Western South Dakota is known for their mines and caves so of course no trip to South Dakota would be complete without a cave tour. Rush Mountain Adventure Park – Keystone, SD However, Scott and I both said next time we would stay in a cabin in Keystone or at one of the lodges in Custer State Park since part of the charm of South Dakota is the beautiful Black Hills National Forest. We stayed the Holiday Inn Express and it was in a very convenient location in Rapid City. Up the street, they have a fun little splash pad for kid and the cutest kid’s toy store we stopped in and enjoyed. ![]() Mexican food is always a winner for us so we tried Que Pasa Cantina, owned by Firehouse Brewing (you’ll see a million fire trucks on the way to Rapid City). Que Pasa Cantina – Rapid City, SDĪfter mining for gold, we toured the touristy town of Keystone before heading back to Rapid City for dinner (about a 20 minute drive). ![]() We paid for one gold mining pan and Scott and the big kids worked together to pan their 4-6 gold flakes. I would suggest gem mining for the younger kids because the gems are much easier to spot and there’s a bigger return on their investment. Since we had a little time before we could check-in to our hotel, we stopped by the Big Thunder Gold Mine to mine for gems and gold. We spent about 4-5 hours there before grabbing a late picnic lunch and heading into Keystone, SD (about 1.5 hours away). Quincy may or may not have picked up bison poop while there :)! Not only were there lots of very active prairie dogs but we also saw a herd of bison out there as well. Make sure you continue past the Pinnacles Overlook on to the Sage Creek Rim Road to Roberts Pairie Dog Town. The Fossil Exhibit trail was a bit of a let down since there are no “real” fossils, just explanations, FYI! It’s just down the road from the visitor center but we were a bit too early so I would suggest stopping at Subway or packing a picnic to take with you to enjoy!įrom there, we followed the Badlands loop road stopping occasionally at the scenic overlooks. You can also get lunch at the Cedar Pass Lodge (I heard the Indian fry bread tacos are delicious). It does get crowded but there are some nice animal displays the kids can look at and make sure to ask where the animals are in the park that day. We packed a back pack with water bottles and took frequent water breaks because it can get hot out there!Īfter our hikes, we stopped by the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. ![]() Scott and I both took turns going up with our older kids. There is a wooden ladder about halfway up the trail you can traverse to get up to the top of the badlands. Instead of being on top of the badlands, now you walk through them.
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