South Dakota is the most amazing place to go for the ultimate summer road trip. Along the way, you will pass by tranquil fields of green and gold, windmills, and plenty of fun road signs.
Surprisingly, South Dakota also has a sense of whimsy with quirky stops and nostalgic towns to explore. Once you get closer to the western side, you’ll be astounded by the beauty of the scenic drives and amazed at the man-made marvels.
For this road trip, we will start in Sioux Falls and continue westerly to Spearfish. However, if you are coming from the other side of the state, it totally be done the opposite way as well.
So, let’s dive into where to stop on a South Dakota Road trip!
South Dakota Road Trip
When is the best time of year to do a South Dakota Road trip?
As with most destinations in the Midwest, South Dakota experiences the full four seasons of weather.
Spring is a fun time to visit with the weather getting nicer, flowers blooming and cheaper lodging. But note that there may be some unpredictable weather like rain, thunderstorms and potential snow in March and April.
Summer is the optimal time to visit as the weather is warm and you can enjoy all the outdoor adventures. You’ll want to bring bug spray and a light coat for the evening time as it may get chilly.
Fall is beautiful with the changing of the leaves and cooler temperatures. You’ll also notice cheaper lodging options as well.
Winter is the most challenging time to visit as it’s cold and snowy. However, it will be beautiful and the least busy with the cheapest lodging options.
First place to start on this South Dakota Road trip: Sioux Falls
We’ll start our road trip in Sioux Falls which is the most eastern city of South Dakota.
Sioux Falls is a surprisingly, underrated, charming city with an adorable downtown area. Complete with boutique shopping, cute coffee shops, and fun places to eat and drink. Furthermore, the most unique thing about Sioux Falls is the waterfall right in the middle of town.
If you are wondering where you should stay on the first night of your road trip, stay here in Sioux Falls. You’ll find many big-name hotels here but if you are looking for something unique, stay at the Hotel on Phillips. This hotel used to be a bank back in the day and you can still see the vault door in the lobby bar.
There are many good coffee places, but Josiah’s is the perfect place for breakfast or lunch, and you can also bring your dog inside!
Or if you are looking for fancy European style desserts, check out CH Patisserie.
And for dinner try Minerva’s or Crawford’s bar and grill.
While in downtown, check out the 50 sculptures made by local artists lining the sidewalk. There’s even voting boxes so you can vote on your favorite. Be sure to visit The Arc of Dreams sculpture and the mural wall as well.
Read more: Sioux Falls Weekend Itinerary
Visit the Corn Palace in the town of Mitchell
The next town we will visit is Mitchell, famous for the amazing Corn Palace!
So, admittedly, the Corn Palace is probably a one-time deal for most people. And no, the corn palace isn’t made fully out of corn. However, parts of the building are beautifully decorated with corn. Also, the gift shop inside is huge and worthy of a visit.
More importantly, Mitchell is another great stopover town if you want somewhere to rest for the night. Stay at the Holiday Inn and check out the El Columpio Mexican restaurant that is right next door to the hotel. The restaurant has amazing food with some fun indoor swings for seats and a rooftop patio. Super fun!
Also, around Mitchell is when you’ll see the first Wall Drug sign!
Chamberlain
Be sure to meet Dignity of Earth and Sky, who stands tall right off the highway at a rest stop in Chamberlain. Dignity is a native woman that stands for “our shared belief that all here are sacred and in a sacred place.”
Created by Dale Lamphere, the same guy who did the Arc of Dreams in Sioux Falls (picture earlier in post).
This is also the perfect place to stop and have picnic, use the bathrooms, and stretch a bit.
Badlands
The Badlands are an amazing landscape that you can’t even believe exists in the U.S. If you haven’t been here, you are in for a treat.
There are 2 entrances off of I-90 which enters in one way and exits further up I-90. If you don’t have a National Parks pass, it will cost about $30 a car to get in. Once in the park, you will drive the badlands loop drive which has overlooks, a visitor center (Ben Reifel) and it’s very possible that you will see wildlife along the road.
Speaking of wildlife, if you want to see Prairie dogs up close and personal, be sure to stop at the Ranch store where you can feed prairie dogs peanuts from your hand! This is before the entrance to the Badlands Park, so you can stop on your way in (or out if you came in the other way).
Also close to this area is the Minuteman Missile site. Where there are dormant nuclear missiles that were placed here in the Cold War, and you can actually see the missile in the ground. Advanced reservations are required to visit, check out their website here.
Wall Drug
All the road signs lead to here! Wall Drug! The best thing about Wall Drug is that it’s a nostalgic stop that generations of road trippers have been coming to for years.
Wall Drug still offers free ice water, 5 cent coffee, multiple shops, and plenty of places to eat.
Be sure to check out the backyard to sample the water and get your selfie on the jackalope!
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is probably what most people think of when they think of South Dakota. And yes, it’s totally worth a visit.
Created by Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore opened in 1941 after taking 14 years to complete. Depicting four important presidents in American history, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. It’s truly a neat patriotic sight to see.
Lady’s Tip: The museum and grounds are free, but you will have to pay for parking. Also, dogs are not allowed beyond a certain point. But there is an area just outside the gates where you can take pictures of Mount Rushmore and sit and hang out with your pup.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse is such a neat monument as it’s an active sculpture that you can physically see them working on while here. The monument was started in 1948 by Henry Standing Bear, and the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski. Incredibly, the Ziolkowski family continues to work on it to this day.
Much of the reason it’s not completed is the refusal to accept government money, as they wanted to preserve the indigenous reasoning behind the monument. You can learn more about the story in the museum they have on site and there’s also gift shops and food available as well.
Deadwood
Most people stay in Rapid City when coming to South Dakota, but I think it’s way more fun to stay in Deadwood. A former gunslinger town that has preserved its rich history and makes you feel like you’ve stepped right back in time.
Wild Bill Hickock is the star here as he was shot in one of the saloons back in 1876. As a result, the town re-tells his story by doing reenactments of the shooting throughout the day.
As you can imagine, it’s really neat to see history come alive in its original location. You are also able to visit Wild Bill himself, along with other famous folks, right up the hill in Mount Moriah Cemetery.
Along with fun bars and cute shops, casinos line the town for those that like to gamble.
Alternatively, there are museums like the Days of ’76 museum, and tours like the ghost tour of the haunted Bullock hotel as well.
Where to eat and drink in Deadwood
The Franklin hotel wins in the department of having some of the best food in Deadwood. Their Legends steakhouse is not only great for dinner, but their breakfast is also amazing. For breakfast, try the Rumchata French toast, or the country fried beef tips and eggs. And be sure to have a drink on their Veranda before dinner as well.
For lunch, try Mr. Wu’s for their Asian tacos.
And for the coolest coffee place ever, try Pump House.
Where to stay in Deadwood
As for where to stay, Deadwood Mountain Grand is close to the action, pet friendly and has amazing views of the town.
But, if you want to be brave, you can also stay at the haunted Bullock hotel. I’m not brave and have never stayed here, but maybe you are?
Last stop on this South Dakota Road trip: Spearfish
Not too far away from Deadwood is the town of Spearfish.
Not only is the town adorable but also in this area is the Spearfish Canyon, which is an amazingly pretty drive.
The drive is a 20-mile drive with breathtaking cliff sides, lush greenery and even has 3 waterfalls.
Here are the three waterfalls and where you can find them.
Bridal Veil Falls is the easiest to access as you’ll see it right off the scenic highway.
Roughlock Falls and Spearfish falls are easy enough to find as long as you head to the Latchstring restaurant (perfect spot to have a meal).
Spearfish Falls is right next to the restaurant, but you will only see the top part unless you go for a hike to see the full falls.
For Roughlock falls, drive across the street from the restaurant and keep going down the dirt road (very pretty drive) until you come to the sign for the falls.
The Town of Spearfish
Either before or after the drive, be sure to grab a coffee from Blackbird espresso and check out the town of Spearfish as well.
If you are in the mood for some adult beverages, check out Spearfish Brewing Co for some craft beers. Redwater Kitchen is next door to the brewery if you are looking for some good eats. Or there is Leone’s Creamery for some amazing ice cream.
Final thoughts at the end of the South Dakota Road trip
South Dakota is such a great destination that is not overly populated with tourists and will give you so many memories on this ultimate road trip.
There’s also much more to discover in South Dakota. You can drive to Needles Highway in Custer State Park, or hang out with the bears in Bear Country, or even drive to Yellowstone from here! However you do your trip, have fun making those memories!
For another amazing road trip in Minnesota, see my post on the North Shore
