Lauren
Sahuarita, AZ (or on the road!)
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We are planning on taking the rolling condo back to MN next summer to see son / family in MN and some other things - first time we have rv'd out of the western states. But we lived there a long time and know it well.
OK, we leave MN about Labor Day and want to head to Badlands - Black Hills - Devils Tower - ??? and work our way back to Tucson area.
Tentative plans call for 3 nights in Wall (Sleepy Hollow) or Interior (KOA), 4 nights in Hill City (Rafter J) and 3 nights in Sundance (Mountain View).
Comments welcome as to time in each place and things to see other than the usual. And best route from Sundance to Cheyenne with the 5er.
Thanks.
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Earl E
Green Valley, AZ
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Purely my opinion but you can see the Badlands pretty easily in a day and if you are thinking Wall Drug, maybe an hour or two. I'd cut time out of there and increase in the Black Hills. You could spend a month exploring it. 4 days is not enough. Same for Sundance. Devil's Tower is a few hours unless you plan to rock climb to the top. The walk around it is not long. Don't know how you would do for three nights.
In fact if you don't want to spend so much time setting up and breaking down, you could set up camp in the Black Hills and have very easy day trips to the Badlands and Devil's Tower. Stop at Wall Drug for an hour driving through.
As I say, just my opinion because I love the Black Hills and there is so many great places to see.
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Martyn
Bennett, Colorado, USA
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Earl E wrote:Purely my opinion but you can see the Badlands pretty easily in a day and if you are thinking Wall Drug, maybe an hour or two. I'd cut time out of there and increase in the Black Hills. You could spend a month exploring it. 4 days is not enough. Same for Sundance. Devil's Tower is a few hours unless you plan to rock climb to the top. The walk around it is not long. Don't know how you would do for three nights.
In fact if you don't want to spend so much time setting up and breaking down, you could set up camp in the Black Hills and have very easy day trips to the Badlands and Devil's Tower. Stop at Wall Drug for an hour driving through.
As I say, just my opinion because I love the Black Hills and there is so many great places to see.
I pretty much agree with this - spent a week at Rafter J earlier this year and while there did the Badlands and Wall Drug (one day), Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore (both not to be missed) and time in Custer State Park. A visit to Bear Country USA was fun too.
Can't say enough nice things about Rafter J. Try to get a site in the 'Island'. We loved it there.
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Executive
California/Arizona/South Dakota
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We stayed at the KOA in Belvidere and then took the Badlands Loop, Clicky, which comes off I-90 and loops through the Badlands and ends up at Wall Drugs. Leaving about 9AM allowed us to enjoy the loop and the Badlands. We had our 12yr old grandson with us so we did a lot of walking, climbing and exploring. An hour and a half at Wall Drug was long enough... ...be sure to go around the back where the action is...I'm thinking 3 days at the Badlands will have you pulling your hair out. Rafter J is awesome and you could spend the extra days there and not be sorry a bit. You don't want to be in Sturgis for Bike Week...Dennis
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hawkhill
Florida
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Just did this trip. Badlands Loop takes about two hours and that is stopping to take plenty of photos - 2 hours max at Wall Drug. We stayed the night at the KOA Badlands at Interior. We would recommend it. We planned to stay at Rafter J for 5 days and then drive to the KOA Devils Tower for the night, but we had truck trouble and ended up at Rafter J for 7 days. Enjoyed every minute of it. Agree with everyone else - plan to spend more time in Hill City area and less in Badlands. We actually drove the rental car to Devil's Tower one of the days which worked out great. We took about 3 hours sightseeing Devil's Tower - leisurely walk around it - tons of photos (Husband is Close Encounters fan). That was plenty of time. Driving up to Devil's Tower from Hill City if you go the back way, you can sightsee Deadwood and Lead. We saw lots of mule deer that way. Recommend Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse and Bear Country. Enjoyed Crazy Horse more than expected. Try to see the night lighting at both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Recommend driving Iron Mountain Rd and Needles Hwy. (don't do this in your RV). Recommend sightseeing Sylvan Lake, Mammoth site, Jewel Cave, and Wind Cave. We took the 1880 Train from Hill City to Keystone and had lunch in Keystone and took the later train back to Hill City. Hill City is a nice little town. If you like german food, highly recommend Alpine Inn. Custer State Park is a must see. Drove the Wildlife Loop twice at different times to see different animals - bison, pronghorns, wild burros and a bobcat on the early evening drive. Harney Peak is interesting. You can see something like 5 states from there. Saw plenty of mountain goats there.
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mrquacker
iowa
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While at the Badlands, stop and visit the Minute Man Missle site (I for get the proper name of it.) Just DON'T pull your camper out to the actual missle site.
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Jim Shoe
Amelia, OH
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Like the others, I wouldn't spend more than a day driving thru the Badlands. Worth seeing, but 3-4 hours max. If I had to do the 60 mile RT to Devil's Tower again, I wouldn't. There's such a thing as being too close. Rent "close encounters" and spend more time in the Black hills. My last trip to Crazy Horse, I took a van ride up to the top. Not cheap, but worth it. The view from his arm is breathtaking and the size boggles the mind. His arm is as wide as a four lane highway. Crazy Horse is a private operation and they do a lot of good for the Native Americans in the area.
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4*phun*2
Canada
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I would stay at KOA at Devils Tower. Bike week is the first week of August so you will be fine.
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Lauren
Sahuarita, AZ (or on the road!)
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Thanks all .... we have not been to this area for about 30+ years and I just did not remember the distances, etc. So that is why I come to this Forum; what a great resource.
We have Sadie, our Australian Terrier, and she loves to hike - as do we. But know we will be limited with her there - with so many NP's, etc, not allowing dogs - so we don't like long days away from the trailer when she cannot go along. Hence, I had several places to stay. But, with info coming here, I will take a closer look at distances, etc.
I have to laugh, though, about the Badlands. Don't think we will need much time there. It is kinda like we planned 3 days in Arco, ID to see Craters of the Moon. Even the RV park guy wondered about that. So the first day - we got there early in the afternoon - we thought we would scope it out for our three full days there. We drove it easily THAT AFTERNOON! Rather boring 3 days but we did see the 4th of July parade in Arco - something you do not want to miss in your life. (Actually, it was a nice, small town parade - all ten minutes of it).
Thanks again ........ keep the info coming as I revise our plans.
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sodakfisherman
South Dakota
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Really good advice about setting up base camp at Rafter J and setting out on day trips from there. The Badlands/Wall Drug are a day trip (which could easily be done as you head west on I90 on your way to Hill City), and Devil's Tower/Lead/Deadwood via Spearfish Canyon is another.
Wind Cave on the southern edge of Custer State Park is a must-see as it is the other National Park in the area in addition to The Badlands. As mentioned, Jewel Cave, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Harney Peak are must-see attractions. The Mickelson Trail runs right along Rafter J (literally) and you will enjoy hiking it with Sadie. The trail is managed by the South Dakota State Parks, so dogs are allowed as long as they are leashed.
The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway is a beautiful drive. It is a 70-mile oval loop right by Hill City in the southern Black Hills that cuts through Custer State Park. It is made up of the Needles Highway (SD 87), Iron Mountain Road (US 16A), Horse Thief Lake Road (SD 244) and Sylvan Lake Road (SD 89). Be sure to take it when you head to Mount Rushmore. This drive has the tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore as you approach it.
The Wildlife Loop through Custer State Park is fantastic. Custer State Park is over 70,000 acres and is one of the largest state parks in the country. It is the crown jewel of the South Dakota State Parks system. I think many would agree that Custer State Park is as beautiful as many of this country's great National Parks.
September is the perfect time to visit the Black Hills. The summer crowds have thinned considerably, and the weather is perfect.
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