This place should be a national park, in my opinion!…read more Going in to it with an open mind is important--wild animals are, in fact, wild and can't be predicted or controlled! That being said, you're almost guaranteed to see SOMETHING. We were lucky enough to get stuck in a bison jam, see the burros and a number of deer and prongtails. Get up early or take a drive around dusk if you miss the wildlife during the day. It's a beautiful, diverse park. Needles highway is a must do and is so cool to see the rock formations. Starting after the wildlife loop and driving to Sylvan Lake was amazing and the lake offered a great break from the car. We wish we would have planned for more time at the lake and come prepared with swimsuits, etc! Even if just visiting for a day, I think the $25 park entrance fee is worth it. But if you have the time, plan to take your time and spend more than one day here!

Don't forget to pack fresh apples and carrots before hitting up CSP's wildlife loop ;)…read moreCuster SP is a beautiful must-visit. Begging burros, Sylvan Lake, Needles Hwy's narrowest tunnels, bold geese, prairie dog town. Amusing sights for all! Thought I followed all of National Treasure's instructions at Sylvan Lake. Maybe you'll have better luck unlocking that treasure cavern haha . Couldn't find anyone at the pay station entrances to ask some questions ;) + Restrooms and a few water bottle refill stations throughout the park. Thanks again Stan for the suggestion!

The food is on the pricey side, and is just pretty good. Don't miss out on the mini donuts though,…read moreso good! The store itself has some good stuff you will want to buy. It's also a bit pricey though. The bathrooms there were clean and had plenty of outdoor seating with great views of the lake to enjoy too.

Delicious cheeseburger and mini donuts coated in cinnamon sugar. Made to order. Easy to take with…read moreyou to the lake. Friendly staff. Great assortment of snacks, drinks and souvenirs, too.

We stopped here to view America's largest Berlin Wall exhibit and of course see the many beautiful…read moresculptures we had heard about. It is a lovely park with lots of greenspace and beautiful foliage but there were many unhoused persons and some seemed to be living/sleeping next to the statues so we weren't able to spend to much time enjoying some of them or get to close and we didn't want to bother anyone. The ones we did see up close were magnificent! We enjoyed walking through the park on the paved trails and perhaps it was just because we were from outside the area but we had difficulty finding anywhere close to park so we also had a nice walk to and from the park as well. The highlight for my husband was getting to spin the 9,000 lb piece of granite. The engineering makes it possible but it's still pretty tough to get that 4 ton stone moving. This park is worth a stop just for that.

This park is a memorial to those that died in the Rapid Creek floods of 1972. An amphitheater,…read moreplayground, lake & war monuments are displayed here as well. There are sections of the Berlin Wall because this was the front line for the Cold War. Missile & launch control facilities are peppered through the grasslands & are run by the National Park Service.

+ Fascinating memorial. The Lakota Sioux present that, besides neighboring Mt Rushmore…read morecommemorating US American heros, the Native Americans had heroes too. . It's just unfortunate that because they reject US gov't funding, construction continues to proceed very slowly. - Disappointed to discover we can't get any closer to the monument than the visitor center without taking a bus tour (extra $5). That means no solo driving up there, no hiking. Thus, not quite worth the obligatory $15 fee just to enter the visitor center grounds. + Pleasant ambience. + Still a nice viewing balcony right behind the visitor center museum. + Ample parking. + Located near many other exciting tourist attractions of the Black Hills, including Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Needles Hwy.

If you have any interest it will be a 2 hour or more visit. We are mobility disabled and just for…read moresimplicity skipped the bus ride for a closer look. The view from the many places on the land it is visible from is wonderful. There are 3 museums on site all included plus a restaurant. The restaurant is a short simple menu, we had bison stew which was excellent and fry bread with a wonderful berry sauce called Wai Po. The view from the huge windows there is amazing. Yes, progress is slow but that makes it all the more special. Since a friend went a few years ago and saw only the face, they have completed the top part of his arm and pointing hand. The story of it's conception and the original artist is really inspiring. What physical and emotional commitment! And now his son is carrying on working with the tribes to help complete it. The home he built and many of his family's possessions are one of the small museums. Another had much history of the area tribes including portraits of the few survivors of Wounded Knee massacre. There there is the workshop. All in all a lot for $30 a car these days. A beautiful and for us a spiritual journey

I love that there is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore, but you do have to pay for parking. It was…read moreregularly $10 or if you're over 62 it's five dollars you take a ticket when you go into the parking lot and you will pay at a pay station before you leave. It will ask you if you're over 62 There is a lot of room to view the monument as well as a restaurant, gift shop, clean restrooms, and plenty of areas to sit on benches and such to enjoy the environment Definitely something you need to check off your bucket list

Really cool to see something in real life that you've seen in so many books, shows and movies!…read more In the summer, it is hot and crowded....unless you go early! We visited twice in the same trip--once in the afternoon that was super crowded and then again earlier in the morning around 7:30-8:00am and there were only a few people there and it was much cooler. The $10 you pay for the parking pass is good for 1 year so can make a quick trip another day if you want. The presidential trail is a nice little walk with a ton of stairs (go to the left towards Washington side to start and you'll go down most of them instead of up). It seems like the trail is closed for maintenance (or something) fairly often which is a bummer! There's a few exhibits and presentations, etc in the visitor center and a good amount of info about the sculpting/creation and the history side of things. Definitely worth a stop and a good hour or two there, but wouldn't center a whole trip around it. And, make sure your kiddos get junior ranger badges!

If you're driving through Spearfish Canyon and don't stop at Bridal Veil Falls, what are you even…read moredoing? This is hands down one of the easiest--and most rewarding--waterfalls you'll ever visit. The falls drop about 60 feet straight down a dramatic canyon wall, and the best part? You can literally park right next to it. No hike, no sweating, no "is this worth it?" moment halfway in--just instant payoff. What makes this spot hit even harder is the setting. Spearfish Canyon is already unreal, with towering limestone cliffs, winding roads, and dense forest. Then you turn a corner and boom--waterfall just casually existing like it's no big deal. We loved how accessible it is, but it still feels wild and natural. You can walk right up to the base, feel the mist, and take it all in without dealing with huge crowds (depending on timing). Pro tip: if you can, hit this spot in the fall or winter. Fall brings insane colors, and winter turns the waterfall into this massive frozen ice wall that looks straight up fake. Quick stop, huge payoff. Easily one of the best roadside attractions in South Dakota. Follow us for more hidden gems on our socials @reessroots

Driving on spearfish canyon scenic highway on the way to Spearfish falls and noticed cars parked in…read morea small lot. Parked and Walked across the highway to a deck and there was the Bridal Veil Falls. No hike needed for those that are not hikers. Nature has so much to offer. Worth a stop!!! If you're lucky, you might see animals near by.

This stop was definitely not what we expected, but you can get a great view of the city from the…read moretop of this park. The statues are neat, but they are very old and they are more for education than for children to play on. I really liked how accessible the park was and how much information it gave. I would definitely recommend bringing children ages 5 to 8 spend some time here; I think they would really enjoy it. And as I said for adults, there is always that amazing view from up top. There is plenty of parking across the street and there's also a little building that was closed when we arrived, but it looks like they sell drinks and treats during regular business hours.

Dinosaur Park is a fun little stop, an especially good place for little ones (and big ones) to run…read morearound and stretch their legs. It's atop a hill with wonderful views of the surrounding area. There are mobility ramps as well as stairs to the highest point, so easy for everyone to get to the top. There is a decent amount of parking at the bottom. The gift shop/snack bar is located at the parking lot. LOTS of gift items and the snack bar has the usual hamburgers, fries, hot dogs etc, all at reasonable prices. Nice stop for 30-45 minutes!