The Dakotas are often overlooked, and honestly I can understand that. They are certainly nowhere near my favorite states, but there is some interesting landscapes, some incredibly nice people, and the bison everywhere are really cool!
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND:
This park is divided into three units—the North, the South, and Elkhorn Ranch which is just Teddy Roosevelt’s old ranch. The north and south are about an hour apart. It took me about 6 hours to visit both, but you could easily spend a day at each if you wanted. Keep your eyes peeled for bison, deer, prairie dogs, and pronghorn. Overall I preferred the North Unit by far—there were a ton of bison, no one around, and a really unique landscape.
North Unit:
Explore the Scenic Drive, which is the only road through the park. It is 14 miles one way.
Oxbow Overlook: A beautiful spot for sunrise!
River Bend Overlook: A nice little platform with a view
Caprock Coulee Trail: This is the other trail I considered but could not complete since it is not dog-friendly, but I wanted to include it in case you are interested!
Stonehome Brewing: A solid brewery in Watford City, ND about 20 minutes north of the North Unit.
South Unit:
Painted Canyon: A nice overlook and rest area on the way into the South Unit.
Explore the scenic drive: The South Unit’s scenic drive is a 36 mile loop. Overall I found it to not be super scenic but still nice.
Wind Canyon Trail: A quick half mile trail that is mostly flat and has nice river views and some unique landscape. Located on the scenic drive.
Medora is the town at South Unit that I found to be a cheesy little western town with not much going on.
Rapid City, SD:
Woodland Republic Brewing and Blending: A good brewery with a huge tap list right downtown. They have frequent food trucks as well.
Dakota Point Brewing: A solid brewery with a large tap list. Chill vibes.
Lost Cabin Beer Co has a location right next door as well, but I went to their Black Hills location instead
Wine Cellar Restaurant: A nice restaurant downtown run by the nicest team of folks! Super dog-friendly patio and tasty options.
Zymurcacy Beer Company: Another brewery option further out of town with frequent food trucks.
The Black Hills of South Dakota:
I had high expectations for the Black Hills area but overall found the vibes to be that of Gatlinburg or Myrtle Beach—overly touristy and giving me the ick. There are some nice outdoorsy things here so don’t complete write it off, but just go in knowing the vibe.
Lost Cabin Beer Co: A great brewery with a fun beer garden and frequent food trucks. Highly recommend!
Cohort Craft Brewery: Another brewery option in the area with a really nice space. They have an onsite kitchen here as well.
I stayed at Under Canvas which is owned by Hyatt so essentially it was like glamping on steroids. The tents are nice and clean but it was not super relaxing/in the woods vibes like you would expect. The firepits are also communal which is not ideal. Overall it is nice but for the price I would expect better vibes.
Custer State Park:
Check out Sylvan Lake right near the entrance—particularly in the morning when the light provides a nice reflection and before it is overrun with people.
Black Elk Peak Loop: This is the highest point in South Dakota and the highest point east of the Rockies! Overall it is a moderate trail at 7.2 miles long with 1,469ft of elevation gain and takes about 3 hours to complete. You can add on the Cathedral Spires or Little Devil’s Tower as well. It is pretty at the summit and you can see incredibly far away. Overall not epic but nice.
Needles Highway: A unique scenic drive—the northern half of the road has much better views in my opinion. There are some very neat tunnels to drive through.
Wildlife Loop Road: An 18 mile scenic loop road with bison, pronghorn, donkeys, and more. This is where they do the annual buffalo round-up as well.
Iron Mountain Road: Another scenic drive option with a bunch of switchbacks and some more cool tunnels.
Wind Cave National Park:
You have to book a tour to enter the cave so be sure to plan ahead. Keep your eyes peeled for bison on the way in/out of the park! I would recommend the Natural Entrance Tour here.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Unimpressed, frankly. But might as well see it while you’re here.
Badlands National Park, SD:
This is a unique area with one road through the park and a few short hiking options. The landscape is otherworldly.
I would recommend trying to visit in the afternoon or early evening to avoid the fog that commonly sits in the area. Overall you only need about a half day to do everything here.
Explore the Scenic Loop Road: there are numerous overlooks and occasional bison. I would recommend the Yellow Mounds Overlook, Panorama Point, and Big Badlands Overlook the most. I stopped at almost every overlook and the road only took me about 90 minutes to complete.
Most of the hikes are at the same trailhead. I would definitely recommend The Window Trail which is just a quick .3 mile walk on a boardwalk to a neat view. I had also planned to do the Saddle Pass Trail but visibility was just too low.
Sioux Falls, SD:
Sioux Falls is a cute city right at the Minnesota and Iowa borders, so you can easily include this on a Midwest road trip!
Monk’s Ale House: A cool beer bar with 50 taps and a great selection. They have a nice patio, a spacious interior, and a full food menu. Located right downtown.
WoodGrain Brewing: A solid brewery with a large variety of beers. Located downtown, with another location further east.
Falls Park: A nice park with a waterfall, definitely a must-visit!
Altered Species Ales: Another brewery option that is located at the mall.
TapHouse 41: A beer bar also located at the mall for some reason with a full food menu and cocktails as well. Overall a nice spot.
