Destination Mount Rushmore

Hello Everyone!

New to the sight and lots of questions! We live in Ky and plan a road trip to SD in late May or June...we only have about 12 days to do this...really want to know what is the best way to do this....we will be on a trike so stops are important...but we want only sights (on the way) that take a couple of hours then on the road again! How much time should i allow for Mt. Rushmore? We would also like to see a couple of other places while there...very interested in scenic riding areas...have planned our route but looking for suggestions...love historic towns and history in general....any suggestions welcomed!

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

You should have no trouble at all finding plenty of great scenic drives - there's a reason that this part of the country is home to the world's most famous biker rally. One I'd recommend to do after Rushmore is Iron Mountain Road, which has some great long distance views of Rushmore.

While Mt. Rushmore is probably the most famous stop in Western South Dakota, its really just one small part of this fantastic area. The typical visit to Rushmore lasts just a few hours. Some of the other major - and in some cases more interesting imho - stops would include the Badlands, Custer State Park, Jewel and Wind Caves, Crazy Horse, and Devils Tower.

As far as what to see between there and your home is going to depend upon where you are starting from - Kentucky is a big state - and which routes you go. You'll need at least 2-3 days just to drive each way, depending upon your exact starting location and your comfort with long days on the road, so you should have plenty of time to explore things both along the road and in SD.

I have been doing a little research and it does include the places you mention...we have been planning on 3 days out and 3 back but i am not seeing as much in route as i had hoped so the 2 days out is looking more like what will take place...we are in western Ky...how far is Yellowstone...specifically the gysers...we are interested in seeing this if it is not too far. We want to see Sturgis and Crazy Horse...so a nice big circle would be our best bet i guess. Let me know what you think!

Yellowstone is a full day's drive from Rushmore. It's a HUGE park and it really isn't something you can properly see in 1 day. You should be able to squeeze it in if you plan carefully.

Yellowstone is about 500 miles past the Black Hills, so another full day each way. The biggest thing is that it is a huge place (bigger than a couple states), that really takes a few days to see. If you're going to go all the way out there, then you should make that the focus of your trip. That is possible with 12 days, but then I'd really only make the black hills basically a 1 day pit stop.

If you stick to the Black Hills, some options you might think about heading out through St. Louis, Kansas City, and then up through the Nebraska Sand Hills. The other way, you might head back through the Badlands, across SD and Minnesota, and then drive down the Mississippi via the River Road. Check out the RTA Map Center which can show you lots of stopping points to consider.

We ended up staying at Mt Rushmore for nearly 5 hours. Fog had set it and we had to wait all that time for it to clear. This was in June this year. We had driven from Yellowstone the day before where we missed old faithful go off because it was SNOWING! Think we attracted the worst weather!! Lol. We weren't that impressed with crazy horse. The only thing that cheered us up was that due to the fog the 5 of us got in for $12 instead of $50! And we got to see the sculpture for 10 minutes when the fog quickly lifted. Sounds like you have a great trip planned!!