Badlands National Park And The Black Hills With Kids- An Awesome 6 Day South Dakota Itinerary

March 20, 2023 Amanda Luhn

Looking down on Saddle Pass Trail in Badlands National Park — Waving at my brother from the top of Saddle Pass trail in Badlands National Park. He climbed up to this overlook but I was pretty content with the view where we were, which was fantastic. Of course, the views were pretty fantastic everywhere in Badlands.

This 6 day itinerary includes a complete itinerary for 6 days in South Dakota visiting Wind Cave National Park, hiking Black Elk Peak in Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, biking the Mickelson Trail, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, and of course Badlands National Park.

3 Short Hikes In Badlands National Park Great For Kids

February 8, 2023 Amanda Luhn

You can arrive at this otherworldly landscape just 15 minutes after you left the car in Badlands National Park. This is Door Trail, one of 3 trails sharing the same parking area near the Northeast Entrance to the park.

Looking for something short and sweet to do in Badlands National Park? These 3 hikes- Door, Window, and Notch Trails- share one parking lot just 10 minutes from Interstate 90. All 3 trails are scenic and fairly easy trails that give a great taste of what makes the Badlands so special. Our kids really liked exploring them, especially climbing the fun ladder on Notch Trail.

Saddle Pass - Medicine Root - Castle Trail Loop Hike in Badlands National Park

February 6, 2023 Amanda Luhn

Overlook of Saddle Pass Trail — View down from a rock outcropping overlooking Saddle Pass Trail. One member of our group ran up but the rest of us elected to stay on the trail and wave up at him. You can see the trail ascending up the rock formations on the right of the picture.

Saddle Pass to Medicine Root Trail to Castle Trail is a nice day hike of about 4.8 miles that combines rock scrambling, strolling through the prairie, plus fantastic views out over the classic rock formations of the Badlands all in this one hike. Our family really enjoyed this hike - interesting and varied enough for the kids (but not too long) while the adults got to take lots of pretty photosand feel like they stretched their legs.

Our Review Of Cedar Pass Lodge And Campground In Badlands National Park

February 2, 2023 Amanda Luhn

Not too hard to get a pretty picture of Cedar Pass Lodge with this backdrop. You can see the small group of rental cabins in the foreground and the main building in the distance on the left of this picture. The campground is about a 1/4 mile away to the left. This picture is taken just after the sunset so the rocks are reflecting the beautiful reds and pinks and all you had to do to see it was just walk outside your door.

I loved Badlands National Park and part of the reason why I liked it so much is because we stayed one night at Cedar Pass Lodge. Being able to enjoy the breathtaking sunset and sunrise, not to mention the awesome starry nights, made this trip special in a way I don’t think visiting the park just for the day would have. If you can swing it, definitely try to make an overnight in the cozy cabins at Cedar Pass a priority. You won’t regret it.

Visiting The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site In South Dakota With Kids

December 13, 2022 Amanda Luhn

Looking into the missile silo at Delta-09 at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site — Looking into the missile silo at Delta-09 at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Park. This is one of 2 places in America where you can look into a ICBM missile silo—this one is holding an unarmed Minuteman Missile capable of flying 15,000 mph. You can see the Badlands rising up in the background, making a pretty amazing backdrop to this bit of history.

On your way to Badlands National Park and looking for something nearby to do besides visiting Wall Drug? Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is a great stop on I90, whether you only have 30 minutes to just see the missile silo or you have a couple of hours to see everything plus take a ranger guided tour of the underground Launch Control Center. The kids were pretty fascinated to see a nuclear missile up close and we all learned a lot about this part of Cold War history.

A Simply Awesome Day Biking The Mickelson Trail in The Black Hills Of South Dakota With Kids

December 5, 2022 Amanda Luhn

Mickelson Bike trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota — I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend the day looking at scenery like this?

Whether you cycle the entire 109 miles or just rent a bike for an afternoon, the Mickelson Trail is an awesome adventure for the whole family. It is an absolutely gorgeous ride through some of the most beautiful parts of the Black Hills. With 4 train tunnels and over a hundred bridges, not to mention rolling hills, open pastures, and old gold mines dotting the trail, there is plenty to look at and enjoy on the Mickelson Trail!

Hiking Black Elk Peak With Kids

September 21, 2022 Amanda Luhn

Are you into hiking the tallest peaks in every state? Or big hikes with big rewards but still doable for most families? Either way, Black Elk Peak should be on your to-do list when visiting the Black Hills. Our whole family enjoyed this hike even though it was fairly strenuous. Not only does the top have fantastic 360 views of the Black Hills (the big reward), but the trails up and down were full of impressive rock formations, showy fall colours, and even some mountain goats who took time out of their busy mountain goating to pose for me.

The Mammoth Site: A Hidden Gem In The Black Hills of South Dakota

September 19, 2022 Amanda Luhn

The excavations so far at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, South Dakota — There are at least 60 mammoths buried here as well as many other kinds of animals, including an extinct Ice Age bear that was huge!

If you are looking for fun and unique family activities in the Black Hills that are not hiking, biking, or Mt.Rushmore, than check out The Mammoth Site, the largest collection of mammoth bones from one place in the world. It is a great little museum that doesn’t take long to see but packs a lot into that visit. Walk around (and over !) an active dig site containing at least 61 mammoth skeletons and brush up on your Ice Age knowledge. Two thumbs up from our family.

Wind Cave National Park- An Absolute Must Do Addition To Your Black Hills Vacation Itinerary

August 1, 2022 Amanda Luhn

Sign showing the cave below at Wind Cave National Park — I loved the scenery above and below the ground at Wind Cave National Park. It was amazing to think of the miles of cave under us that we just got to explore.

Wind Cave is a fantastic national park that often gets overlooked in comparison to its more famous neighbors in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We are here to tell you—you should definitely add Wind Cave to your Black Hills vacation itinerary as it is not to be missed! Touring one of the most unique cave systems in the world was a lot of fun for our entire family. Afterwards, take a lovely hike through the prairie where the kids can now say they have walked over and under the same part of the Earth. Not something you can say too often! And to make it all even better, the wildlife watching was some of the best in the Black Hills.