Iron Mountain Road Custer State Park - Things To Do On a Black Hills Road Trip (2023)

FAQs

Iron Mountain Road Custer State Park - Things To Do On a Black Hills Road Trip? ›

The Black Hills of South Dakota is home to Mount Rushmore National Monument, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Wind Cave National Park. You can check three national parks off of your life bucket list in one vacation!

The Black Hills of South Dakota is home to Mount Rushmore National Monument, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Wind Cave National Park. You can check three national parks off of your life bucket list in one vacation!

How Much Time Should You Spend in the Black Hills? We recommend three days, which gives you time to explore all three driving loops, as well as tour downtown Rapid City. But if you only have one or two days, you can still make it work.

The Magnificent Road to Rushmore

Along the highway, visitors will find wildfire exhibits, pigtail bridges, magnificent Black Hills scenery, and tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore. Constructed in 1933 under the direction of Senator Peter Norbeck, only a portion of this road lies within the park, but it is a must-see.

The best time to visit, though, is September and October, with April and May as alternatives. Although spring months can be wet and cold, the Black Hills' dry weather patterns make fall visits ideal.

It is recommended for everyone recreating in bear country. Keep the spray where you can get to it easily, not in your pack.

Many people wonder: can I visit both of these in one day? Yes, you can easily visit Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial in one day. They are only 30 minutes apart and each one typically requires a few hours to visit.

The Iron Mountain Road is a work of art in itself. The highway connects Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Black Hills, including three tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore in the distance.

The Black Hills and Mount Rushmore loop will take a full day. The Badlands and Spearfish Canyon can be done in as little as half a day, but you'll probably want a bit more time. For the best experience, plan on spending three days here, and base yourself in Rapid City.

How much time is needed at Mount Rushmore? ›

Most people spend one to two hours at Mount Rushmore, but you could easily spend more time there if you took it slow.

I would plan for three to four hours at this site. You start with a free movie about the history of the memorial, and then plan on taking a tour up the mountain to see it up close and personal. They have live entertainment a few times a day, which varies.

Start your Black Hills Packing List with base layers. We always dress in layers when it's cold with a thermal layer underneath. The next layer is loose and thicker such a flannel and hiking pants. To finish it off, we grab a water-resistant layer such as a winter coat and snow pants.

The West Entrance is near the fun town of Custer. The Blue Bell Entrance is the closest access to Jewel Cave National Park and the Wildlife Loop Road in the park. Sylvan Lake Entrance gets you to Crazy Horse Monument and is the quickest access to Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake (obviously).

At a minimum, this road will take you 45 minutes to navigate. It was designed to be slow going – roll your window down, take the top off, feel the wind in your hair, smell the pine trees and the buffalo. Take your time, enjoy the ride, you won't find another road like it in America.

Experience this 5.9-mile out-and-back trail near Poway, California. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 52 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.

Keystone

Just three miles from Mount Rushmore, the closest town in the Black Hills to the iconic sculptures, Keystone is a former gold-mining town that offers a ton of activities and 32 restaurants.

The Black Hills National Forest is open, free of charge, for your use and enjoyment. Fees may be charged and permits required for some activities and locations, including camping and parking fees.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

The 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, carved from 1927 to 1941, rank as one of the Black Hills' must-see attractions.

The 2 most effective bear deterrents are bear spray and noisemakers. Carry both when in bear country. Noisemakers are best used to deter a bear that is at a distance – one that sees you and continues to approach or one that is heading to your camp or settlement.

What to do if a bear charges you? ›

When the bear charges you, hold your ground and stay calm. After the bear charges, slowly retreat while keeping an eye on the bear. Let the bear know that you're a human, and that you aren't a threat. Continue to speak to the bear in a calm voice and make it clear that you are a human.

No deterrent is 100% effective, but compared to all others, including firearms, proper use of bear spray has proven to be the best method for fending off threatening and attacking bears, and for preventing injury to the person and animal involved.

Crazy Horse Memorial is only sustained by admission and private contributions. Your admission dollars support Crazy Horse Memorial's mission to protect and preserve the culture, tradition, and living heritage of the indigenous people of North America.

Crazy Horse Memorial® is 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Deadwood is a town for those who want to relive the Wild West, gold mining, rootin' tootin' days of yore. Days when everything was a little more simple and a lot more exciting. It's a town where you feel like you've stepped into the past. Deadwood is in Western South Dakota in the Midwest United States.

The 18-mile Wildlife Loop takes travelers from forests to prairie grasslands. Located in Custer State Park, the loop is where you'll often encounter Black Hills wildlife, including bison, pronghorn, deer, elk, burros and prairie dogs.

At the edge of Custer State Park, you'll find Custer, South Dakota, the oldest town in Black Hills.

Badlands Loop Road (SD 240) is a spectacular way to see the North Unit of Badlands National Park. This two-lane paved road is appropriate for all motor vehicles but does include several steep passes and sections with reduced speed limits. Drive carefully, as wildlife is common along the Loop Road.

Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Cost

The fee to enter Custer State Park is $20 per vehicle. This pass is good for an entire week but is not necessary for cars passing straight through on US Highway 16A or SD Highway 87 South without stopping.

You will see three suggestions if you google the driving distance from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower National Monument. The fastest is driving on I-90 W via Rapid City, Sturgis, and Spearfish. It is 130 miles and takes around 2 hours and 12 minutes to get there, depending on the traffic.

Do you have to pay to drive through Custer State Park? ›

Custer State Park is open year-round, 24 hours per day. Fees: A temporary (1-7 days) license is $20 per vehicle. An annual park entrance license is $36 and you can buy a second annual park entrance license for $18.

It's a total must-do attraction for anyone visiting the Black Hills of South Dakota. This tour is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour in length. During the summer season, cave tours leave regularly so come at your convenience, no reservations required.

The morning is the best time to visit Mount Rushmore with low crowds. If you want to see Mount Rushmore illuminated or watch the Evening Lighting Ceremony, time your visit for the end of the day. Confirm the time of the Lighting Ceremony before your visit.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial does not charge an entrance fee for visitors. However, there is a parking fee which is $10 per vehicle which you must pay in order to park at Mount Rushmore.

The Crazy Horse Memorial light show lasts around 30 minutes and is well worth staying for or returning for, it is much better than the lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore, as that is more a history of the place with the lights on the mountain getting brighter, whereas at Crazy Horse Monument, the laser light show, is ...

If you are wanting to do a few things during your day and you don't want to get the bus to see Crazy Horse closer then you can see everything in the visitors centre in 1 hour or 1 hour and a half. Maybe you are even thinking Crazy Horse vs Mount Rushmore, well it is possible to see both in a day.

Getting to Crazy Horse Memorial

You can see the monument from the road as well as the signs for Avenue of the Chiefs right off the highway. You can't miss it!

Hill stations are generally chilly throughout the year, so you definitely need to carry warm clothes whenever you decide to go. You will need a lightweight Husky or Down Jacket and a windcheater or a sweatshirt to wear inside, gloves and mufflers/winter caps, and an extra pair of socks, preferably high ankle.

Some of the most popular drives are Needles Highway (SD HWY 87), Iron Mountain Road (US HWY 16A), Wildlife Loop Road and Mount Coolidge Lookout; collectively they are a part of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway which has been named as one of Ten Most Outstanding Byways in America.

How long does it take to drive the loop in Custer State Park? ›

The Wildlife Loop itself is 18 miles long from the east entrance near the Custer State Park Visitor Center around to the Blue Bell entrance on the western side of the Park. Expect a minimum travel time of anywhere between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete the loop that creates a "U" from one end to the other.

Note: All Iron Mountain Road Tunnels are one-lane tunnels. There is no entry fee to drive through Black Hills National Forest. Whether you are driving or simply riding, this is a fun drive with awesome views and fun, unique road features like corkscrew pigtails and one lane tunnels.

Winding drives throughout the park are most enjoyable at a slower pace. When making plans, please allow ample time to travel at a safe speed—generally 25 miles per hour or slower. Expect travel time of about 45 to 60 minutes to enjoy Needles Highway.

The distance between Iron Mountain and Ironwood is 110 miles. The road distance is 127.7 miles.

Overview of Potato Chip Rock. The Mt. Woodson trail is located in the Southern California city of Poway, right near Poway Lake. The route is difficult in scale, totaling 7.6 miles out and back, with elevation gains exceeding 2,000 feet.

Among the shortest hikes are Table Mountain in South Africa (7000 steps), Mount Fuji in Japan (15,800) and Rainbow Mountain in Peru (19,000).

The Black Hills are home to two National monuments.

One of America's most famous monuments, Mount Rushmore, and another lesser known monument, the Crazy Horse Memorial. Construction on Crazy Horse began in 1948 and it is still far from complete.

The Black Hills were a hunting ground and sacred territory of the Western Sioux Indians. At least portions of the region were also sacred to other Native American peoples—including the Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapaho—and the area had also been inhabited by the Crow.

US HWY 385

If you are searching for a scenic drive that takes you through the Black Hills with many tourist attractions along the way, Hwy 385 or better known as the “Black Hills Parkway” is your go-to route.

What is the difference between Black Hills and Badlands? ›

The Badlands are principally composed of sedimentary rocks such as shale and claystone, whereas the Black Hills are composed of granite, metamorphic rocks, and volcanic rocks. The Badlands record 75 million years of history, whereas the Black Hills are at least 40 million years old.

Be sure to take a guided tour of historic Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, get an education about the Lakota Way, learn about the history of Native Americans. Pine Ridge is located in the southwestern corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border, an Oglala Lakota Native American reservation that was established in 1889.

Known as the gateway to the Black Hills, the Badlands are not only a national treasure – they're a national park. Explore the painted canyons and otherworldly spires, along with visiting historic attractions like the Minuteman Missile Silo, Wall Drug and Pioneer Auto Museum.

Deadwood became known for its lawlessness; murders were common, and justice for murders not always fair and impartial. The town attained further notoriety when gunman Wild Bill Hickok was killed on August 2, 1876.

When to travel: The best time to view animals along the Wildlife Loop Road is early morning or late in the evening, just before sunset. The road is open year-round but does require careful driving during winter conditions.