Planning a trip to South Dakota? Our family took four kids on an epic western road trip, and I’m sharing our favorite experiences in the Mount Rushmore State. This South Dakota 5 day itinerary covers all the must-see attractions for an unforgettable family adventure!

Why South Dakota Surprised Us All

When we planned our epic 5,000-mile road trip from our home in Eastern Iowa to Seattle, South Dakota was originally just going to be a pass-through state. Little did we know it would become one of the highlights of our entire three-week adventure!

The diverse landscapes, rich history, and family-friendly attractions kept our four kids thoroughly engaged—and sometimes even begging to stay longer! From Laura Ingalls Wilder’s homestead to the otherworldly Badlands and majestic Black Hills, our time in South Dakota left us wishing we’d planned for more days. If you’re a first-time visitor, this South Dakota 5-day itinerary will help you experience the state’s greatest hits while avoiding the “not enough time” regrets we felt.

Day 1: Eastern Iowa to De Smet (Laura Ingalls Wilder Country)

Our family actually entered South Dakota from the twice during our long road trip—once heading west and again on our return. We began our journey from our home in Eastern Iowa, driving to Brookings, South Dakota on our first day.

Morning: De Smet and Laura Ingalls Wilder Sites

We left bright and early from our Hampton Inn in Brookings (which I booked via Hotwire for a great deal) and drove about 45 minutes west on Highway 14 to reach De Smet. This stop was admittedly at my insistence—I’m a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the setting of my favorite books from the Little House series: “By the Shores of Silver Lake,” “The Long Winter,” “Little Town on the Prairie,” and “These Happy Golden Years.”

What made this even more special was how it exceeded all our expectations! Even my kids, who initially weren’t very excited about the literary pilgrimage, had an absolute blast exploring:

• Surveyors’ House: The kids were amazed at how this house was described as “so big” in the books, yet was so tiny in reality!
• Ingalls Homestead: The highlight of our De Smet visit—my children loved playing with the baby animals, participating in pioneer crafts, and taking a wagon ride through the slough
• Original DeSmet Schoolhouse: Walking where Laura and Carrie once studied
• Ma & Pa’s Town House: Seeing how the Ingalls family lived in town
• The Loftus Store: The actual mercantile from the books!

Afternoon: From De Smet to Badlands

I had to practically drag the kids away from the Ingalls Homestead—they would have spent the entire day there if I’d let them! But we had a four-hour drive ahead to reach Badlands National Park.

We took the scenic route through South Dakota’s prairie landscape, staying on Highway 14 through Huron, then Highway 281 to Highway 34 to Highway 47, eventually connecting with I-90 at Reliance. The beautiful views of the sweeping South Dakota prairie were mesmerizing, and we even caught a far-off glimpse of Silver Lake, which was mentioned in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.

Evening: First Glimpse of the Badlands

I’ll never forget the moment we first spotted the Badlands formations in the distance. After miles and miles of rolling prairies, these otherworldly formations seemed to rise from nowhere, and the kids pressed their faces against the windows in awe.

We entered Badlands National Park via the Northeast Entrance and were thrilled to use our daughter’s free 4th Grader’s Park Pass. If you have a fourth-grader, definitely look into this program!

We spent the evening getting oriented at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and watching the sunset paint the rock formations in stunning hues of pink and gold.

Where We Stayed: We opted for a budget-friendly hotel in Wall, which was clean and convenient to the park. Wall caters to backpackers and road-trippers, so their hotels are nothing spectacular, but they served our needs perfectly.

Day 2: Exploring Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park quickly became one of our family’s favorite national parks. The otherworldly landscape offered endless exploration opportunities, and the kids couldn’t get enough of it.

Morning: Scenic Drive and Short Hikes

We got an early start to beat the heat, which I highly recommend if you’re visiting in summer. The morning light on the rock formations was absolutely magical for photos!

We drove along the Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240), stopping frequently at overlooks. The kids’ favorite hikes were:

• Door Trail: This 0.75-mile trail starts on a boardwalk and then leads through a “door” in the Badlands Wall
• Window Trail: A quick 0.25-mile walk to a natural “window” with spectacular views
• Fossil Exhibit Trail: My dinosaur-loving son was fascinated by the fossil replicas along this accessible trail

Afternoon: Wildlife Viewing

The wildlife viewing in Badlands exceeded our expectations:

• Roberts Prairie Dog Town: The kids were absolutely enchanted watching these adorable creatures pop in and out of their burrows. We could have stayed here for hours!
• Bighorn Sheep Spotting: We got lucky and saw several bighorn sheep climbing the rocky buttes

In the late afternoon, the kids earned their Junior Ranger badges, which became a highlight of all our national park visits. The rangers at Badlands were exceptionally kind and engaging with the children.

Evening: Wall Drug Experience

No South Dakota itinerary would be complete without a visit to the famous Wall Drug. What started as a small pharmacy offering “free ice water” to travelers has grown into a massive attraction.

My kids were obsessed with the animatronic T-Rex that roars every 12 minutes and insisted on riding the giant jackalope for photos. We enjoyed some of their famous donuts and homemade ice cream before heading back to the park for sunset views at Pinnacles Overlook.

Day 3: Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park

Morning: Wind Cave National Park

After checking out of our Wall hotel, we headed our for a 1 1/2 hour drive southwest toward Wind Cave National Park. This lesser-known national park protects one of the world’s longest cave systems.

I recommend signing up in advance for the Natural Entrance Tour, especially during busy seasons. The kids were fascinated by the rare boxwork formations and the story of how the cave was discovered when a hunter noticed wind blowing out of a small hole in the ground.

The constant 53°F temperature in the cave was a welcome relief from the summer heat above ground!

Afternoon: Entering Custer State Park

From Wind Cave, it’s a short drive to Custer State Park, which became another unexpected highlight of our South Dakota adventure.

We paid the $20 entrance fee (not covered by the National Park Pass) and headed straight to the Visitor Center to find out where the wildlife might be. The park staff was incredibly helpful, circling areas on our map where buffalo had recently been spotted.

Evening: Wildlife Loop Road

The 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road through Custer State Park was one of the most memorable drives of our entire cross-country trip. We saw more wildlife in those few hours than we had in days at other parks:

• Buffalo Herds: We were awestruck watching a massive herd of buffalo cross the road right in front of our car
• Friendly Burros: These were the absolute highlight for my kids! The “begging burros” are descendants of pack animals once used for tours to the top of Black Elk Peak. They’re used to visitors and will stick their heads right into your car window if you let them
• Pronghorn and Deer: We spotted several of these graceful animals grazing in the early evening light

Where We Stayed: We found a reasonably priced hotel in Custer, which positioned us perfectly for exploring more of the Black Hills the next day.

Day 4: Black Hills Highlights

Morning: Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake

We started day four by driving the incredible Needles Highway through Custer State Park. This 14-mile scenic route winds through pine forests and granite spires, with several narrow tunnels that had the kids squealing with excitement.

The highlight was stopping at Sylvan Lake, which my husband and I agreed was one of the most beautiful lakes we’d ever seen. The kids scrambled over the massive granite boulders and waded in the crystal-clear water. If we’d had more time, we would have rented kayaks or taken the hike to Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rockies.

Afternoon: Crazy Horse Memorial

After reluctantly leaving Sylvan Lake, we headed to Crazy Horse Memorial. I’ve always been fascinated by Native American history (I may have read too many Native American romance novels in middle school!), so I was thrilled that my kids were equally fascinated by the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational and Cultural Center.

Unlike Mount Rushmore, which was completed using federal money, Crazy Horse is being constructed by one family with zero federal dollars. The scale of this mountain carving is absolutely mind-boggling—the entire Mount Rushmore carving would fit just in Crazy Horse’s head!

Pro Tip: Pay the extra fee for the bus ride to the base of the monument. It gives you a much better perspective on the massive scale of the project and allows for unique photos.

Evening: Mount Rushmore National Memorial

We timed our visit to Mount Rushmore for late afternoon, which worked perfectly. The lighting was ideal for photos, and the crowds had thinned a bit.

Though Mount Rushmore might be more iconic, I personally preferred the Crazy Horse complex. However, the kids were impressed by the massive presidential faces and enjoyed completing the Presidential Trail, a half-mile loop that offers close-up views of the monument.

We stayed for the evening lighting ceremony, which was quite moving and a perfect way to end our day in the Black Hills.

Where We Stayed: We spent the night in Keystone, just minutes from Mount Rushmore. The town is very touristy, but incredibly convenient for families.

Day 5: Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon

Morning: Historic Deadwood

On our final day, we drove north to the historic town of Deadwood. The kids had recently watched some Wild West documentaries, so they were excited to visit the town made famous by characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

We wandered down Main Street, peeking into the historic saloons (many of which are now family-friendly restaurants), and visited Mount Moriah Cemetery where Wild Bill and Calamity Jane are buried.

The Adams Museum gave us a fascinating look at Deadwood’s gold rush history, and the kids got to try their hand at panning for gold!

Afternoon: Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

For the grand finale of our South Dakota adventure, we drove through the spectacular Spearfish Canyon. This 19-mile scenic byway winds through a limestone canyon with 1,000-foot walls and several beautiful waterfalls.

We stopped to hike to Roughlock Falls, a multi-tiered waterfall surrounded by lush vegetation. The short, easy trail was perfect for stretching our legs one last time before continuing our journey.

Evening: Reflecting on Our Adventure

As we drove out of Spearfish Canyon toward our next destination, we couldn’t believe how much we’d packed into five days in South Dakota. What had started as simply a pass-through state on our epic road trip had become one of our favorite parts of the entire journey.

My husband and I agreed that if we had more time, we would have loved to explore the little towns in the Black Hills more deeply, spent some time kayaking at Sylvan Lake, and visited the Minuteman Missile Historic Site near Badlands National Park (my dad worked with the Corps of Engineers cleaning out minuteman missile sites, so this interested me personally!).

Practical Tips From Our Experience

Best Time to Visit

We visited in early July, which had perfect weather but larger crowds. If I were to do it again, I might choose late May or early September for the same great weather with fewer people.

Money-Saving Tips That Worked For Us

• Using our 4th Grader’s free park pass saved us entrance fees at both national parks
• Booking hotels through discount sites like Hotwire and Hotels.com
• Packing picnic lunches for our days in the parks
• Staying in budget-friendly accommodations in Wall and Custer

What I Wish I’d Known

• The Badlands can be extremely hot in summer—bring more water than you think you’ll need
• Allow more time than you think for Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park—wildlife sightings will make you want to stop frequently
• Book accommodations well in advance if traveling during peak summer months
• Don’t rush through Crazy Horse Memorial—it offers much more than just the mountain carving

What To Pack

• Sturdy walking shoes for hiking trails
• Layers for variable weather (the Badlands can be blazing hot during the day but cool at night)
• Sun protection (many areas have little shade)
• Binoculars for wildlife viewing
• Camera with zoom lens if possible—the wildlife opportunities are spectacular!

Final Thoughts

South Dakota surprised us with its diversity of attractions and family-friendly experiences. From the otherworldly landscapes of Badlands National Park to the wildlife of Custer State Park, from the iconic Mount Rushmore to the awe-inspiring Crazy Horse Memorial, every day brought new wonders that kept our four kids thoroughly engaged.

If you’re planning a family road trip and aren’t sure whether South Dakota is worth your time—trust me, it absolutely is! Our only regret was not allocating more days to explore this surprising state.

Have you visited South Dakota with your family? What were your favorite spots? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!

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