Mt. Rushmore

[{tpc}]

Headed to Mt. Rushmore in the beginning of July from Detroit. Anything I should be aware of with respects to pulling the trailer? Looks like some toll roads along the way, but I have just done a cursory google map to the area so far.

[Brantlyj]

Have you booked your campground? If not I bet you would be lucky to find a spot.

[{tpc}]

Originally Posted by Brantlyj

Have you booked your campground? If not I bet you would be lucky to find a spot.

We actually were very lucky to find what would be probably the last spot available. It wasn't our first choice of the ones we were looking at, but not our last either.

The way the spot is layed out, I can understand why everyone was passing it up. Its a pull through, but it has a bend. From what I can see of it, on the website and google maps, I'll probably back into it, but I am unconcerned. I think those with motorhomes or larger fifth wheels would have a real problem with it.

[FlyingAroundRV]

We were in that area last year and didn't encounter any toll roads, but we came at it from the south.
LOL, don't under any circumstances try to tow your rig on the Needles Highway or the Iron Mountain road.
Do the wildlife loop in Custer SP and continue south to Hot Springs for The Mammoth Site.
The Crazy Horse memorial is also worth seeing.
Lots to see and do in that area?
We snagged the last spot in Custer SP at the Game Lodge CG, last year. It's a beautiful park.

[chuckster57]

Make sure you go crazy horse, puts Rushmore to shame IMO. Buffalo stew and Indian fry bread….YUM!!!

[Canonman]

The whole area is full of great things to see and do.
Don't miss an evening trip into Custer State Park.
Here are some photos that might give some ideas.
https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...hp?albumid=775

[Max23]

Should be no toll roads in SD. Be sure not to try to take the camper on Needles Hwy or Iron mtn. rd. Tunnels there are not conducive to large vehicles. However, be sure to go on them, soooooo scenic. Beautiful place. One of my favorite places in the US.

[dutchmensport]

Stay on the main roads and highways while towing your camper. Once at the campsite, unhitch and you will have no problems traveling around in your F150. There's so much to see and do in that area. We were camped at Buffalo Ridge RV "Resort" (campground) in Custer for 2 weeks, gone from morning till late at night. Came back to the campsite just long enough to get about 6 hours of sleep and hit the road again in the morning. In 2 weeks, at that pace, we STILL could not see everything we wanted.

We did make it to Sturges to the Full Throttle Saloon. We even stopped in at the Camping World there too. Drove out through the Badlands one day, never made it to the original Wall Mart. Had no interest in seeing Crazy Horse so we passed that one up.

Bring along a lot of $$$.... you'll be spending it!

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Make sure you go crazy horse, puts Rushmore to shame IMO. Buffalo stew and Indian fry bread….YUM!!!

Would have to agree with all the above!
Mt Rushmore was very impressive, but a huge crowded expensive typical tourist trap.
Crazy Horse had a tour right up to the base with a very good video about it. Much less crowds & less expensive, don't pass it up!

[GoingPlaces]

We went to South Dakota from Oregon last summer. We had a great time, beautiful scenery indeed. I don't recall Mt. Rushmore as being expensive to get in, maybe $10. If you are military even cheaper. If you do go there take the hike which goes between the main viewing area and the base of the mountain. One gets to look up at the faces. It's definitely a different perspective.

Custer State Park is an excellent place. We sat (in the truck) right in the middle of the bison heard as they made their way across to road to their grazing area. Needles Hwy is dicey at best, especially in the summer with traffic. There are 3-4 tunnels that are VERY Narrow. My tow rig fit, but barley in a couple places. NO WAY can you take a trailer or Motor Home. We spent two full days in the park which was about the right amount of time. I could have spent one more day looking for the Wild Burros. Our traveling partners found them. They came right up to their rig wanting a treat.

We went to Yellowstone on that trip. We missed the big flood there by one day. Dodged the bullet on that one.

I would have also like to go through the Grand Tetons, since we were so close, but I was out voted.


If you are coming from Detroit, you should be coming by the Badlands National Park. If you are not familiar with it, check it out. I loved the scenery. It took about 3 hours to drive through. We stopped many times to take photos.

Another cool place in that general vicinity is Devils Tower.

How far west are you coming?

I've attached a couple of photos .... Custer State Park, Tunnel Custer, Mt Rushmore from Trail, Badlands National Park, Devils Tower.

[{tpc}]

Thanks for the heads up! We plan on visiting devils tower as well as a bunch of the other stuff mentioned. We are staying at Beaver Lake Campground.

Not that I always go with google, but I did a view of that route, and it appears to take us I -90 most of the way in, and then I-16 bypass through rapid valley and under rapid city, back to I-16 up through three forks, then down 385 to custer to catch I-16 again down to the campground.

I see needles highway, but having a hard time picking out iron mountain rd?

I also need to find a way around chicago, as I have no desire to pull my trailer through downtown chicago lol. I have the RV life app, so I need to do a route with that to see whats up.

It seems we will actually be going past mt rushmore and crazy horse to camp, and then back to see those. Devils Tower is pretty far away, like 100 miles, but still close enough imo.

[{tpc}]

Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

We went to South Dakota from Oregon last summer. We had a great time, beautiful scenery indeed. I don't recall Mt. Rushmore as being expensive to get in, maybe $10. If you are military even cheaper. If you do go there take the hike which goes between the main viewing area and the base of the mountain. One gets to look up at the faces. It's definitely a different perspective.

Custer State Park is an excellent place. We sat (in the truck) right in the middle of the bison heard as they made their way across to road to their grazing area. Needles Hwy is dicey at best, especially in the summer with traffic. There are 3-4 tunnels that are VERY Narrow. My tow rig fit, but barley in a couple places. NO WAY can you take a trailer or Motor Home. We spent two full days in the park which was about the right amount of time. I could have spent one more day looking for the Wild Burros. Our traveling partners found them. They came right up to their rig wanting a treat.

We went to Yellowstone on that trip. We missed the big flood there by one day. Dodged the bullet on that one.

I would have also like to go through the Grand Tetons, since we were so close, but I was out voted.


If you are coming from Detroit, you should be coming by the Badlands National Park. If you are not familiar with it, check it out. I loved the scenery. It took about 3 hours to drive through. We stopped many times to take photos.

Another cool place in that general vicinity is Devils Tower.

How far west are you coming?

I've attached a couple of photos .... Custer State Park, Tunnel Custer, Mt Rushmore from Trail, Badlands National Park, Devils Tower.

The pic of that tunnel looks iffy at best for the f150 to fit through? Especially with the dumbo ear towing mirrors? I'm not talking about with the trailer either, just in general.

That will make me nervous lol. I am guessing that once you commit, thats it?

[Max23]

Iron Mtn road is 16A south of Keystone. One of the best roads you will find anywhere. Splits through the trees, pigtail bridges, tunnels etc. An absolutely magnificent drive. If you drive it from north to south, you come around one pigtail bridge and directly into a tunnel that when looking through the tunnel you have a view of Mt Rushmore out the other side. My favorite road of all anywhere. Getting on the south end of it, mountain driving turns more into hill driving but if you get lucky the Buffalo will be out grazing along that south half. I've been there times with tons of Buffalo walking right around you and been there times where haven't seen one. So, hope you get lucky. Just remember, leave them alone!! They are very dangerous creatures if provoked!! Very docile and used to cars if you just admire and leave alone.

[dutchmensport]

We are located about 45 miles North and East of Indianapolis, Indiana. A couple years ago we made a trip completely around Lake Michigan. We left home and my goal was to swing around Chicago as far out as possible to head on North. I "thought" I had the route pretty well figured out.

I set our Tom Tom for our first destination, which was a campground in Fon Du Lac (Wisconsin). Well, Tom-Tom had a mind of it's own, and not realizing it, we drove right through the middle of Chicago. I was so ripped at Tom Tom I almost threw the thing out the window. But now, it was too late. Well, I followed it to the letter. It kept us on the main Interstates, avoided all the toll roads, and got us completely through Chicago without any problems at all. We maintained the posted speed limit and made lane changes well in advance. We did not stop for anything! We kept driving until we were completely clear of Chicago. Traffic was NOT THAT horrible, especially when Tom-Tom gave us warning what lanes we needed to be in to stay on track.

In the end, it probably saved us an extra hundred miles of driving that I'd planned to avoid Chicago. But in the end, the drive was very UN-eventful!

If you have a reliable GPS and if you are not driving through Chicago at peak traffic times (early morning and 3 pm - 5 pm) you can probably slip through Chicago without any isses.

Just PLAN ahead on having a full fuel tank and DO NOT STOP or get off your route. If you stay on the Interstates, you'll be able to navigate through with no issues also.

I was the biggest skeptic about driving through Chicago. I hadn't done that in over 40 years. I was horrified of it and I've avoided Chicago ... well ... all my life! When actually caught there ... really ... driving around Indianapolis I-465 is more, much more horrible!

[Max23]

Originally Posted by {tpc}

The pic of that tunnel looks iffy at best for the f150 to fit through? Especially with the dumbo ear towing mirrors? I'm not talking about with the trailer either, just in general.

That will make me nervous lol. I am guessing that once you commit, thats it?

Don't worry, your F150 will fit through any tunnels up there, maybe a little tight, just don't attempt the camper. LOL I was there once personally when a guy attempted to drive a motorhome through the Needles Eye tunnel. Needless to say, he got it stuck good. Had to get a Semi Truck tower up there to pull him out of it. Tore it up big time.

[{tpc}]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

We are located about 45 miles North and East of Indianapolis, Indiana. A couple years ago we made a trip completely around Lake Michigan. We left home and my goal was to swing around Chicago as far out as possible to head on North. I "thought" I had the route pretty well figured out.

I set our Tom Tom for our first destination, which was a campground in Fon Du Lac (Wisconsin). Well, Tom-Tom had a mind of it's own, and not realizing it, we drove right through the middle of Chicago. I was so ripped at Tom Tom I almost threw the thing out the window. But now, it was too late. Well, I followed it to the letter. It kept us on the main Interstates, avoided all the toll roads, and got us completely through Chicago without any problems at all. We maintained the posted speed limit and made lane changes well in advance. We did not stop for anything! We kept driving until we were completely clear of Chicago. Traffic was NOT THAT horrible, especially when Tom-Tom gave us warning what lanes we needed to be in to stay on track.

In the end, it probably saved us an extra hundred miles of driving that I'd planned to avoid Chicago. But in the end, the drive was very UN-eventful!

If you have a reliable GPS and if you are not driving through Chicago at peak traffic times (early morning and 3 pm - 5 pm) you can probably slip through Chicago without any isses.

Just PLAN ahead on having a full fuel tank and DO NOT STOP or get off your route. If you stay on the Interstates, you'll be able to navigate through with no issues also.

I was the biggest skeptic about driving through Chicago. I hadn't done that in over 40 years. I was horrified of it and I've avoided Chicago ... well ... all my life! When actually caught there ... really ... driving around Indianapolis I-465 is more, much more horrible!

Ok thanks for the experience! I too have driven around I-465 with my trailer, and its not the most fun lol. The last time I had taken it to the dragstrip, where they do the national races...lucas oil or something like that.

I ended up driving a little further up the road to use the dump station at a pilot on the way home, and of course there was an accident on the interstate. I was going to let the GPS route me around that but it was trying to take me into another accident that I didn't see until I got over a hill, and I decided against that and had to turn around. Odd roads. Luckily I found myself in a big enough area to get the rig back the other way. I think there was a farm or something down off the interstate, and what looked like a service road and a home. But it was big enough and no one on it. I'm sure people were wondering what the heck I was doing haha.

I have always gone around the top though, never down below by the airport, it seemed like that would be worse.

[{tpc}]

Originally Posted by Max23

Don't worry, your F150 will fit through any tunnels up there, maybe a little tight, just don't attempt the camper. LOL I was there once personally when a guy attempted to drive a motorhome through the Needles Eye tunnel. Needless to say, he got it stuck good. Had to get a Semi Truck tower up there to pull him out of it. Tore it up big time.

Ouch! Thank you for the info! I can thread the needle (LOL) pretty good with the dumbo ears as I have to, to get into my yard at home. I have about 2 inches on either side to spare to get past the fence.

My wife had to drive the truck home the other day, I told her just park it in the front of the driveway and I would get it in. Its not that she couldn't do it, but it takes some getting used to. You cant just say your good on side, because you might not be good on the other lol.

[gkainz]

The Needles Highway tunnels are tight ... my mom drove tour bus around the hills in the years past, and this kind of view always amazed people.
This image was found online

http://travellogs.us/2009%20Logs/Sou...80busppppp.JPG

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by {tpc}

The pic of that tunnel looks iffy at best for the f150 to fit through? Especially with the dumbo ear towing mirrors? I'm not talking about with the trailer either, just in general.

That will make me nervous lol. I am guessing that once you commit, thats it?

We took our F250 on that road last year. It fit through the tunnels OK, but I mamaged to scrape one mirror, but it was my fault for not paying enough attention. The tunnels are short and if you're careful it's no problem.
Devils Tower is a defintite must see when you're in that area.
We watched Close Encounters after going there. The movie hasn't aged well, but it was interesting to try to figure out where they filmed from.
There is also a set of caverns in the area (name escapes me at the moment) that are also worth visiting.
And The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs is fascinating and interesting for kids.

[chuckster57]

If memory serves me correctly “cave of the winds” is in that area. It was a LONG time ago, but as I remember you ride an elevator down into caves. It was awesome!!