Rapid City. [CDATA[ Location: The Black Hills, South Dakota. You're not quite at peak season but it's close. Say “Hi!” to 44 Bundled-Up Presidents. South Dakota Road Trip Day 1. Also include Grand Teton with Yellowstone. If you can ever do it, we highly recommend it with Black Hills Aerial Adventures. We happened to fly in just following a freak snowstorm, but that doesn’t stop anyone in South Dakota from getting outdoors and into the parks, so it wasn’t going to stop us either. Day two was sunny and glorious, albeit quite windy. Just south of Spearfish, climb aboard a horse-powered sleigh and go dashing over 350 miles of marked, mapped and groomed snowmobile trails.Most of the 1.2-million-acre Black Hills National Forest permits snowmobiling, but the enhanced trail system gives the Black Hills a national prominence. They’re wild animals that can be dangerous doing their thing. While walking this trail, you could hear chipmunk squeaks as they popped their heads in and out of their holes. Started in 1973 and still under the same owner, we are widely regarded as the local experts in the bus tours for Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. If you choose one town in the Black Hills that comes alive during the summer, it's definitely Sturgis. You can also purchase a wooden frog that “croaks” when you scrape a wooden rod down its ridged back. Just photograph them from your car and let them continue to walk and graze in peace. See the Black Hills of South Dakota from the windows of a vintage steam train. This road is a short loop south of Spearfish. document.write (document.charset ? These furry little guys were in that precious baby-animal stage where they look like they’re standing on stilts and still learning how to walk. Our final outdoor experience may have been our favorite — horseback riding with Hurley Butte Horseback on the outskirts of the Badlands. If you're going to the Badlands, you'll want to include the Black Hills--Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore at a minimum. If you visit the Black Hills in the fall, you'll see that saying goodbye to the sizzling summer months is actually a good thing. if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ','; Mount Rushmore Tours is the longest operating local family owned and operated tour company in the Black Hills. What Mike loves most is time spent around the Hills with his family, whether it's in Spearfish Canyon, at a Black Hills attraction or at Spearfish City Park and the DC Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery. document.write ("&loc=" + escape(window.location)); We saw one doing what looked like play with its mom, and others were being led to water by mama buffalo. Arrive in South Dakota. Visit Hill City, SD – Black Hills Vacation Destination 605-574-2368 document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); This post was produced in partnership with Travel South Dakota. *July: The first three weeks in July are a good time to visit. As we were driving through Custer State Park, you could see ahead where cars would start to slow and stop to take photos of wildlife or to let it pass in front of them. The deep canyons and spires reaching into the sky were breathtaking. Now they are some cute little things! Year round opportunities abound, and beg to be explored and experienced. All of the waterfalls are pretty close together and can be reached by driving the very beautiful road through the Black Hills of South Dakota called SR-14A. By clicking "Sign Up" or "Sign In with Facebook" I acknowledge and, Join 100k like-minded travelers by subscribing to iExplore, 3 Ways to Get Wet and Wild in Myrtle Beach, 14 Landmarks That Should Be Considered World Wonders, These Are the Most Peaceful Countries on the Planet, Deserts in Bloom: 6 Spots for Springtime Wildflower Watching, Yoho National Park Is the Most Incredible Place You've Never Heard Of. If you visit the Black Hills in the fall, you'll see that saying goodbye to the sizzling summer months is actually a good thing. If your health is of concern to you, feel free to wear a mask and keep yourself safe. Had it been warmer out, we imagine the helicopter could’ve been quite warm inside, but with the weather a perfect springtime temp, it was a very pleasant experience. We maybe hiked a half-mile before the snow got too deep to navigate well but, man, was it gorgeous. 'https://adserver.mediablackhills.com/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://adserver.mediablackhills.com/www/delivery/ajs.php'); Beauty like that has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime, and springtime is the perfect time to do it because it isn’t too hot and you can take all that beauty in without being too cold or sweating bullets. © Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association. Custer State Park. | Gently rolling prairies through shallow fertile valleys mark much of this endlessly attractive state. All Rights Reserved. Enter to win a $500 travel voucher to customize your perfect vacation to the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association(605) 355-3700 (Information Center)(888) 945-7676 (Booking Information), Business: ATV and Snowmobile (Attractions). The Custer State Park entrance is just outside the town bearing that same name. Another must-do when visiting the Black Hills with kids is to spend time enjoying … From downtown Rapid City, it’s about an hour drive, but the wide open, bright blue skies make it seem like a quicker trip. While the snow made it so the trails were mostly closed, we were able to check out the informative and interactive museum inside the visitor center. I'll pack five pairs of shoes for a two-day trip. Instead of riding Interstate 90 from Spearfish down to Sturgis, you can take this little loop and visit the waterfalls. That was wrong. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); Sunny, mild days and cool nights are typical during the autumn months of September and October. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is the most famous attraction in the Black Hills, so get there early (and ideally on a weekday) to beat the crowds. The lower half of the store had multiple rooms, some dedicated to Native American artifacts, herbs, quilts and handmade jewelry. If you don't have an account yet, make one here. if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&exclude=" + document.MAX_used); This has become a midwest tourism mecca since it is near Mount Rushmore. But there are also a few free things to do in the Black Hills. Day two kicked off with a drive to Mount Rushmore. Fall / Autumn. You don't mention the Black Hills. Together they make for a great American road trip. The Black Hills of South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park are bucket list destinations. If it weren’t for the “wiwila kata,” this valley tucked in the southwestern corner of South … After breakfast and checking into the beautiful, historic Hotel Alex Johnson in downtown Rapid City, it was time to explore. Stay in Hill City, South Dakota, the Heart of the Black Hills, and be close to Mt. Aside from Deadwood there are many touristing options in the Black Hills that can make it an OK base so the total time depends on if those will be involved or just Deadwood. document.write ("?zoneid=21&target=_blank&block=1"); Free activities. When is the best time to visit The Black Hills? if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); Hill City. There are so many things that make fall an amazing time to visit—the cool, crisp autumn air, fewer crowds, and undeniably picturesque views of the fall foilage—it's easy to see why autumn is the ideal time to tour the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. Since it was starting to feel like spring, that offered a perfect excuse to sit outside after the outings of the day, sip a drink on Hotel Alex Johnson’s amazing rooftop bar, and prepare for the next day of adventure. The average first freeze in Rapid City is October 4 and late August through September in the Black Hills. And then that view, wow. But head southwest and all hell breaks loose – in the best possible way. We stopped off at the trailhead for Rankin Ridge Trail, which leads to a fire lookout tower. Why Springtime is the Best Time to Visit the Black Hills of South Dakota. '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? document.write ("-->. You'll find quaint specialty shops -- including South Dakota Fudge and Black Hills Gold Jewelry -- restaurants and lodging (the Econo Express, the President's View Lodge) on their 1880's Boardwalk. Things to Do in The Black Hills, South Dakota: See Tripadvisor's 82,939 traveler reviews and photos of The Black Hills attractions. Fossil Exhibit Trail. While walking this Trail, which leads to a fire lookout tower snows done. To Native American artifacts, herbs, quilts and handmade jewelry the snow got deep! Many buffalo, DON ’ t summer, it had snowed, the roads were fine and the of... 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