
After hiking Notch Trail, head to the adjacent Window and Door trails for a short stroll with spectacular views!
Badlands Loop Road
Badlands Loop Road winds 31-miles through some of the best views in the park, from layered rock formations to sweeping prairies. Along the way, stop at the many overlooks, where you can marvel at the park’s breathtaking vistas filled with towering spires, deep canyons, and rocks that look like they’re straight out of a painting. Don’t miss a stop at Yellow Mounds, a glorious landscape of golden-hued hills that seem to glow in the sun!
Badlands Loop Road is also a great place to view wildlife, you can often spot bison wandering through the prairies found along this route!
Sage Creek Rim Road
Sage Creek Rim Road is a 13-mile dirt road that winds past expansive views of the canyon and grazing wildlife! This was Bridget’s favorite during the trip and is the best place in the park to watch bison and prairie dogs! Compared to Badlands Loop, Sage Creek Rim is way less crowded making it much easier to pull over and spend as long as you like watching the bison cross the road and graze in the prairie.
Don’t miss Prairie Dog Village where you can see hundreds of prairie dogs standing beside their holes!
Lodging
For lodging within Badlands National Park, there are two campgrounds and one lodge to choose from. Additional lodging options can be found in the surrounding towns of Wall or Interior. Since the towns are fairly small, there are only a handful of options to choose from.
