Day 4: Buffalo, Wyoming . The best route depends on where you will be staying in the Black Hills or Rapid City. Rapid City, SD 57701 Early October to mid-March: Sunset - 9:00 p.m. You'll want to fly into Rapid City Regional Airport. Mount Rushmore was already named before the carving began. With stops, it can take 10 hours or longer. If it's a real road trip, you might want to check out interesting places along the way, or maybe eat at a great restaurant. Road Trip Planner for Mount Rushmore, Badlands and Custer Park, SD. More info on this route:elevation from Mt Rushmore to Rapid Citydrive from Mt Rushmore to Rapid Cityroad conditionsalternate routesGoogle driving directions, The Hotel Alex Johnson, an Ascend Collection hotel. If you choose to take this route with no stops in-between, it will take you approximately 9 hours. :-). We would like to take a bus tour bus from yellowstone to to the monuments and fly home to boston from there. We only did the drive from Burgess Junction to Shell (we did not do the drive to Medicine Wheel), so unfortunately I cant answer that question. Road Trip Planner for Mount Rushmore, Badlands and Custer Park, SD On the quickest of visits, 30 minutes is really all you need to visit Mount Rushmore. Day 8: Grand Teton National Park. MLS # 75551 This is a relatively short flight in a private plane, but you might be planning to book a commercial flight. (Both The President's View Resort and The Royal Express are adjacent to the Boardwalk!). To hit the Badlands next, take 79N to 44E about 32 miles and into the scenic route running through the southern portion of the Badlands. (605) 574-2886. Family rates and group rates are available for these tours. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Find out about driving in the Mount Rushmore area. Mt Rushmore to Rapid City is about 25 miles. Vote. 5. Comfort Suites Conference Center Rapid City. Drive for about 15 minutes, then stop at Reptile Gardens and stay for about 1 hour. We were also surprised with how tall and deep some of the canyons were throughout the area. You can take a bus from Jackson to Mount Rushmore via Albertsons, Jackson, WY, Idaho Falls, ID, Butte, MT, Billings, MT, and Rapid City, SD in around 20h 4m. Thanks for any suggestions (other than backpacking or climbing! While in Deadwood there are some really great historical buildings, some fun diners, and casinos. We couldnt get over just how beautiful the area was, and how starkly different the terrain was from the Black Hills that are only an hours drive away. We would like the most flat road route to take from Illinois. Im going to skip Mt Rushmore and visit Crazy Horse then quickly get to those gorgeous bandlands. If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from RAP to Mount Rushmore so you can see when you'll . Then doing route 66. They also have time in summer that you can volunteer to find mammouth bones. Its not often that we recommend a chain restaurant, but every once in a while a regional chain grows because they are doing something right. We are flying out to Denver next week and driving up to Cheyenne, then heading over to the Badlands and the Black Hills for a one-week vacation. 4.06 miles from destination. It ends in Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. Visitors coming from the south should follow U. S. Highway 385 north to South Dakota Highway 244, which is the road leading to the memorial. detailed guide about the different driving routes. Rushmore good with kids 12 replies; Mt Rushmore 2 replies; Garden Cottage Motel, Rapid City South Dakota 2 replies; distance from Wall Drug . it may be busy as it may be spring break for your area, but no where near as busy as the summer. Since the completion of Mount Rushmore, Native Americans have staged protests to have the Black Hills returned to them. In this guide, we have lots of photos and information to help you make the best choice. Do I need to say more? Looks like an awesome road trip! Map of Mount Rushmore from the national park service website. Pets are only allowed in the pet exercise areas located at both ends of the upper level parking garage and at the entrance to the main visitor area and must always remain on a leash. thank you for your post I cant wait to be there. Where is Mount Rushmore Located? YELLOWSTONE: If this is part of a road trip with Yellowstone, learn how to plan your visit in our Yellowstone National Park Travel Guide. There are numerous programs held throughout the day. Its not because you didnt enjoy it on your first visit, but rather because you enjoyed it so much that youre afraid a second visit might reveal it as one-dimensional or heck, kind of bland.