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Close your eyes & imagine your perfect road trip. Does a South Dakota road trip come to mind? Probably not, but it absolutely should.
When we set out on our cross-country road trip we expected very little of South Dakota. We were focused on the cozy New England vibes of Vermont, beachy Florida, and the stunning peaks of Glacier National Park. But we were completely blown away. Stunning scenery that changes from fiery fall foliage to towering granite peaks–throw in some bison, golden rolling fields, & the alien rock formations of the Badlands National Park and you get a good picture of South Dakota.
South Dakota has all the components of a perfect road trip. So, start converting your camper van & get ready to hit the road.
Need a Road-Trip Ready Vehicle?
RV Share is a great (cheap) way to test out if vanlife or RV life is right for you before you buy a vehicle of your own.
Of course, you can also do this South Dakota road trip in any old vehicle & stay in hotels along the way but if you want to really immerse yourself in the landscape I highly recommend making your vehicle your accommodation. It’s just one of the many benefits of vanlife.
Your Complete South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary
Since South Dakota sits in the central USA and is spattered with sparsely populated towns it’s likely you’ll be combining this road trip with at least one other destination.
I’ll assume if you made it to South Dakota you’ll probably be interested in visiting Yellowstone National Park & Grand Teton National Park as well. So, for popularity sake–we’ll start our trip through South Dakota as if you’re driving East from Wyoming.
Spearfish & Deadwood
Welcome to South Dakota. These two charming towns will bring out your inner cowboy. You’ve probably heard of Deadwood, if not because of Wild Bill & Calamity Jane then from the popular TV show with the same name.
You could drive through these two towns in one day easily. Spearfish is known for its outdoor activities whether you like hiking, biking, or fishing–this is a good place to relax for an afternoon.
But in Deadwood you could also stop & explore the cobblestone streets, drink at some local watering holes, check out some famous headstones with names from the wild west, look at some bonafide fossils at Adams Museum, or check out some remarkably well-preserved mansions from another era.
Black Hills National Forest
The Black Hills provide the perfect backdrop to your longest stretch of roadway in South Dakota. & are in the heart of Native American territory. Specifically, the Lakota Sioux tribe. Why are they called the Black Hills? From a distance, the hills were blanketed in such a dense layer of thick green trees that the hills looked near black.
Taking the Scenic Route: From Deadwood, drive down HWY 385 through the Black Hills all the way to the Crazy Horse National Monument. Without stopping this drive will take about an hour and a half.
Crazy Horse National Monument
Mount Rushmore gets all the glory. & not to poo-poo the founding fathers because it is worth a stop but….it’s got nothing on the Crazy Horse Memorial. First, some quick facts.
- It’s the single largest mountain carving project in progress. Construction began in 1948.
- It’s likely it won’t be completed for hundreds of years.
- The famous sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski planned & sculpted Crazy Horse by himself (with the help of his family) until his death in 1982. Now some of his 10 children are continuing his work.
- Henry Standing Bear, the Lakota tribal chief of the area, commissioned the project & worked with Korczak Ziolkowski to create a design that the Native Americans could be proud of.
- Why is it taking so long? They have refused money from the government for the work because they wanted the sculpture to be done exactly the way the Native people wanted.
Be sure to visit the Museum during your visit because without context you might find the monument less than impressive. Because as I mentioned, it is unfinished. Only the face of Crazy Horse is completed, his body and rearing horse are yet to be sculpted.
Cost of Crazy Horse: $30 per vehicle. America the Beautiful Passes are not valid here.
Budget Traveler Tip: If you arrive before 8 AM, there won’t be anyone in the parking lot to collect money for tickets.
Who was Crazy Horse? The famous Lakota Indian war leader from the Black Hills who stood his ground to avoid giving up the land to U.S. troops. He stood his ground with Sitting Bull at the Battle of Little Big Horn against General Custer.
Take the Scenic Route: Continue along HWY 385 from Crazy Horse to Wind Cave National Park.
Wind Cave National Park
I’ll be honest, this is probably my least favorite national park I’ve ever visited. But that being said it is a national park and if caves are your thing you might enjoy a guided tour of this massive cavern.
New friends. 
The outdoor portion of Wind Cave National Park.
Full Disclosure: Since I visited this National Park during COVID times we were unable to enter the cave. I’m sure it would be a lot more impressive if we had been able to go explore the different rooms of the cave.
Personally, my favorite part was the Pronghorn Antelope and Black-tailed Prairie Dogs frolicking around the protected land. & since it’s one of the least visited National Parks you’ll likely be one of very few visitors.
Take the Scenic Route: Continue down HWY 385 to Hot Springs.
Hot Springs
After a few days on the road (or a few weeks), you’ll be craving a nice soak in some natural hot springs. & this aptly named town in South Dakota is famous for them. Most of the hot springs have now been commercialized into spas or bathhouses but a few are still natural and raw.
For a relaxing soak the Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa comes highly recommended.
For a more natural environment check out the hot springs at Cascade Falls swimming hole.
Take the scenic route: This is the one time on this road trip I’ll have you backtrack. With so many scenic roads in South Dakota, it’s impossible to hit them all without a teensy bit of backtracking. Head back to Wind Cave National Park the way you came. From there take Route 87 into Custer National Park.
Custer State Park
You can easily spend several days in Custer State Park & I recommend allowing for at least two. Unfortunately, Custer State Park requires a separate fee for those who purchased the “America the Beautiful Pass. The entrance fee is $20 and lasts for 7 days.
Day One: The Wildlife Loop & the Town of Custer.
Spend your morning driving from the wildlife loop. It’s a slow scenic drive along dirt roads where bison roam, pronghorn and bighorn sheep leap, and roaming donkeys clog the roadway. The loop in total will probably take you an hour and a half.
Take the Scenic Route: If you’re still up for a scenic drive I would continue along Route 87 until you hit 16A. At Route 16A go east until you turn north on Route 87 again. From here you can loop along Route 87 to Route 89 and head South to the town of Custer.
You should spend the evening & overnight in the town of Custer. I’ll get to the town of Custer in more detail below.
Day Two: Black Elk Peak Trail & Needles Highway
If I had to pick favorites, I would say these were my two favorite activities in South Dakota. Start your morning early from Custer and head back up Route 89 for about 15 minutes until you reach the Black Elk Peak Trailhead.
Black Elk Peak Trail
- Length: 7.4 mile total
- Trail Type: Out & Back
- Difficulty: Intermediate. The trail is gradually sloped and has a staircase to the fire lookout at the summit.
The trail is beautiful & the panoramic views at the summit are well worth the effort. Bring lunch and boulder your way from the fire lookout to the adjacent summit where you can sit against the cliffside and enjoy the stunning views from South Dakota’s highest peak.
After your hike (4-5 hours), you should drive the Needles Highway.
The Needles Highway gets its name from the tube-like spires of granite that jut out of the mountainous landscape. The roadway is narrow and guides you up through the mountains. Tunnels were carved in the hills, made intentionally small so that drivers would be forced to go slow and take in the surreal views.
Take the Scenic Route: From Black Elk Peak Trailhead just drive North on Route 87. Take Route 87 to HWY 385 and then East on Route 244 to wind across the mountains to Keystone & Mount Rushmore.
Custer
Custer doesn’t have a whole lot going on. I walked the single street that cuts through town and aside from a very sad pelt shop packed with the fluffy skins of some of my favorite animals, there wasn’t a whole lot going on.
I recommend stopping here for three reasons.
1. The Chislic at Buglin Bull Restaurant.
What is Chislic? By definition, it’s little chunks of red meat, either seared or fried, traditionally served on a skewer and it’s one of two dishes that are 100% South Dakotan. This particular chislic is seared buffalo meat drenched in their homemade steak sauce and cooked to a tender medium-rare.
Chislic made the cut for my great American foodie road trip.
2. Mount Rushmore Brewing Company
Killer food & really great brews.
3. The Custer Buffalo Round-up
At the end of September, all the local farmers herd an impressive 1,300 buffalo through town. It’s quite a sight to see if you happen to be in the area.
Visiting off-season: Small cities in South Dakota, like this one, close from October to May during the off-season. Everything from breweries and restaurants to pie shops will be closed. The local clientele just isn’t enough to sustain a business in this low-tourism time.
Mount Rushmore & Keystone
Keystone is a great town to call it a night in. It’s also the gateway to Mount Rushmore. You might only spend about 5 minutes there but it’s still worth a visit. In the evening, there is a laser light performance & informative audiotrack. But the morning is really when the best views of our founding fathers can be seen.
Budget Traveler Tip: If you arrive for sunrise (when the golden light kisses the faces of the statues) parking is once again…free. Otherwise, it will cost you $10 to park.
Best of Keystone
- Turtle Town Ice Cream & Fudge Shop
- Red Garter Saloon
Take the Scenic Route: Take Route 16 through “bear country” until you hit I-90.
Wall Drug Store
If you’ve never heard of the Wall Drug store before….you will on the drive to the Badlands. They have about 100 billboards lining the road, in fact, they actually have a billboard in every single state in the U.S. After seeing 20 or so of these signs, we had already decided we were gonna see what this quirky little place was all about.
It’s a massive novelty/museum/souvenir shop. You can buy everything from huckleberry habanero jam, freshly made fudge, cowboy hats & boots, or you can sit down for a meal. The eclectic shop is covered in historical memorabilia, bison heads, and sits right outside the entrance to Badlands National Park.
Badlands National Park
The Badlands are what bring people to South Dakota.
It’s pretty much the only destination we had in mind when we hit the state line. & it didn’t disappoint.
The park is in a loop along highway 240 and the Purple Heart Memorial Highway. If you visit during the cooler fall or spring months you can even do some hiking inside the park.
Here are all the sights you have to hit along the way.
Climbing the ladder at the Notch Viewpoint of Saddle Pass.
- The Door Trail. (0.8 Miles)
- Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. (0.5 Nature Walk) Full of lush desert vegetation at the base of the cliffside.
- The Notch (1.4 Miles) Trail through the rock formations up a massive wooden ladder.
- Saddle Pass. (0.7 Miles)
- Panorama Point.
- Yellow Mounds Overlook.
- Pinnacles Overlook. This is the best sunset spot in the park.
- Hay Butte Overlook.
- Roberts Prairie Dog Town.
Vanlife Tip: The Badlands are very easy to stealth camp in overnight. I wouldn’t even call it stealth camping. We just parked at Pinnacles Overlook and stayed all night. Star-gazing and night-time photography are such a big deal here that I think park officials don’t bother policing who stays overnight.
Must Eat in the Badlands
At Cedar Pass Lodge, the only accommodation and restaurant inside the national park, you’ll find the second iconic South Dakota delicacy that you absolutely must try.
The Buffalo Indian Taco.
It’s like if you put tasty ground buffalo & all the ingredients of a taco and heaped in onto a freshly fried doughnut. If you’ve never had Native American Frybread before you’re in for a treat. I could have eaten 20 of these puffy delicious mounds. Don’t miss this.
Spot Some Spectacular Sunflowers
Did you know that South Dakota is a major producer of sunflower seeds? This means that from late July through August, literal seas of golden heads turn South Dakotas farmland into a breathtaking attraction.
The fields start near the town of Philip and you’ll continue to see them all the way North and into North Dakota.
From the Badlands, I recommend taking I-90 to Route 73 and heading North from there.
Unfortunately, our visit was in late-September so we just got to witness seas of dead drooping blackened heads of the flowers instead.
You may have noticed that this road trip mostly takes you through the Southwest corner of South Dakota & that’s no accident. I wouldn’t completely write off the rest of the state BUT the scenery is far less dramatic and best described as monotonous once you start heading East through the state.
Complete South Dakota Road Trip Map
So, where do you go from here?
We recommend Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota or Devils Tower and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
South Dakota blew us away and was full of surprises. Follow this route and you’ll leave South Dakota with a newfound respect for a state so often overlooked as a major tourist destination.
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