Things to do / Travel Guide
Families planning vacations in the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota are most likely arriving by car as part of a longer trip – possibly cross country. Others fly directly to Rapid City Regional Airport for a shorter trip.
Forget about taking the train, South Dakota and neighboring Wyoming are the only two states without rail service. We stand corrected – Hawaii has no rail service, either.
Flying to Rapid City, South Dakota
The South Dakota Badlands are served by Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP). Several major US airlines have non-stop service from Dallas, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Chicago to Rapid City, SD. Airport shuttle service is available to major Rapid city and Black Hills destinations.
Driving to the Badlands, South Dakota
I-90 cuts clear across the country from Boston to Seattle passing right through the tourist areas of South Dakota, so it is pretty simple to drive to the Badlands, the Black Hills of South Dakota and Mt. Rushmore.
If you are coming from Denver or points further south, I-90 hooks up with I-25 in Wyoming. Coming from Kansas City? Connect with I-29 near the South Dakota / Minnesota border.
Driving directions from Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore are quite straightforward – US-20 east out of Yellowstone across a big chunk of Wyoming to I-90 for the 250 mile sprint into Rapid City, South Dakota. Then another half hour to Mt. Rushmore. Another option is to exit I-90 at Moorcroft, Wyoming for the 100 mile scenic drive to Mt. Rushmore on US-16.
Below you'll find the approximate distances and driving times to Rapid City, South Dakota from other places outside the region:
- From the east - Distance from Chicago to Rapid City: 913 miles, 15 hours 15 minutes
- Distance from Minneapolis to Rapid City: 576 miles, 9 hours 45 minutes
- From the west - Distance from Yellowstone to Rapid City: 493 miles, 8 hours 15 minutes
- From the south - Distance from Denver to Rapid City: 389 miles, 6 hours 30 minutes
- Distance from Kansas City to Rapid City: 705 miles, 11 hours 30 minutes
Airports Serving Sturgis, Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, Rapid City and the South Dakota Badlands
Getting-There
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)
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