Top Things to Do in Rapid City

What do you think of when you think of Rapid City, South Dakota? Chances are that Mt. Rushmore will be the first thing to come to mind. But there is so much more to Rapid City and you could easily spend a week or more checking out all that it has to offer. We spent 3 days there in August and in a lot of activities. Come along and we’ll share some of our highlights and the things you won’t want to miss!

How to Get There

You can certainly choose to fly to Rapid City. The city is serviced by a regional airport located about 10 miles outside of town. American, Delta, United and Allegiant airlines fly there, with significantly more flight options available during the busy summer months. Car rentals are readily available at the airport and around the city.

We chose to drive to Rapid City and its location right on I-90 makes it relatively easy to get there.

When to Visit

The main tourist season is from April to October, with June through August being the peak times. The weather in April, May and October is a bit unpredictable. But September typically hits the ‘sweet spot’ between being relatively uncrowded, but still having great weather.
Be aware that there are a lot of summer festivals around Rapid City. First among them is the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held for 10 days during early August. This festival usually attracts more than 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts, so you can imagine that accommodations may be a little harder to find during that time. That said, we unknowingly made plans to visit during that time, but since we had made our reservations 4 or 5 months in advance, we still had plenty of options.

Where to Stay

Every type of accommodation from “Mom and Pop” motels to charming inns to Airbnb rentals are available. You can be sure that all the major hotel chains are quite well represented and many offer package deals with savings on local attractions. We chose a Comfort Inn and Suites, mainly because of its location, large guest rooms and reasonable price. It was very clean and quiet and since we were on the go all the time, we really only slept there. Here are some other choices that we considered:

• Cambria Hotel Rapid City
• The Rushmore Hotel & Suites – (ecofriendly)
• Grandstay Residential Suites Hotel

Places to Eat

Most of our days in Rapid City were spent driving and site-seeing. So when it came time for dinner we really didn’t want to drive too far. There are no shortages of good restaurants, but we tried these 3 and were impressed with each one.

• Dakotah Steakhouse is a western-themed restaurant specializing in all types of traditional steaks and accompaniments. There are also several seafood, lamb and game options as well. After hiking all day, we eagerly munched on onion ring while waiting for our superbly prepared filet mignon and elk entrees. After our delicious meals, we just had to try South Dakota’s state dessert, “Kuchen” (also known as cake) with berry topping. Absolutely delicious!

• Independent Ale House located in downtown Rapid City offers an amazing selection of 40 microbrews on tap and an additional 145 bottled brews from around the world. If you are a beer aficionado, or even if you’re not, this is a great place for a beverage and a pizza. It’s also very family friendly, so you don’t need to think twice about bringing the kids along.

• Everest Cuisine, a local restaurant offering Indian and Nepalese specialties, was a bit of a diamond in the rough. The restaurant, located on the west side of town, looks unremarkable from the outside and even a little cluttered inside. But the friendly staff and delicious food more than makes up for the lack of atmosphere. If you like Indian/Nepalese food, you will not be disappointed.

Things to Do in and around Rapid City

• Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is located about 90 miles east of Rapid City right off I-90. The place to begin your visit is the Visitor Center located at Exit 133. Here you will find a film and exhibits that provide an overview of the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System, the men and women who manned the missile silos and the roll that they played in the Cold War with the former Soviet Union. The exhibits provide an interesting and sobering view of Cold War history and the fragile balance that existed between the world’s 2 superpowers.

There is no fee for the film and exhibits at the Visitors Center and you should plan about 1 hour for your visit. If you make reservations in advance and for an additional fee, you can arrange a longer guided tour of one of the Delta-09 missile silos and the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility.

• Badlands National Park

After driving across the Great Plains of South Dakota, Badlands National Park offers a stark contrast to the predictable landscape. Located about 75 miles east of Rapid City, there are a multitude of camping and hiking opportunities throughout the park. If you do decide to hike or camp in the backcountry, be sure to stop by the Visitor Center for more information. Some trails are quite remote and you need to be very prepared with plenty of water, provisions and gear. If serious hiking is not your thing, you can opt to drive the beautiful Highway 240 Badlands Loop Road. Along the way there are frequent stops with some short hikes, from which you will likely see many animals, plants, fossils and rock formations.

TIP: There is a $25 entry fee per passenger vehicle to enter the park. If you plan to visit other National Parks or federal sites, consider purchasing an annual National Park Pass for $80. This pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle and is valid for 1 year.

One of the most stunning things about the Badlands landscape is the continually changing colors of its rugged spires, mesas and canyons. These geological wonders were formed by the layering of sedimentary rock over 75 million year ago. If you have the opportunity to visit the park during early morning or evening when the sun is lower in the sky, the colors within all those layers become even more vibrant and breathtaking. However, regardless of the time of day you visit, you will not want to miss this spectacular park. Plan to spend at least a half a day to drive the loop and make multiple stops along the way.

TIP: Since there are not many restaurants you may want to bring along your own lunch. There are a lot of scenic stops along the way and there are picnic tables available at the Visitors Center.

• Custer State Park

In the Black Hills, just 30 mile south of Rapid City you will find what we considered to be the highlight of our trip to the Rapid City area, Custer State Park. There you will find hiking, swimming, biking, camping, canoeing, fishing – you name it. This park has just about any outdoor activity you care to do. However, the main purpose of our visit was to view the abundant wildlife. Within its 71,000 square acres, the park has several marvelous scenic drives (detailed below) from which you will be able to see plenty of wildlife, gorgeous lakes and unique rocky vistas. Note that there is a $20 entry fee for each vehicle and the ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days.

o Wildlife Loop Road – Enter Custer State Park at the east entrance and then follow 16-A to the Visitors Center in order to pick up some maps and other information about the park. The beginning of the Wildlife Loop is across the street from the Visitors Center. There you will start the 18-mile drive through prairie lands, forests and hills. It’s slow going, only 25 miles per hour, but you will want to take your time to soak up all the beauty this drive has to offer.

If you want to see buffalo, this is the place to see them. Herds move around the park at-will, but since there are more than 1300 of them, you are virtually guaranteed to see many along the way. Be careful though, they frequently wander into the roadway and you do not want to approach them either by car or by foot. Just give them a few moments and they will move along in their own time!

In addition to all the buffalo, along the way we spotted white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and big horn sheep. One of the unexpected finds was a group of wild burros. Almost everyone stops to see them. These guys are definitely tourist savvy though and know how to ‘work the crowd’ for treats. While they are approachable, exercise a little caution especially around the babies. The mothers did not seem to look too kindly on attempts to get too close to their little ones.

Plan to spend at least 2 hours making your way around the loop. There are many places to stop to take advantage of wildlife photo opportunities.

o Needles Highway to Sylvan Lake – This scenic drive is in the northwest corner of the park and starts at the intersection of 16-A and Needles Highway (State Road 87), near the Wilson Corner entrance of the park. This 14-mile jaunt will take you through some very unusual rock formations known as The Needles. Stony spires surround you as you make your way up the winding road to the Needles Eye Tunnel. The tunnel is more like an 8-foot crack in the rock with the road running through it, but it is so unusual, if not a bit claustrophobic. The scenery through this portion of the park is very different from the rest and well worth the 1 to 2 hours this drive will take.

After surviving The Needles, continue on until you reach Sylvan Lake. This is a great spot to stretch your legs by taking an easy walk around the lake. The surrounding cliffs and large boulders are very surreal and almost seem like something from a movie set. After your walk take a short ride over to the nearby Sylvan Lake Lodge. This picturesque lodge is quaint and full of the charm you would expect from a mountain lodge built in the 1930’s. The lodge has a lovely dining room and is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. During very busy times, you may want to make a reservation.

o Iron Mountain Road – Another terrific drive is Iron Mountain Road. Covering a distance of 17 miles, it connects Custer State Park with the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The road passes through more of the beautiful Black Hills scenery and there are several points along the drive that provide perfectly framed views of Mount Rushmore. Keep your camera handy so that you will be sure to get those shots of the monument. The speed limit is also lower on this road and it will take you about an hour to make the trip.

TIP: All of these scenic drives are subject to closure in inclement weather (snow and ice). So if you have any doubts check with park officials.

• Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

Mt. Rushmore is what comes to mind for most people when they think of Rapid City. And why not? It’s certainly one of the most iconic symbols of the United States, representing the first 130 years of American history. We have all seen these majestic granite carvings of the former presidents in books and films since childhood, but there is nothing quite like seeing them for yourself. Be prepared though, you will not be alone. Mt. Rushmore is an extremely popular spot with more than 2.5 million visitors per year.

There is no entry fee for Mt. Rushmore, but there is a $10 parking fee. Plan to spend from 1 to 2 hours to see the monument and the informative film about its history and construction. There is also an Evening Lighting Ceremony that takes place each evening during summer months, although the start time varies throughout the summer.

• Crazy Horse Memorial

Just a few miles from Mt. Rushmore is the Crazy Horse Memorial, honoring the Native American Lakota chief, Crazy Horse. The memorial has been under construction since 1948 and only a fraction of the massive sculpture is in place. Once complete though it will be the largest sculpture in the world. The work on the sculpture is all financed through private donations and by the entrance fees to the memorial.

In addition to seeing the sculpture up close, you can visit several interesting museums and galleries featuring Native American art and historical artifacts. Numerous special events are held on the campus of the memorial, including a laser light show, evening blasts on the mountain, and many culture events celebrating Native American history and culture.

The entrance fee is $12 per person or $30 per vehicle. You should plan to spend 2 to 3 hours at the memorial and there is a restaurant onsite.

TIP: Consider stopping by the nearby town of Custer, South Dakota. This small town was the site of the first discovery of gold in the Black Hill in 1874. Today you will find several good restaurants and it’s a terrific stop for lunch or dinner. Our pick – Black Hills Burger and Bun on Mt. Rushmore Road.

• Wind Caves National Park

For all the spelunkers out there, Wind Caves is a must-see. The park is located just south of Custer State Park and can be reached by either U.S. Highway 385 or State Road 87. There are at least 5 different cave tours available and all of them begin at the Wind Cave Visitor Center by picking up your tickets. Plan to arrive early to avoid long lines and crowds during peak travel periods. Note that there are age restrictions on some of the tours.

Each tour is led by an experience ranger who will guide you through the cave, while explaining its fascinating history and geological facts. All the paths are well lighted and much of the cave is surprisingly open, although you may have to slither through a couple of tight spots.

TIP: Be sure to wear appropriate footwear because you will be going up and down stairs and traversing a lot of rocky areas. Also, even if it is 100 degrees outside, it’s always a cool 54 degrees inside the cave, so bring a light jacket along.

Above ground, the park offers hiking, some limited picnicking and the chance to see some of its bison, elk and prairie dogs. Watch for the large animals on the roadway, since they are all free range!

There is no entry fee to drive through the park, but there is a charge for the various cave tours ranging from $12 to $30 per person.

• Devils Tower National Monument

Last but not least is Devils Tower. We almost decided not to make the trip from Rapid City to see it, but in retrospect we were very glad we did. It is about a 100-mile drive from Rapid City to reach the monument in Wyoming, but you will find yourself traversing some amazingly beautiful landscapes along the way. You will also likely see mule deer and pronghorn antelope everywhere, and I do mean everywhere! We literally saw hundreds of animals in the fields and prairies along the route. Although we saw no animals in the roadways, keep a watchful eye and be on the lookout for them while driving.

As you get closer to Devils Tower, you will begin to see it rise up in the distance and visions of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” may pop into your head! It is a pretty awesome sight to see the grooved, 300-foot tower jutting out of the relatively flat landscape. Once you arrive at the tower, your first challenge will likely be finding a place to park. Thousands of people per day visit the monument and there are only a couple hundred parking spaces at the Visitors Center. We recommend getting there very early. We arrived around 8:30am and had no trouble finding a space.

You can hike a number of challenging trails that will give you some great views of the monument. The truly adventurous can even climb the monument with a permit from the park. For an easier experience, we recommend walking the 1.3 mile Tower Trail loop at the base of the tower. There are stops along the way where you can take a break and enjoy the scenery.

You should plan to spend at least 2 hours at the park, more if you want to do some serious hiking. There is an entrance fee of $25 per vehicle and your pass will be valid for 7 days. The annual National Park pass in also accepted here.

We were so impressed with the Rapid City area because there is just so much to see and do. We made the most of our 3 days there, but we definitely want to go back and spend more time at the places we have already been, as well as take it some new sites. How about you? Let us know if you have been there and what things you recommend. As always, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have when planning your trip to Rapid City!