Here’s your all-access pass to both the Badlands and Mount Rushmore.
A visit to Rapid City, South Dakota, means you’re just a 40-minute drive to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park and 90 minutes to the Badlands (with Wall Drug along the way, too). Go ahead and choose this town for its convenience — but be sure to save time for the attractions in and around Rapid City, including a nearby gold rush town, an Old West film set and a whole lot of fun restaurants, bars and cafés.
Explore Rapid City
- Deadwood
- Downtown Rapid City
Stay in The Center of it All
Immerse yourself in your destination at these centrally located hotels.
Go West: Three Days in and Around Rapid City, South Dakota
Explore Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Fort Hays
Take a self-guided tour of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial. Visit a replica Old West town built as a movie set and enjoy a chuck-wagon dinner there. Or head back to Rapid City for house-made pasta at an Italian restaurant.
Explore Custer State Park
Dig into a hearty breakfast at Tally’s Silver Spoon before an afternoon of adventure in Custer State Park. Enjoy its natural wonders while you cruise the 18-mile scenic byway. Rapid City dinner spots include the Delmonico Grill or casual fare at a circa-1953 bowling alley.
Discover Badlands National Park
Stock up on doughnuts and coffee at the iconic Wall Drug before exploring Badlands National Park. Return to Rapid City for dinner at Firehouse Brewing Company, South Dakota’s oldest operating brewery.