Liene's Adventures

Chapter 1 of our road trip described the start of our trip and visits to Sioux Falls, 1880 Town, Badlands National Park and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. You can read about it here:

30-DAY ROAD TRIP THROUGH THE AMERICAN WEST. CHAPTER 1 - SOUTH DAKOTA & BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

 

BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST

June 19

The Black Hills area of South Dakota was a new experience for us. Neither one of us had ever been here before, so we were eagerly looking forward to it all. After repairing our leaky RV pipe, and before heading into the heart of the Black Hills, we made one last stop in Rapid City – to pick up a rental car that we had reserved for the next 3 days. Although traveling in an RV has many benefits, it also has a downside – some mountainous areas are just too steep and windy with low clearance bridges and tunnels where an RV would not fit through. The Black Hills was one such area. But to be honest, I was quite happy with the idea of just parking our RV at a campground for 3 days and not worrying about moving it back and forth every day. Having an extra car sounded like a good change of pace. 

The car pickup was very quick and easy and soon we were back on the road. Once we entered the Black Hills, I was absolutely mesmerized! The scenery was stunning! The jagged mountains with gray granite cliffs; the green tree canopy and rolling valleys… It was so much more than I ever expected to see here. And we hadn’t even started exploring yet!

 

Upon reaching our new home for the next 3 days – Custer Crazy Horse Campground – we parked and set up our camper. We got a nice site with shady trees and a rock outcrop which our kids darted out to explore as soon as our RV came to a halt. 

 

CUSTER STATE PARK - WILDLIFE LOOP ROAD

We didn’t want to waste any time, so after a short discussion we decided to drive to Custer State Park and use our newly acquired rental car to cruise their 18-mile (30km) long Wildlife Loop Road. The name of the road held the key as to why the road was so famous – in early morning and late evening hours there was a lot of wildlife that could be seen here. And with it being 5PM already, it was prime time to be there!

Even before reaching the park, we were surprised by a herd of female bighorn sheep grazing on the green grass right by the roadside. This was a very promising start to our wildlife adventure!

Once we entered the park, we were in awe of its beauty – a lonely gray road weaved its way through lush rolling hills and meadows. We made several stops at various lookouts just to get out of the car, snap pictures, and take it all in!

Nobody likes traffic jams, but pronghorn traffic jams on Wildlife Loop Road are truly adorable. And nobody minds! All the cars stopped and watched a sizeable herd of pronghorn cross the road. They were in no hurry. And all the while they also managed their mutual relationships with an occasional buck and snort. It was truly a fun sight to witness.

Once the pronghorns cleared the road, we headed on. But just a few curves ahead we noticed several stopped cars. They were all looking at a herd of wild burros (donkeys). They were gray and black, and white, and brown… And even a few babies mixed in the middle of it all. Talk about luck! Out of all the places they could have gone in this vast wilderness, they were right here in the roadside field exactly when we were passing by!

Mule deer and whitetail deer were another group of animals we happened to bump into. They were walking along a fence line looking for a spot to cross the road. 

And even a female elk graced us with her presence! 

It was getting very late (9PM), and darkness was rapidly approaching, so it was time to leave the park. As luck would have it (or not?), we took a wrong turn and came face-to-bumper with a roadside bison. This was the closest we had been to a bison. I think I could have touched it had I reached out the window with my hand. But of course, I did not do that! It was still quite amazing to see a bison so up close. We were also praying it does not become agitated and ram our car as we had nowhere to go. Thankfully, the bison was as calm and level-headed as they come and completely disregarded us.

In just a short few hours we had seen so many animals! This was the best wildlife safari experience so far! 

 

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL

As ambitious as we were, going to bed at 9PM on our vacation did not sound like a great idea. Especially, when there was still so much to see. Why not go see Mt Rushmore lit up at night?! And that is what we did. 30 minutes later we were standing in front of the famous carvings of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln that represented the first 150 years of American history.

It was a clear night, and the lit-up statues looked impressive. Unfortunately, so late at night no park exhibits or trails along the base of the monument were open. But that was fine with us as we knew we would still return here in daylight.

By now it was approaching almost midnight. We had another busy day ahead, and we were exhausted. The kids had already fallen asleep in the car. We made our way back to the RV waiting for us at the campground, and immediately headed to bed. 

 

JEWEL CAVE NATIONAL MONUMENT

June 20 

The morning started early as we had reservations for Jewel Cave tour at 8:20AM. Unfortunately, upon waking up, we noticed that this day did not look too promising. It was raining and the sky was gray and dark as far as the eye could see. Thankfully, that did not affect the cave tour, and we were secretly glad that our first morning activity was ''indoors''.

I had made the tour reservations many weeks prior as they tend to sell out quickly. And even at 8 in the morning, the visitor center was already full of people hoping to get their hands on some last-minute same-day tour tickets. While waiting on our tour, we explored the visitor center, and my kids turned in their filled out Junior Ranger books and got some Jewel Cave badges and patches in return. More to add to our growing collection!

The cave tour was led by a park ranger. With Jewel Cave being one of the longest caves in the world (over 220 miles / 355km in length), only a very miniscule percentage of it was accessible to visitors. Our tour explored only a ½-mile of the whole cave system. There were various cave formations that were pointed out to us, and interesting facts told by the ranger. 

Although this was not the most impressive cave we had been to, we were still glad we chose to see it. If you asked me about the most memorable cave I had ever visited, I would have to say it was definitely the Luray Caverns in Virginia. 

After our cave tour was complete and we exited the visitor center… it was still gray and misty! It did not seem like it was going to let up much today, so we just came to an agreement to soldier on and continue with our planned itinerary. 

 

CUSTER STATE PARK

That plan included driving to Custer State Park along the scenic Needles Highway and through the famous Needles Eye Tunnel. 

One of the more popular trails along this stretch of the road was the 1.6-mile long (2.5km) Cathedral Spires Trail. Although the weather was still extremely foggy and misty, we had all the required rain gear, so we headed out. 

I must admit that initially I was quite upset about the low-lying fog that was obscuring all the scenic views and tops of the cliffs. I wanted those picture-perfect vast vistas with blue skies and tall mountains, but there were none to be seen… However, as we hiked deeper and deeper into the wilderness, I started noticing other things that I, most likely, would not have seen on a sunny day. There was a wildflower with a water droplet on its petals. And a spiderweb full of raindrops. The wet leaves gave off a different hue of green than on a sunny day, and they were shimmering in the daylight. Even the fog-engulfed cliff spires started to look mysterious and inviting. Maybe we did not need all sunny days after all?

Having completed the Cathedral Spires Trail, we returned to the car and drove to one of the most popular areas of Custer State Park – the Sylvan Lake. There were boating and paddle boarding opportunities here, picnicking and swimming. However, on such a chilly and wet day as this one, most of the people chose other activities. As did we. On our agenda was another hiking trail – a 3.8-mile (6km) long Little Devil’s Tower Spur Trail with some decent elevation gain of almost 1000 feet (300m). The fog was still not letting up, but that did not upset us much anymore. There was still enough beauty to be seen, of that we were certain. 

We were walking through meadows and forested areas with the ever-present granite spires never too far out of sight.  

Custer State Park’s spunky chipmunks made our hike quite an entertaining one. These guys were always busy and always ready for some mischief. Kind of reminded me of my boys… Can’t keep them still and always up to no good.

The final push to the summit was quite steep and the forested setting had turned into barren granite with just occasional trees growing from some cracks in the rock. Although we were supposed to have a grand overlook of the surrounding area here, nothing more could be seen than just a few feet ahead. The fog was not letting up. Yet surprisingly, that did not worry us. We Googled the images of the view that we were ''supposed'' to see, and just enjoyed a leisurely afternoon snack break atop a mountain. It was beautiful exactly the way it was!

 

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL

Once we got back to the car, there was just one more thing we needed to do, and that was to visit Mt Rushmore during daylight hours. ''Not today!'' Mother Nature said when we arrived. The fog was so dense there was no view to be had. It was a bust! Visitors were taking sarcastic images and posting them on social media bragging about their awesome view of Mount Rushmore. It was all just for fun.

Despite the weather, the visitor center was open, so we explored the exhibits and watched the park movie about the carving of the monument. My boys also managed to earn their Mt Rushmore Junior Ranger badges. We even hiked the Presidential Trail Loop that went around the base of the monument, but, of course, the actual faces of the presidents could not be seen even from as up close as the base of the cliff. 

It was evening, it was chilly, and it was wet. It was time to return to our campground, warm up in the RV, make some hot dinner and spend the rest of the evening enjoying the simple pleasures of life. 

While my husband was prepping dinner and the boys were too busy with finally being allowed to watch some cartoons, I had a little time to myself. I made the short 3-minute drive into the town of Custer to see their buffalo statues. A few years ago, Custer commissioned artists to paint buffalo statutes as an arts project. Many of the statues remained and were placed at various locations in Custer for the summer months. During my walk I located 11 intricately painted buffaloes. It was like a little scavenger hunt! 

June 21

As we woke up in the morning, an incredible sight greeted us outside – the sunshine! The fog and rain were gone, and blue skies had taken over. Although our day’s itinerary had already been pre-planned by the minute, we decided to deviate from our plan just a little bit and re-trace some of our steps. 

One of the first places we went back to was Mt Rushmore. Today was finally our lucky day – no fog, no rain, and the mountain showed itself in all its glory! As we had already explored the visitors center and park’s trails the day before, we did not linger here for too long. A short stop was enough to check it off our bucket list. 

 

CUSTER STATE PARK - SYLVAN LAKE

Another place we returned to was Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. Today’s lovely weather was perfect for exploring this beautiful area. With so many new sights still on our list for today, we did not have much time here. However, we walked the gravel path around the lake and hiked up a portion of Sunday Gulch Trail. From there we had amazing panoramic views across the Black Hills and towards its granite spires.

We wished we had more time here as we definitely would have liked to hike the trail in all its length. But even the short 2-mile (3.2km) section that we completed (including Sylvan Lake path) was stunning. 

And for those not wanting to hike at all, the view of the lake right there from the parking lot was stunning enough to make you want to stay and linger.

On our way out of the park we took the scenic Iron Mountain Road with all its twists, turns, loops and tunnels. This was another road our RV would not have been able to go on.

 

WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK

Having completed Mt Rushmore and Sylvan Lake re-visits, we were finally back to our original itinerary for the day. And one of the first things on the list was a trip to Wind Cave National Park.

Unfortunately, there were no cave tours available in 2024 summer season due to some ongoing renovations. The visitor center and exhibits were still open, however, so we used the opportunity to find out as much about the Wind Cave as we possibly could without being able to tour it. The rangers were there to answer any questions, and our boys managed to fill out the booklets and earn Wind Cave Junior Ranger badges. 

As we left Wind Cave National Park area, we had a short 20-minute drive to our next stop. The hills and spires had stayed in the background, and we were crossing gently rolling prairies with black-tailed prairie dogs popping up everywhere. Some of them liked to dart across the road to visit their buddies on the other side. So, we drove extra carefully not to run over any one of them.  

 

THE MAMMOTH SITE

Our next stop was the Mammoth Site. I had not heard much about this place before our trip but happened to read about it when researching things to do in the area. It sounded like something my kids could be interested in, so I added it to our itinerary. Boy, were we impressed when we saw it!

What exactly is the Mammoth Site? Tens of thousands of years ago it was a sinkhole filled with water. Mammoths would walk into it to drink and eat water grass, but due to the slick and steep bank of this ''lake'', they could not climb out. Eventually, worn out, hungry, and unable to leave they perished. Many mammoths met their fate here. Over time, sediment and dirt filled the sinkhole and fossilized the remains. So far 61 remains have been found and more are yet to be discovered. 

Nowadays, the Mammoth Site is a museum and an active paleontological excavation site at which research and excavations are continuing. To protect the site from elements, a building was constructed over it which now serves as a museum and gift shop as well. 

Several paths and walkways took us to different areas of the site, and we could watch paleontologists working. The fossilized mammoth remains were unearthed and left where they were found. It was crazy to realize that these very mammoths roamed the earth here where we were standing right now. Out of all the paid attractions and tours that we did in the Black Hills area, this was probably the most impressive one.

There were also various activities available here, and we signed our boys up for a fossil dig tour. Together with other kids they were led down to a separate building. Each group got assigned a ''dig site'' and given appropriate tools for a chance to find and uncover their own mammoth bones, tusks or teeth. It was a hit, as there was no bigger joy for a child than digging in dirt and getting all dirty!

 

EVANS PLUNGE MINERAL SPRINGS

I soon realized that I had planned our itinerary well. Dusty from all the archeological mammoth excavations, our next stop was the perfect place to get cleaned up. Just short 2 miles (3.2km) down the road was Evans Plunge Mineral Springs - the world's largest natural warm water indoor swimming pool. Evans Plunge Mineral Springs is consistently 87 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) year-round where 5,000 gallons (19,000 liters) of water flow from the mineral springs every hour, completely refreshing the water in the pool numerous times every day. Evans Plunge Mineral Springs opened in 1890 and is the oldest attraction in the Black Hills.

Our boys were ecstatic to get some water time in. There were several activities to do here, including water slides, ball nets, pool noodles for floating and soaking, hot tubs, and different depth pool areas. The natural feel of this spring-fed pool was enhanced by the pebble and rock lined pool bottom. It was surely a nice and relaxing ending to our busy day.

 

WILDLIFE LOOP ROAD

On our drive back to the campground we had 2 options for roads. A much straighter and faster one on the main road, or a longer, windier and slower Wildlife Loop Road again. Of course, it was an easy choice to make – Wildlife Loop it was! And it was full of wonders yet again! Already at the entrance of the park we met several bison along the road. 

We also stopped at the newly built Custer Bison Center. It told a story of the park’s bison herd through informative exhibits, movies and hands-on activities.

As we left the Bison Center and headed out back towards the Loop Road, we hit a traffic jam. But this time it was the burros! And not just any burros, but cute baby ones! 

And when it came to pronghorns - there were mommas with babies walking in the tall prairie grass. They were so adorable! 

Just to jump ahead a little bit, I can now confidently say that Custer and Black Hills were our best wildlife spotting areas during the whole trip. We saw so many various animals here as nowhere else – from close-up bison to bighorn sheep, elk and pronghorns to foxes, rabbits and various species of deer. It beat our wildlife experiences even in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons (which were yet to come). 

This was our last night in Custer, and by the time we got back to the campground, it was already pitch black. We had a few not-so-fun errands left to do, like laundry and packing up for the road again as our rental car was getting returned tomorrow. The kids were long asleep before my husband and I were done with everything and got to go to bed ourselves.

June 22

This morning was a little bittersweet. We had fallen in love with the Black Hills and were sad to leave this area. On the other hand, we were also looking forward to all the new adventures yet to come. We unhooked the RV, pulled out of the campground and bid farewell to all the sights we had already gotten to know so well over the past 3 days. 

The drive took us back to Rapid City as we needed to return the rental car. The employees at Enterprise-Rent-A-Car were very nice and the checkout was quick and easy. As I hopped back into the RV to continue our road together in one vehicle again, my husband shocked me by announcing that the microwave, fridge, heat and AC were not working. They were working yesterday, but not today. What the #&$*?! From some research we figured it might be the GFCI outlet. Well, a trip to a hardware store was in the plans now. Thankfully, we were in one of the biggest cities in the whole area, so finding the necessary part was not a problem. My husband replaced the outlet to a new one, turned the power back on and… NOTHING! That was such a letdown. We tried a few other tricks but nothing. Unfortunately, it was another call to an RV mechanic (albeit a different one than the first time around in Badlands NP)! The issue had to be fixed because driving into Yellowstone and Grand Tetons (with some nights possibly dipping below freezing) was not an option without a working heating system. The RV mechanic said he could meet us in 40 minutes. As we sat and waited there, my husband started rearranging the outside storage compartments and unplugged the RV electrical load plug. As he plugged it back in, the fridge, microwave and everything else magically turned on! Apparently, all it needed after we replaced the GFCI outlet was a full restart of the electrical system and it was back up and running in full force! With a little bit of beginner’s luck we were back on the road with no expensive repair bills. But by this I wanted to show that RV travel is not always all fun and games like it might seem. There are often many bumps in the road like leaking pipes, broken toilets or faulty outlets. And with a whole month on the road something was bound to happen. So far though we had gotten off very easy. 

 

DEVILS TOWER NATIONAL MONUMENT

Although we had considered making a trip into the town of Deadwood, this plan got scratched after we spent most of the morning fixing our RV. Now we were heading straight for Devils Tower National Monument. I had seen so many pictures of it over the years and could not wait to finally get to witness it for myself!

The drive from Rapid City was 2 hours long, and we were yet again entertained by GuideAlong app’s informative commentary along the way. We also got to cross the state lines and from South Dakota entered Wyoming! It was a first for all of us!

The unmistakable shape of Devils Tower came into view along the horizon long before we reached it. And we kept watching it grow bigger in size the closer we got. The Tower is an astounding geologic feature that protrudes out of the prairie surrounding the Black Hills. It is still considered sacred by Northern Plains Indians and indigenous people.

The parking lot next to the monument was fairly small and tight, with just a handful of designated RV spots. Having no choice, we decided to try our luck and succeeded! 2 RV spots were unoccupied, one of which we quickly claimed as ours and then walked over to the visitor center. It was a very small building with a gift shop and just a few informative signs. A ranger checked out our boy’s booklets and got them sworn in and awarded Devils Tower Junior Ranger badges. 

Devils Tower Trail is 1.7-miles (2.7km) long and loops around the base of Devils Tower starting from the visitor center. Most people visiting here walk at least a part of this trail to get close-up views of the formation. That was what we did as well. The close-up views really let us admire the basalt columns which were the largest example of columnar jointing in the world. The boys had tons of fun exploring the boulder fields and watching rock climbers brave the steep Tower walls. 

Once we completed the loop, I felt like I still wanted to see more, but my husband and boys were not of the same opinion. They were ready to just go to the campground and settle down. The agreement was made that we would split up – they would take the RV and drive to the campground (which was right outside the park) but I would continue on Red Rock Trail and then hike to the campground on foot. A little weary, but my husband eventually accepted the plan. They drove off and I headed out onto the trail. It was peaceful, quiet and beautiful. It was a new scenery to me, and I could clearly see why this was called Red Rock Trail. It really was red! 

I enjoyed my solo hike so much that I added little side-trips and extra trails and eventually reached the campground 2 hours and 6 miles (9.5km) later. By this time the campsite was set up and dinner was ready. We had a beautiful camping spot with a direct view of Devils Tower. It was magical! 

After dinner the boys talked us into walking over to the camping store for some huckleberry ice creams, which were followed by a round of campground’s complimentary mini golf. It was a fun and laid-back evening. Once it got dark, we moved inside the RV and watched “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” which was Steven Spielberg’s movie featuring Devils Tower.  

June 23

Although Devils Tower was one of the prime locations for night sky viewing, including the Milky Way, we did not get to see that due to some overcast skies last night. Instead, after waking up in the morning, we walked off to explore the campground. We stayed at KOA Devils Tower campground, and it had the most amazing views of the Tower from its property.

Going along with the theme, they also had some wigwams available for lodging reservations which looked really cool and fit perfectly into the landscape here. 

We were talked into some more huckleberry ice cream for breakfast, but after that it was time to pack up. Our time in the Black Hills was a wrap and we had to keep going. A long 500-mile (800km) journey across the state to the other end of Wyoming would bring us to the next chapter of our trip – Yellowstone National Park!

 

Campgrounds:

Custer Crazy Horse Campground - site #628, full hook-up. $160 for 3 nights

Devils Tower / Black Hills KOA - site #19, water / electric. $67.80 per 1 night