Badlands National Park
- Interior, SD. 2.8 mi / 7 mins.
- Wall, SD. 29.0 mi / 33 mins.
- Rapid City, SD. 76.2 mi / 1 hour 21 mins.
- Keystone, SD. 94.7 mi / 1 hour 39 mins.
- Hill City, SD. 101 mi / 1 hour 46 mins.
- Nemo, SD. 105 mi / 1 hour 51 mins.
- Sturgis, SD. 108 mi / 1 hour 40 mins.
- Custer, SD. 115 mi / 2 hours 3 mins.
On the quickest of visits, 30 minutes is really all you need to visit Mount Rushmore. You can simply walk up the Avenue of the Flags, take in the view from the Grand Terrace, take your photos and snap your selfies.
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Covering all 3 is a very full day, but it can be done with an early start. If I ran short on time, I'd eliminate Wall Drug. The Badlands will take an hour drive time from Rapid, and then allot around 4 hours to adequately see the park. Allot about an hour and a half back to Rushmore.
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In this one day (or multiple day) road trip you can hit up Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, the Crazy Horse Monument, and a few fun little towns and local breweries or wineries. There are some off-the-beaten-path options as well, depending on how much time you have.
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Start to Finish: Park rangers suggest spending two full days to truly experience the park, but you can certainly visit in less time. If you have one full day to spend, plan on being at the park for both sunrise and sunset - the light cast over the Badlands is incredible.
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You can drive the whole park in 1 day and see all the overlooks but if you want to go on some hikes or on a float trip you will need an extra day. Good luck fitting it all in and have a great trip. Helpful? We did Custer, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, the Needles, the Badlands, and Rapid City, and Mt.
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Because Badlands National Park is not surrounded by big cities or other major sources of light pollution, night skies in the park are very clear.
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Entrance Fees: Good news here! Mount Rushmore does not charge an entrance fee for visitors. However, there is a parking fee which is $10 per vehicle.
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