I know it's early, but hey, we're excited about the trip. We're planning a 2-week trip up through CO, WY and SD this summer. We'll be pulling our 5th wheel and staying in state parks and national forests along the way.

Right now, we're not planning on stoping much (except to sleep the first night) in CO. We're going to hit the "Mountain Man" museum in Pinedale, WY, stay near Jackson, WY for a night , and then get up into Yellowstone. We'll have 4 nights in Yellowstone, then take a couple of days traveling across WY into the Custer State Park in SD. We'll hit Cody, WY along the way. We'll have 5 nights in Custer SP and hit Rushmore, Jewel Cave, Deadwood, (maybe the Minute Man Missile site?) while there.

Does anyone have thoughts on "must see" things along the way? My boys are 13 & 14, so I think they're at an age where they'll really enjoy the trip too. They already can't stop talking about it.

I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. Thanks for any tips and advise you may have.

Ryan

The "Buffalo Bill center" in Cody.

Needles In Custer.

If you all like to hike, take some time to get off the road in Yellowstone. You will be amazed at how much there is to see within a short walk and you will have the place to yourself once you get a few hundred yards away from the parking areas!

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/dayhikes.htm

Don't breeze by the Tetons without a visit. The view from Jackson Lake Lodge is awesome. I don't know about trailer camping around there, but I would try to spend a night somewhere around there. Skip Jackson if you need to. About 2 hours is all you need to get your fill of it.

The Cody museum mentioned earlier provides many hours of entertainment.

It's not too far out of the way to see the little bighorn battlefield between Cody and mt Rushmore. Also, If you like mountain man stuff, there's a pretty cool little museum in Chadron, NE. I know they're not in the states you listed, but they're cool places to see.

Oh yeah, and devils tower. Take lots of water if you decide to hike the trail around it.

Cool, I used to work in Custer State Park. Don't take the 5th wheel through the tunnels on the Needles Highway or the 3 on hwy 16A (Iron Mountain Road) south of Mt. Rushmore. The section of 16A that runs east-west through through Custer State Park is fine.

Had planned on hitting the Buffalo Bill center. Thanks for the tip on Needles, Ghost. We'll definitely spend time hiking. I'd much rather do that than stand around in the crowds.

Cheyenne - I'm actually looking at a couple of places to camp around Jackson Lake. Wasn't really planning on spending much time in Jackson itself unless someone mentioned something worth seeing.

Hadn't thought of Little Bighorn yet, thanks dassa.

Thanks for the tip Sagebrusher. We'll be staying in the Game Lodge campground.

1st Stop Guns, Scheels, and Cabelas in Rapid City. Leeders and Cabelas in Mitchell. Sodak Sporting Goods in Aberdeen. Gary's Gun Shop and Scheels in Sioux Falls.

RyanTx, you will be seeing some of my favorite spots in the world. Custer State Park blew me away on the 1st visit. It is like driving through a giant zoo. Lots of campgrounds around the park. Make sure you drive up the good dirt road to Fisherman's Creek and hike that area.

The North fork of the Shoshone River between Cody and Yellowstone is where my ashes will be scattered. Lots of campgrounds but I would guess they fill up pretty fast in the summer so check on reservations.
Be sure to hike up Elk Creek. There is a nice FS campground there but I believe it is limited to trailers under 25'.

you will be amazed, enjoy!

mike r

Badlands National Park

Had me worried Tim, thought you was going to say the Bar at Swett with Mikie

Depending on when in the summer, Wyo Rodeo in Sheridan (1st week of July?) the Stampede in Cheyenne. If into golf, the Powder Horn just south of Sheridan is a great setup. Don't miss Custers Last Stand just north of the Montana/Wyoming border just off I90.

I could like be your navigator.

Yep Buffalo Bill Center . Cody is a great town!

You'll drive right by this, but unless you make a little turn, you;ll never see it. Better than anything you'll see in Yellowstone (maybe not - but it's still pretty amazing).

I thought about that but there is a time limit on his trip. It's worth seeing in all its glory. Local characters included.

2 hours in Jackson is about 1 1/2 hours too much, keep on going, camp at Jackson Lake.

Figure at LEAST two days in Cody just to see the museum. Camp at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir campground.

Make reservations NOW for wherever you decide to go.

Having had quite a bit of experience with the subject, a bit of advice if you don't mind. Many, many people set out on a trip like this and try to see too many places in too short a time. Vastly better to go see a couple or three places for a few days apiece, you will be more rested and able to enjoy the sights , and you will see lots of neat things that you will miss if you just sort of drive through. You will get back home already planning your next trip instead of getting there exhausted, frustrated and never wanting to go again.

My wife and I did nearly the same trip last September. You are getting some good advice here. Though there is lots to see in Yellowstone, we preferred the Tetons hands down. Better hiking, more wildlife and less people. (Just our opinion.) The Buffalo Bill museum was great and the drive from Cody to Buffalo was beautiful. The Little Bighorn site was interesting and an easy side trip. Whatever you do, don't be afraid to take a detour here or there to find things that others may pass right by.

The "Mammoth Graveyard" at Hotsprings, South Dakota is really worth seeing and it's right near the other attractions of the Black Hills.

You'll be talking about it for years.

http://earthwatch.org/expeditions/mammoth-graveyard-in-south-dakota

Blessings,

Steve

Devil's Tower is a must-see. If you are into caves, Wind Cave by Custer is pretty cool.

Buffalo women at the creek

The Mammoth site is worth the trip, Needles highway as well, then up towards the Badlands, but don't forget Cooney Table where the ghost dances started. Wounded Knee is historic. Watch yourself on the Rez

If you go to Mt Rushmore spend a little more time and go see this too:

http://crazyhorsememorial.org/

We like Wind Cave a little better than Jewel, but both are nice.

Spend time in Custer State Park just driving around and hiking off the Wildlife Loop. It's a fun drive (and lonely at dawn) if you take the southern exit out of the loop down into Wind Cave park on the dirt roads.

On the regular road drive from CSP down to Wind Cave, you can take some of the side forest service roads and get easily/quickly back into the fire burn areas. They're interesting to see.

"Badger Hole" in CSP is a neat little couple of hours.

Be sure to hike Harney's Peak too--7 miles round trip.

The town of Custer has two decent grocery stores that will have all you need.

There's plenty of old rebuilt historical forts on the Bozeman Trail the kids might enjoy. A lot of hallowed ground to be explored.

Be certain to stop and read any historic monument sign you might see. We stopped at a little turnoff to rearrange something in the back seat and there was a little sign describing the Wagon Box fight.

Independence Rock and Register Cliff on the Oregon trail are pretty cool. The travelers would engrave their names in the granite at Independence Rock, the sandstone at Register cliff, and the rock overlooking the Green River at Names Hill so those following them would know they have already passed.

While you are in Jackson you have got to catch one of the shows put on by the Bar J Wranglers! They are a hoot!

National Grasslands and Badlands, Black hills. Needles and Moonshine Gulch bar in Rochford,SD. Devils tower. Medicine wheel west side of Bighorns. Little bighorn (WTF was Custer thinking?). Cody and Buffalo Bill museum.Yellowstone wI'll be a zoo but every one needs to see it once. Once you get much past the BighoRN mts you are out of Red Cloud's Country.

If you fly fish there are more spots.
If you come through SD from the east stop at the prehistoric Indian village near Mitchell. Quick stop but intesting if you like history.

I prefer the Tetons over yellowstone. Yellowstone can be like going to disney world in ways. The tetons are great to look at and a lot less hectic and more relaxing.

My wife and I made a circuit close to what you're talking about..

Badlands
Custer Battlefield
Rushmore
Crazy Horse museum
Devil's tower
Yellowstone (Wild About Yellowstone Tour). Had a GREAT driver/guide who knew his stuff about the critters, plant life and some spots tourists miss.
Grand Tetons
Flaming Gorge
Arches, Utah

Devils Tower for sure. The nightly rodeo in Cody if they still have it. Dont take the bus to the rodeo from the campground because you never know when a storm will blow in and you wont have anyplace to take cover. I made that mistake. And make sure you have a jacket handy weather changes in a heartbeat. The Badlands are a must see as well.

If you are going to see the mammoth site in Hot Springs (and you should), stop at Evans Plunge, a huge natural hot springs. Lots of swings and slides-the kids will love it and you'll tire them out--you might even get a quiet evening out of the deal...(Sometimes we get up early before the day's drive and let the kids swim for an hour or two, makes for a quieter day on the road.)

If you are camping, there are some great campgrounds around Angostura Reservoir, with sandy beaches and shady cottonwoods, just a few minutes south of Hot Springs and much quieter than the campgrounds in the hills, not a bad place to spend a few days while exploring the southern Black Hills. When I lived there, (admittedly a long time ago--it might be different now) Angostura campgrounds were empty during the week, though crowded on the weekends. Like others have said, call ahead and make reservations, especially around Custer State Park.

If your kids are into trains, think about the 1880 train; we did it a couple of years ago and my kids loved it.

If you are into guns, definitely stop at First Stop Guns and Jack First in Rapid City, both great gun stores. Jack First used to have a huge supply of parts on hand, even if you are looking for something unusual, they often have it, and can usually find it if they don't.

I miss the Black Hills, great place to visit (and grow up!). Enjoy.

I will add to this that Hot Springs has one of the finest golf courses in SD. The town itself has a hot (Fall River) river running down main street and some of the coolest old sandstone architecture I have ever seen in a small western town. There is a VA hospital campus there that is over 100 years old and a truly great display of architecture.

The mammoth site is not to be missed.

Beartooth Hwy.

Make sure to stay away from the Sturgis motorcycle rally dates the beginning of August.

Took this many posts to get this???

Don't miss the Beartooth. Don't take the camper over it.

Deadwood and Lead, gold mines and such come to mind. Mt.Moriah cemetary in Deadwood has gravesite of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Also Seth Bullock and his partner Sol Starr are there... I wonder if Al Swearengen (co�ksucker) is there? ... or was he just a fictional character unlike the others mentioned??

Amen. The roads in the vicinity of Yellowstone, Grand Teton NP, Cody and Mt. Rushmore country aren�t Interstate Highways, and they have a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs with low speed limits plus a lot of traffic during the summer. A 50 mile detour to see something could wind up costing many hours. It is much better to pick some places to spend some quality time with the family and enjoy the beauty outside a vehicle than to drive all over the place and see a lot of things through a windshield. I also agree about the reservations. Get them now!

I have a book on the people that are buried at Mt Moriah Cemetery It said that Al Swearengen moved away from Deadwood before he died and he was not buried there.

BRING OPTICS!!! Spotter or good binos.

When you get to the Badlands ask where the big horns are hanging out. They can be fun to watch.

2Hours in Jackson...my boys live there, some days it takes that long just to drive thru town in the summer.

Head out Antelope Flats road just north of Jackson for the spot to take the photo on the sig line of WyoColoCowboys posts.

Tetons are fantastic
Yellowstone is a place one should see, but unless I head for the backcountry, 1 day drive thru is enough for me. Lots of critters along the road, lots of people too.
We spent a few days in Cody. 1 day at Buffalo Bill museum with my wife and mom to see "the other stuff" and the next day I went alone to drool over the guns while they took the trolly car tour of town.
We timed it right by sheer luck and were in Cody the weekend of the Winchester Arms Collectors annual gun show. All I can say is WOW!

Little Big Horn is a must, wish we had more time there. We camped at the KOA in Hardin. Was ok, but we didn't spend much time at the campground. Look for Shrapnel's posts about it, I'm itching to go back after reading them.

Devils Tower is awesome and worth the slight detour.

Spent more time at Crazy Horse than at Rushmore, plan on it. Custer State Park was a great place to stay, book now or you may get shut out.

Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale Wy is cool, so is the ride from Pinedale up to Jackson.

Depending on your route, if you are driving thru Dubois Wy, stop at the Cowboy Cafe for Huckleberry Pie. Some of the best I've ever had.

Beartooth Highway was my favorite of all the things mentioned that I have seen. Don't pull the camper though.

Wife and I are thinking about a like trip, looking at mid-September time frame, hoping that will eliminate some of crowds.

Great decision. September is beautiful and the crowds, much diminished.

Probably already been posted, but do see:

- Cody Firearms Museum (Winchester Collection)
- Devils Tower
- Obviously, Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP
- Beartooth Highway and other scenic roads
- Wyoming Territorial Prison

mid September may be the best time of the year, Fall color, few tourists, bugling Elk...

We did this trip the first week after school let out, first week of June. Few tourists, lots of snow up high, and all the critters were down low.

Saw 28 bears in Yellowstone, 16 blacks, 12 Grizz, all along side the road eating green grass.

Two weeks is barely enough for this type of trip.

We're planning to return someday.

And spawning brown trout.

We did a Wyoming and Montana trip when our boys were about the same as yours are now.

One place that that we enjoyed was Thermopolis, WY. The kids had a kick in the huge natural hot spring water pools that the town is famous for.

We also went to the dinosaur museum that was really impressive for such a small town (I thought it was better than the Bozeman dino museum). They also had an active dino dig going on a few miles from town and we toured that. Neat stuff if you got a day or two to burn and happen to be going through.

Lots of great info/advice on this thread - thanks all.

If your plan takes you to Thermopolis, you might enjoy the views driving down the Bighorn River/Canyon down toward Boysen Reservoir.

I really enjoyed Ft.Laramie. There Indians dancing,
shooting period cannons and had trapper re-enactment
going on.

That is a phenomenal time to go. The crowds are lighter, the colors are changing and the elk are in rut. Note that some of the cool hotels in the parks start closing after Labor Day. Some of the hotels in the park are really fun, like Jackson Lake Lodge (mentioned in my prior post), Old Faithful Lodge, Lake Yellowstone Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge. The Beartooth Highway should be really nice then, as well.

If you're staying north through WY, stop by the Medicine Wheel on the way to Devil's Tower.

Great points fellas. That is the main thing that I DON'T want to do = spend the entire trip in the truck driving. I realize that with a trip like this, we simply won't be able to see everything in this trip.

I've already booked/reserved our campsites in Yellowstone and Custer S.P..

I really appreciate all of the tips and information. Some folks have given some great info.

Little Big Horn National Monument is truly worth visiting! Devil's Tower is really worth it as is Badlands National Park. Each deserves ample time to get the most from them. I'll be glad to help if you need local assistance. I'm in the Black Hills.

Bob

Out of curiosity, is there anything interesting to see at the Hole-in-the-wall pass in Johnson County, WY, south of Buffalo?

I've read that Butch Cassidy 's cabin was moved to the Cody Museum in Cody and I suspect that there is not that much left. I'd still like to see it someday.

The Wagon Box Fight, site of the Bannerman Massacre, and Fort ? (the name escapes me right now)
If you're into western/cowboy stuff - King Ropes in Sheridan has quite a bit of historical tack, etc.

I believe you are thinking of Fort Phil Kearney and the Fetterman Massacre, just south of Sheridan Wyoming.

I have seen too tall RV's stuck in those tunnels

Old Trail Town in Cody - Many old cabins from all over the area including one from The Hole In The Wall. Jeremiah Johnson is buried there I believe.

Cody Dug Up Gun Museum - very interesting. Old guns from around the world. Some of the war relics have bullet holes in them.

Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite - off Hwy 14 going over the Big Horns toward Sheridan from Cody, near Greybull. Fairly new discovery of hundreds of dino tracks.

Wind River Canyon - The Wind River changes to the Big Horn on the north end of the canyon outside of Thermop.

Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis - Worlds largest mineral hot springs. Spend a day there and take a dip. Get used to the smell. You won't be able to hold your nose long enough.

Raft the Stinking Water River (Shoshone) when in Cody.

King Ropes in Sheridan - world famous steer/calf ropes. They have a pretty good size museum with more saddles than you can imagine, along with a fair gun collection and all sorts of western gear and it's free. Go in the store on Main St. and ask to see it.

The Irma Hotel in Cody - won't take long to see the dining area and it's worth going in. Make it in the afternoon and watch the daily Old West Gun Fight in the street afterwards.

Either drive over the Big Horns on Hwy 14 is going to be slow pulling a trailer over a dang steep and winding road. The canyon out of Shell is really scenic and Shell Falls is a pretty place to stop on the way up.

Going over Alt 14 to the north through Lovell is not as pretty I don't think, but the view back to the west over the basin is awesome. You will have to go this route to see the Medicine Wheel from Cody, or backtrack if you go over the south route. Expect to see moose in the willows on the creeks on either route.

Anyone coming through Cody this summer send me a PM and I'll show you the local sights.

You forgot getting an ice cream cone in Farson, WY at the corner general store

When you camp in CSP leave your trailer and then do Iron Mt rd, Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake via Palmer Gulch too. Currently this Road is shutdown and being rebuilt with asphalt resurfacing to start 4/15/15. The Iron Mt Needles Rd was supposed to be done last October but never got started so they will be resurfacing it also from Mid April on and hopefully done by Memorial Day. They been paying penalty on that one for awhile. The CSP employees can tell you where to avoid. Magnum Man

Dang. And I went right by there the other day.

Also forgot Sinks Canyon in Lander. And South Pass and Atlantic City.

If you have not stopped at the Farson Mercantile for an ice cream cone, you have not been to Wyoming.

I stopped there one morning about 11:00 for a cup and a bite, there were 7 people lined up at the ice cream counter. Outside temperature was -21 degrees.

My summer place is just outside Atlantic City. Drop in anytime.

Thanks for the invite. I'll do that.

The high plains of Wyoming is something to experience. It's not like there's one place you need to pull off the road and look at. Rather, it's the vast desolation that still exists on the planet.

There's places on the high plains where you are a*lone*,....and if you're on certain routes, the solitude goes of for a long, long time.

The first time I experienced it, I didn't realize that anything like it still existed in the world.

There's a lot to be said for being alone,...but it's best that you have a dependable vehicle and a full tank of gas.

There's places that still exist in this country where you don't want to get stranded. The high plains of Wyoming is one of 'em.

But it was nice. It gave me a "The planet belongs to me" perspective while I was up there.

Absolutely beautiful time of year. Would be a great time to ride the 1880s train in Keystone SD.

Rushmore is cool, there's a nice and easy trail that goes to the base of the hill. Crazy horse Memorial is great as well. There's a movie in the building that tells the story of the memorial. Very cool.

Badlands are interesting to see. For certain. I plan to spend so me time there this year.

Custer is cool, a bit like a mini Yellowstone. A must see with all the critters and scenery.

Bring your Military ID. Lots of benefits throughout the Black Hills for military vets.

I almost forgot, take the four-lane state hwy 79 south from Rapid City with your rig, then turn right on hwy 36 which takes you into the park directly to Game Lodge Campground... https://goo.gl/maps/1Fqty


Also, drive the backroads of Custer and Wind Cave...lots of wildlife and you might see some trophy elk and deer... here's the back way from Custer to Wind Cave off the wildlife loop road... https://goo.gl/maps/LuB4j

Take this hike up Grace Coolidge creek up to Center Lake... trout in the streams and ponds...don't really need a fly rod to catch them, but of course you need a license.. heh. There are also some in the creek and pond at your campground. https://goo.gl/maps/im9pP

Personally, I think meeting Cheyenne is a pretty big "must see" in Wyoming. That and stop and eat (burgers) in the smallest, out of the way places you can find. If you do meet him, don't let him see your knife.

Ryan,

If you visit Deadwood and Lead, take the time and come to Spearfish and drive through Spearfish Canyon. Definitely worth the trip. If you need more info on the area, shoot me a message as we live by Spearfish.

Good call on spearfish canyon. one could easily spend a week or more in the black hills and still not see it all. also the spearfish fish hatchery is a must see in the black hills. don't forget about the gunfights in deadwood, the 1880's train and prairie berry winery

All good stuff here so far. If you're into museums, the SD School of Mines museum is great for rock and dinosaur bones. Ft. Meade in Sturgis has a cavalry museum, and Bear Butte State Park has a pretty cool visitors center with Sioux and Cheyenne stuff. Or, at least that was the case when I lived there 20 years ago.

I'm not sure if any of the gold mines around Lead still have tours, but they were always way cool. The open cut in Lead is a good stop to just look in for a few minutes, it's right off the road. Deadwood used to host a mock Hickock shooting, a shootout in the street, and the trial of Jack McCall every night. Not sure if they still do that or not.

Your kids will probably like Bear Country and Reptile Gardens.

The badlands are worth a full day of driving/hiking around if you've never been there.

Sylvan lake is beautiful, and you'll be close staying in CSP.

Of all the caves, we liked Rushmore Cave the best. Wind Cave is kind of a letdown.

Unless you're a Harley rider, I would avoid bike week and the week either side of it. This year is the 75th rally and most are expecting record turnout. They say that every year, but it sounds like this year is for real. Traffic is a real bummer everywhere in the hills that week. You should be fine by September, and be able to pick up cheap rally t-shirts.

Just pick some logging roads to go drive around the BH NF, pick some trails to go hike. You never know what you'll find.

You won't be able to do it all so just enjoy what you can hit! Have fun.

sd

Walls Drugs.

Check this site:
http://www.blackhillstopattractions.com/

Ditto.. One of those tunnels is so narrow that dualie PUs only clear by about 2 inches, maybe...

Then there's always The International Vinegar Museum in Roslyn, SD. Even better if you can make the Vinegar Festival.



(No kidding, the place is for real The International Vinegar Museum )

If you visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield, please do a little study of the battle and battle maps before you go. A lot of people are surprised to learn that the battle took place over several miles, and that 7 out of Custers 12 companies survived by taking a defensive position and putting up a heroic fight 4 miles South of last stand hill. My daughters and I liked the Black Hills better than Yellowstone. We by chance passed through Pine Ridge Reservation, which I don't recommend. Our Westward trip across the Bighorn Mountains on Hwy. 14 and Alt. 14 was beautiful but I don't recommend pulling a trailer. If you have time take your time, don't make an endurance contest out of it. The West is a big place.

I drove thru there in September. Doesn't look like a place where I would pick to spend the winter.

Sixty miles from Cody to Greybull without a village in between.

Drive that road in wintertime and you might not see more than three or four autos the whole trip.

That's why I'm in Yuma AZ.

You have to be a real introvert to live in Atlantic City during the six months of winter. Highway into it is frequently closed due to snow and blowing snow. Temps are actually quite a bit warmer than nearby Lander as Lander gets temperature inversions, but the wind howls nonstop and so you have the wind chill factor. Only about 35-40 people live there all year, if that.

I have been over South Pass quite a few times in the winter and most trips were those "white knuckle" ones. Other times not bad, but that's the exception.

I have only been through in the summer, but I can well understand what you mean.

BTW, SD has a nice tourist booklet that you can get from the state. WY has one too, but mine has not yet arrived.

If you go here, take the time to watch the video documentary of the man that started the sculpture. The amount of manual labor that guy did is astounding!

It's too bad that won't be finished in our life times.

Good post! Am thinking about a trip to Wyoming from my state of Woorsheengton.

You might consider spending 48-72 hours in and around Jackson Hole, WY / Tetons if you really expect to enjoy them or see much!

24 hours won't even give you time to relax and get one good night's sleep!

South of Sheridan, WY are the sites for the Wagon Box Fight, and Fetterman Massacre (if you like WESTERN history).

There's also the Bighorn Sheep Center near Dubois, WY.

And the annual rodeo in Cheyenne too.

You are correct - that was a quick visit during a cattle-buying trip (needed to beat the trucks back - but had a bit of time) several years ago. Spent 3 or 4 hours in King's Ropes on another buying trip, and intend to get back into that country with "The Warden" another time, spending a few days.
Gorgeous area with a lot of history!

Chief Joseph Secnic Highway and Beartooth Pass are two of the greatest drives in the lower 48. If you're in the vicinity, make time for both.

Bob

Hey, no one has mentioned the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD--definitely a "must see"!

*cough* uh...YEA...well worth the drive! *cough* *cough*

south bighorn cty. airport firetanker museum... greybull
and of course the bighorns in the early summer...later spring. lots of pretty flowers

No trip to the West would be complete without a tour of Hardin Montana. Just don't get out of your vehicle.

Wife and I were on the road and got hungry, not knowing any better we swung in there to get a burger. Swung right back out again, weren't there more than about 90 seconds.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions, it's helping us nail down our route and schedule.

My kids have mentioned this trip every day since I first discussed it with them in early January. It's funny, we're taking a couple of short trips (spring break and long weekends), but this one is the one we're all excited about.

Not Mt Rushmore and damn sure not Crazy Horse, the former is worth seeing once as a child and perhaps once again as an adult while the latter is a total waste of time.

Custer State park is worth driving through, Jacks First Gun Shop in Rapid City is a worthwhile stop, as are the presidential statues downtown. Hill City and Deadwood should be on your list, and the Sturgis bike rally should be as well.

That one scenic lake that's in the National Treasure movie, I can't recall the name.

Do not go to the Corn Palace and no matter what you do DO NOT STOP at Wall Drug.

Why?oming is a 'drive-through' only state unless you want to go to Laramie and be a bigot.

The Wagon Box Fight and later the Fetterman Massacre occurred within 20 miles of one another! (according to my my Rand McNally road atlas ).

Yeah, skip Rushmore, just look at it from the roads. Crazy Horse is a joke at this point in time.

I think the lake was Sylvan Lake. If not, Sylvan is a nice place.

South of Buffalo:

You'll also want to stop in Buffalo at the famous Occidental Hotel and Saloon. Lots of history there.

Yes, Sylvan is where those scenes were filmed, not really close to Mt. Rushmore. There IS actually a lake less than a mile directly behind Mt. Rushmore... https://goo.gl/maps/yCwmP
I thought Crazy Horse was excellent, but then I got in free and was able to go to the top, part of the "training" I received at Custer State Park. The face is 90 feet tall, compared to the 60 foot faces at Rushmore, and they are getting close to the actual sculpting of the horse.