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The Black Hills & Badlands: 3-Day Plan You Can Actually Drive
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The 3-day version for June: every day fits real transit, opening hours and daylight. Prefer more or fewer days? 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go.
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3
days
335 km
distance
8.9 h
driving
17
curated stops
💡 Good to know for this plan
- ~15.3 hours of daylight in June — the plan keeps days inside a realistic window.
- The Needles Highway's granite eye-of-the-needle tunnels are open, Custer State Park's 1,300 bison graze the loop road, and the Badlands glow pink at both ends of the day.
Day 1 Rapid City → Mount Rushmore & Keystone
- Transit
- 2h46
- Finish
- ~16:55
- Temperature
- 9.1°C–23.9°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.3h
09:00
10:05
11:35
Encounter a wide variety of lizards, gators, and massive snakes up close.
50 min · Rapid City · Price varies by season, children under 4 free
open: Hours vary by season
12:25
15:25
Overnight: Mount Rushmore & Keystone
e.g. K Bar S Lodge
Day 2 Deadwood → Badlands
- Transit
- 4h02
- Finish
- ~18:55
- Temperature
- 13.7°C–29.2°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.2h
10:25
Take in panoramic views of the town and visit graves of Wild West legends.
50 min · Deadwood · $2
open: Memorial Day to mid-October: 8AM-6PM, visitors center 9AM-5PM. Cemetery open in winter with limited maintenance
11:25
Explore a beautifully preserved Queen-Anne mansion steeped in history and charm.
50 min · Deadwood · $5
open: Daily 9AM-5PM
12:25
Visit the famous saloon near the spot where Wild Bill was assassinated.
90 min · Deadwood
open: Daily 11AM-1AM
13:55
17:25
Day 3 Around Badlands
- Transit
- 2h08
- Finish
- ~17:15
- Temperature
- 13.7°C–29.2°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 15.2h
09:00
10:00
11:20
12:20
13:20
15:25
16:15
Cedar Pass Lodge Restaurant search
Savor meals while taking in expansive Badlands views from your table.
60 min · Badlands
🔍 Check before you book
Every stop is a real, sourced place, but opening hours change, roads close and businesses move. Check anything you're paying for before you book.