Beautiful area with breathtaking views. We drove to the…read morelookout area and then to the beach. The beach was gorgeous. We saw people setting up for a wedding. We will definitely be returning here to camp.

Absolutely gorgeous state recreation area! This state recreation area is located around 1 hour…read moresouth of Rapid City. It has multiple campgrounds and beach access along the shorelines. We spent the majority of our day biking along the 3.5 mile paved bike trail that follows on the outside of the lake. It was a moderately difficult trail that had it's many ups and downs, however, not too bad considering I was carrying 2 kiddos in a bike trailer that made it heavier and harder to do. Most of the facilities were closed due to Covid but the area as a whole is beautiful, and we cannot wait to go back. If you have a boat, you've got to check this place out. There is another state recreation area on the west side that we didn't get to go to unfortunately but our trip was totally worth it. Another quick note, please ensure that when booking a campsite, you know what you are getting. Many of the sites only haveelectric but some had noth electric and water. Finally, if you live in SD state parks, just go ahead and get the annual membership. By the time you go to Custer once and another time here or another park, it practically pays for itself.

Visited Agate Fossil Beds National Monument on Sunday, September 17…read more In addition to fossils and Devil's Corkscrews we saw a great collection of Lakota Sioux memorabilia from the James Cook collection. Shout out to Amelia for spilling the tea on the Cook family, and showing us the prized cow pie from the Cook collection - not on open display. The fossil beds themselves were amazing but Amelia was fantastic, she made the visit.

We made the drive out to this remote corner of Nebraska to see the fossil exhibit, and it was well…read moreworth the trip. Just be aware that the final stretch involves driving on dirt roads, so plan accordingly. The museum itself is small but packed with fascinating exhibits. While the fossils are certainly the main attraction, we were especially impressed by the collection of Native American artifacts, which was both extensive and beautifully displayed. If you find yourself in the area and don't mind venturing off the beaten path, this museum is definitely worth the visit. Just be prepared for the drive, as it's not the easiest place to reach.

Going to Toadstool Geologic Park was best thing we've done on our vacation so far. The park is…read morebeautiful and interesting, offering both easy and challenging hikes. There was a guy named Richard in the parking lot giving out free sunscreen, vacation advice and maps. He even took our picture. He's a great guy who just loves the park and works for free. If you see him tell him Tim, Sutevee and Hope say hi! PS - don't forget to pay your park fee. It's very cheap and helps keep the park maintained.

Nice walking loop through the park. Takes about an hour. Get the paper guide at the entrance,…read morethough. Watch for snakes. But we never saw any.

When we were coming from Hot Springs in South Dakota, we somehow came upon a road that was not…read morepaved and had many potholes in. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere when we got to the Badlands. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see the sign of the bad lands, just because my husband and I were both confused as to where we were headed. Even in July, it felt like there was nobody coming or going. We were scared something was going to happen to our car and we were going to be in the middle of nowhere. With no cell reception nonetheless. The biggest tip I can tell you is to make sure you have a tank full of gas and snacks and things in your vehicle. The badlands themselves are beautiful. We were able to see some bison, even though it was not that close. It was an incredibly hot when we visited in July, so definitely go very early if you plan on hiking. We were not able to get our entire party out from having breakfast early, and we missed our day of hiking because of it. Even just driving around the badlands is beautiful... but be sure to have water if you plan on hiking. I did not expect it to be as hot as it was.

We visited Badlands National Park during our cross-country road trip with our 4- and 5-year-old…read moreboys, and it was one of the most breathtaking landscapes we saw. The scenery is absolutely stunning, with dramatic rock formations that were created from layers of ancient sediment deposited when this region was covered by water millions of years ago. The visitor center is excellent and well worth visiting before exploring the park. The exhibits are very informative, and we especially enjoyed the fossil preparation lab, where you can learn about the incredible fossils that continue to be discovered in the Badlands. Since much of the park is open for off-trail exploration, it's important to stop at the visitor center first to learn the rules regarding fossil collecting and what to do if you happen to find one. The views throughout the park are simply remarkable, and there are countless opportunities to stop, hike, and take in the unique landscape. Whether you're interested in geology, paleontology, wildlife, or just spectacular scenery, Badlands National Park is an unforgettable destination and one of the highlights of our trip.

Our visit to South Dakota was an unforgettable experience from beginning to end. Custer park was…read moreone of our top priorities to visit. Man was it worth it! Every turn along the scenic drives revealed something new and breathtaking--towering mountains, rolling hills, endless grassy plains, crystal-clear lakes and streams, beautiful log cabins, and wildlife roaming freely in their natural habitat. We drove arms reach from bison, and deer. We got out of our car to pet and feed burros, and marveled over other animals right alongside the roadway. The prairie dogs were adorable and funny too. It was an incredible reminder of how special this park truly is. Especially considering I love animals, history, and the artistry of nature. One of the highlights was driving through the famous narrow rock tunnels. The engineering is amazing, and the views framed through the tunnels are simply unforgettable. We also stopped at several cliffside overlooks where the panoramic views stretched as far as the eye could see. Standing there, looking out over the landscape, gave us a true appreciation for the beauty and scale of the Black Hills. Whether you're looking for incredible photography, scenic drives, wildlife viewing, or simply a peaceful escape into nature, Custer State Park delivers on every level. It's one of those places that makes you slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate God's incredible creation. If you're visiting South Dakota, Custer State Park isn't just worth seeing--it's an experience you'll remember for a lifetime. We can't wait to return.

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!

I can't rate a park anything less than 5 stars; this is a small national park and easy to spend…read morehalf a day here and add in to a trip. This was a last minute addition so we missed the opportunity to do a cave tour. Next time! The visitor center is surprisingly large and really neat even if not visiting the cave. You can walk to the original entrance of the cave from the visitor center which is neat to see and "cool" to feel cold the air blowing out of the opening. We saw soooo many bison! And a coyote hunting prairie dogs! This national park doesn't charge an entrance fee to walk around or drive thru, so if you are in the area and maybe missed wildlife at the state park, it's worth a drive through to try and catch a view of some animals! Make sure your kiddos get junior ranger badges at the visitor center!

There's a whole hidden world under the prairie. The Garden of Eden Tour took us deep underground…read morethrough narrow passageways and into rooms full of rare boxwork formations and delicate honeycomb patterns that make this cave so special. Down there, everything feels slower. It's quiet, cool, and feels almost untouched. Then you step back outside and it's a complete contrast. Open skies, rolling hills, and bison grazing in the distance like something straight out of a movie. Two totally different worlds in one park.

Driving from Fort Collins to Rapid City, my family was fortunate to add this Oregon Trail stop on…read morethe way. The park rangers at this monument are awesome and truly care about its history. If you can add this in with your travels, you won't be upset. I wouldn't go way out of my way to visit, but if you can add it to your itinerary with a less than annoying drive deviation, it is fantastic. Side note, it was raining the day I went. I drove up to the top but couldn't see the view due to the weather. But, I could tell, on a nice day, it would be amazing. Lots of history here. Enjoy!

Absolutely love the history and the scenery up here. So many trails goi g different directions…read more Good signage. The adorable little guy at the ranger station was the absolute sweetest man and reminded me of my grandpa would have love to bring a picnic lunch and just spend the day exploring the trails. Epic view! Visit here. And hey FEE FREE!! My absolute FAVORITE price!

If you're on a road trip and adventurous enough to seek out Carhenge, why not get slightly more…read moreadventurous and seek out the VERY remote Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed in the Ogalalla National Grasslands, the site where paleo-humans left the bones of many hundreds of ancient bison (without the skulls), over many hundreds of years, piled and scattered over a small area. At the end of 15-miles of gravel road, there is a small parking lot, restrooms with plumbing, a small pond teeming with loud frogs and surrounded by lush greenery and shade-trees, and an air-conditioned archealogical dig/gift shop/visitors center, about the size of a large barn. A small staff will greet you, show you an informational video about the history of the bonebed and give you a tour of the archealogical dig and show you the bones. It may not be as large and perhaps not as interesting as the fossilized rhinoceroses at the Ashfall in northeastern Nebraska several hours east from here, nor does it have the (ahem) mammoth proportions of the VERY interesting mammoth site in Hot Springs, South Dakota a short drive to the north (both of which are highly recommended), but it does offer a trailhead into the Toadstool Geological Formation located in adjacent grasslands. The Bison Trail runs out from about the entrance to the visitors center, across federal grazing lands, down into several "badlands"-style gullies and to the Toadstool campground - 3 miles away, for a six-mile out and back hike. At least one other trail intersects this trail about a mile out with signage noting that Toadstool is three miles down it also, so you can make the hike longer, or shorter, or into a loop as desired. Enjoy the strategically placed bison sculptures that give a sense of what ancient humans might have seen along this same trail. There are also numerous cattle trails cutting this way and that through the grasslands, but the intentionally placed human trail is marked by wooden sign-posts sticking up out of the prairie grass about 50-100 yards apart to show you the way. The ranger also told us that we were welcome to just wander about wherever we wanted, sign-posts-be-damned. But you may have to contend with a barbed-wire fence or two or three - there are, however, gates or slots through the fence that human hikers can fit through on the regular trail. From the visitors center, the trail goes down into and up out of a small shaded gully, then out to another large gully that looks more like the badlands. Down into and up out of the second gully, then across more grasslands to a third gully (about 1.3 miles from the visitors center), where the trail descends down into the gully from its highest point, and then down through the bottom of the gully for some distance. When we went, the trail at the bottom of the gully was extremely muddy - so we didn't make it all of the way to Toadstool. We turned around at the first turn at the bottom of the gully where it got muddy. We walked along the gully at its top edge for a ways, however, to see what we were missing from the top. In this first mile and a half we did not see any so-called toadstool formations, but it is a uniquely and starkly beautiful landscape, with the sparsely wooded hills behind you above the visitors center, with the slope of grasslands below you, the badlands features spreading out through significant portions of the vista below you. And if you are lucky (?) you might even run into a herd of beef cattle, and might even accidentally cut a small group of them off from the main herd; and then have to hide below a rise so as not to spook the stragglers so that they can find their herd. Not saying it happened that way, but it might happen to you too.