6 Day Dakotas Travel Guide

This Dakotas National Park itinerary outlines every detail you need to enjoy 6 days exploring North and South Dakota including, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Badland's national park, Custer State Park, and 2 national monuments.

23-pages of expert advice to help you navigate your Dakota travel guide and maximize your experience. The itinerary includes what national parks to visit, the best things to do in each one, recommended sites to see, and where to stay. This itinerary also includes information on transportation, where to fly into, things to do and apps to download to make this trip a breeze.

Last Updated: January 2025

Before you take this trip, listen to our Dakotas Road Trip podcast episode!

How This Itinerary Will Help You

Where the Dakotas Travel Guide Itinerary Goes:

This comprehensive 6 day guide has you sight seeing & hiking your way through Badlands, Wind Cave, and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks. This guide can be used as a guide even if your trip is not 6 days as you can pick and choose which items you would like to do.

This Dakota National Park Itinerary will take you to:

• Badlands National Park
• Wind Cave National Park
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Custer State Park
• Mount Rushmore
• Jewel Cave National Monument

Why purchase an itinerary

This itinerary makes planning a trip to the Dakotas a breeze! We include recommendations on daily activities, how to structure your day, how much time to allot for activities, and where to stay. This 6 day Dakotas National Park travel guide is easily modifiable, by eliminating the hikes or activities, you can use this itinerary as a guide for shorter or longer stays.

How to get around The Dakotas

The best way to get around North & South Dakota is by renting a 4x4 vehicle. We recommend a 4x4 car because many of the roads are gravel or dirt roads and may be difficult to traverse if there is rain. Here are some of the routes to consider:

• Denver International Airport to Custer, SD
• Custer to Mount Rushmore
• Custer to Wind Cave National Park
• Custer to Custer State Park
• Rapid City to Badlands National Park
• Badlands to Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Where to Stay in the Dakotas

Picking a hotel can be stressful and can take a lot of time and effort. We recommend several places to stay in each location (including where we stayed):

• Where to stay near Custer State Park
• Where to stay in Rapid City
• Where to stay in Bowman, ND

The Dakotas Attractions & Extras

Planning a 6 day trip to The Dakotas can be overwhelming, that is why we include everything in this itinerary that you need to just show up and have fun! There are so many things to do in within the 3 national parks and the Black Hills region and this itinerary includes hikes, overlooks, and sites that are worth visiting. We also share our Dakotas packing list, helpful squad tips, and general travel tips. Here are some of the highlights of this trip:

• Cave tour in Jewel Cave National Monument
• The Notch Trail in Badlands National Park
• Things to do in Custer State Park
• Scenic hike in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Cave tour in Wind Cave National Park