Fun Weekend Getaway to the Black Hills and Badlands South Dakota

Plan Your Fun Weekend Getaway to the Black Hills and Badlands in South Dakota

I’m obsessed with the Black Hills! It’s about 7 hours from Kearney, NE (where we lived for most of our lives) so we tried to go when we had at least a 4-day weekend but even a 3-day weekend would do. Whether you’ve been or not, you need to visit South Dakota!

There are so many outdoor activities to do and a lot of history. The scenery is stunning so just taking scenic drives is amazing. We’ve stayed all over the area and there is no bad place to stay. It’s all beautiful and really easy to get around. And best of all, dog-friendly!

How do You Get to the Black Hills?

The Rapid City airport actually has quite a few direct routes if you want to fly in. We’ve never done that but it is an option. Driving from Kearney, NE, we take a different route each time we go so we can see different things and depending on how much time we have. We have taken Hwy 2 through Alliance North to Hwy 385. Then came home through the Badlands and South on Hwy 183. Now that we live in Texas, we usually make the 11 hour drive back to Kearney, stay the night and then still take off from there.

One time we made a side trip through Fort Robinson State Park and Toadstool Geologic Park. I’m so glad we did – it was well worth it! It was early May, so Fort Robinson wasn’t geared up for the summer, so we just did a quick stop, but we spent about 3-4 hours at Toadstool. The timing was perfect because we had the place to ourselves until we were almost done. We loved Toadstool so much that we made a point to go back there on our last trip so we could wander around again with the dogs. That was in June and there was only one other group there.

I highly recommend that you go through the Badlands at least one-way. There are scenic overlooks throughout and you’re very likely to at least see bison and big horn sheep. If you can be there for sunset, you won’t be sorry. I’ll do a whole separate post on the Badlands because it deserves it, but suffice it to say, it will leave you in awe.

Where Should You Stay in the Black Hills?

We’ve stayed in a few different places. Here are a few of our favorites:

Rapid City: The Residence Inn in Box Elder because it’s pet-friendly and we can use Marriott rewards. There are other hotels in this area too. It’s across the street from Dakotah’s Steakhouse, Scheels and Target and easy to get on and off the interstate to get anywhere.

Spearfish Scenic Byway: The Spearfish Canyon Lodge. There’s a restaurant on site and an outdoor hot tub. It’s set on a babbling brook and so beautiful. There are also three waterfalls nearby, and it’s more secluded. In the Fall, the trees are incredible. There are ATV rentals and trails nearby, so it’s really convenient to rent an ATV and ride around (more on that later). These pictures below are from just down the road.

Hill City: The Holiday Inn Express in Hill City. It has a nice pool and hot tub and typical hotel breakfast. The staff is really friendly.

Deadwood: This was our favorite so far. We booked this beautiful house just a few minutes outside of Deadwood in June 2024. It had a fenced in yard, hot tub and tons of trees. We saw wild turkeys and deer right off of our deck. The address is Sturgis but it’s closer to Deadwood. We could run right into town for coffee and dinner and then cook at home when we wanted. It was perfect!

We’re going again later in 2026 and booked another nearby house in this area. I’ll update y’all after we stay but it looks amazing!

Where Should You Eat in the Black Hills?

There are so many good food options all over the Black Hills. I’ll break it down by area:

Rapid City: One of the best restaurants we’ve ever eaten at - not just in the Black Hills - is Dakotah’s Steakhouse - the trout fingers appetizer was great, the ribeye and filet were amazing and the fry bread sundae was drool-worthy. Sabatino’s for Italian is also wonderful. Essence for Coffee and breakfast pastries/sandwiches is our favorite - we’ve been multiple times. They even have a jar of homemade doggy biscuits by the door!

Deadwood: has a lot of options. For a nice steak dinner, Jake’s Fine Dining is delicious and has a nice atmosphere. Jacob’s Brewhouse is a great spot to grab a beer and lunch or a snack. For coffee, The Pump House was our favorite and for donuts, you have to try Lou Lou’s Bombdiggities.

Sturgis: The Knuckle Saloon had an awesome hot beef sandwich. It was also a cool atmosphere with lots of old memorabilia.

Custer: We ate breakfast at the most delicious little hidden gem in Custer, Skogen Kitchen. Jess had the eggs benedict, which he is a connoisseur of, and he said it was fantastic. I honestly don’t remember what I had but I do remember it was delicious.

Hill City: The Alpine Inn has great food and a charming atmosphere. It’s a local institution and it gets packed so get there early.

Spearfish & Spearfish Canyon: The Vine Bakehouse had great coffee and amazing pastries. We loved the scones and cinnamon rolls. And the Latchstring Restaurant at the Spearfish Canyon Lodge is great too, especially if you’re staying at the lodge!

How Many Days Do You Need in the Black Hills?

Honestly, as much as you have. If you have 4-5 days or a week, you can fill it up. If you just have 2 days, you won’t see it all but you’ll still be happy you went. It all depends on what you want to see and do. There’s so much history and outdoor beauty that you won’t be bored!

What is There to Do in the Black Hills?

Where do I even start?? These are just a few things I recommend. There really are endless things to see and do. We’ve never been in the winter, but I know snowmobiling is a huge winter activity, as well as ice fishing and you can ski at Terry Peak. But we have gone in early May, June, August and in the Fall several times.

Custer State Park is a must-see. There are buffalo everywhere and you’ll see other animals, such as mule deer and antelope. In April and May the baby bison are born and needless to say, they’re adorable! There are resident mules that live in the park, referred to as the Begging Burros. They stick their heads right in your window to eat whatever you’ll feed them, it’s hilarious!

Wind Cave National Park is inside Custer State Park. We haven’t been because we always have the dogs but we’ll make it happen one of these trips. Sylvan Lake and the Needles Highway are also in Custer State Park and both are must-sees!

The 1880 Train offers a historic train ride from Hill City to Keystone and back. It takes about 2.5 hours total roundtrip. We haven’t done this yet but it looks fun. There’s even an Old West Shootout on the train too! And you can get your Old West photo taken at Buffalo Old Time Photo in Hill City. I think everyone needs one of these keepsakes.

Mount Rushmore really is a sight to see. If you’ve never been to Mt. Rushmore, make it a goal to go this year. Don’t just drive by either, park and walk up and marvel at the skill it took to create. Erosion affects it more and more every year. I can see how it’s easy to say, someday… but you never know so just make it happen.

Crazy Horse Memorial is pretty awesome. We went years ago and it was just getting started. The last time we went by it was a lot farther along. We haven’t done the actual tour up to it, just stopped, went through the gift shop area and looked at it through telescopes. It’s an amazing tribute.

Deadwood is a pretty famous Old West historic small town and one most people want to go to for the gambling and nightlife. We stayed just outside of Deadwood on a recent family trip and it became our new favorite location. We prefer nature to nightlife but it’s a cool small town with restaurants, ATV trails all around and a central location for the rest of your Black Hills sightseeing. And, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock are buried here at the Mount Moriah Cemetery! You can get tickets and walk through. The cemetery is gorgeous in and of itself.

Bear Country USA I remember going when I was a kid. We’ve gone again as adults and it’s still fun to drive through there and watch the bears all lounging around. Whether you have kids or not, definitely make time to drive through, even if you don’t stay long.

The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is a must-drive for sure - it’s my favorite. It isn’t called a scenic byway for nothin’. There are so many beautiful places to pull over and see picturesque landscapes. Last time we were there we saw so many mountain goats - including babies. It was awesome!

You’ll drive past Bridal Veil Falls, which is a really pretty waterfall with a creek running right in front of it. There are also two more waterfalls in the area, Roughlock Falls and Spearfish Falls. They each have their own unique beauty so be sure to see them all!

ATV/UTV Trails are a big summer attraction. As mentioned, we brought our Ranger side-by-side one time and rode it all over the trails by our Airbnb. We’ve also rented ATVs a few times. When we stayed at Spearfish Canyon Lodge, there is an ATV rental place right across the road and we also rented from a place in Deadwood.

It’s not cheap but you can rent for half a day or the full day and it’s much easier than hauling your ATV there. We rode the trails all around Spearfish Canyon and Deadwood and had a blast! You don’t run into a lot of other people, plenty of cows though, haha, and the scenery is gorgeous. In the winter, you can rent snowmobiles and do the same. We took Bo on a ride with us last time and he loved it!

The Black Hills and Badlands are the Perfect Long Weekend Getaway!

As you can see from this extensive list, there is soooo much to do in the Black Hills. I haven’t even scratched the surface here. Don’t let it overwhelm you though, even if you only have 3 days, pick a route and see as much as you can and then make a plan to come back and see more next time. We regret not going more often when we lived in Nebraska. Now that we’re in Texas, we still try to go at least once a year.

Here’s a map with all locations noted to help you plan your trip! Be sure to follow @ericaxplores on Instagram for more road trips, dog-friendly adventures and travel inspiration. I have a highlight for South Dakota with more info.

If you want to visit The Black Hills with your dogs, check out this Dog-Friendly Weekend in the Black Hills post. Looking for more long weekend adventures? Check out this one to Estes Park or this one to Jackson, WY!

If you want to take your travel pics - or all pics - up a notch, don’t forget to grab my FREE 9 Tips for Better Travel Pics cheat sheet for tips and tricks you can implement immediately to take pics you love!

I hope this inspired you to plan your own trip to The Black Hills and Badlands - happy exploring!