The Black Hills of South Dakota

We can't have too many pictures with state signs.

The carful of kids drove into Hot Springs, South Dakota, after spending the day driving up from Kansas and stopping at Scotts Bluff National Monument on our quest of driving to Jasper National Park from Central Texas. Driving through the middle of the country can be desolate at times but I have several days packed full of cool activities so it all seems worthwhile.

The Black Hills area of South Dakota is a great family road trip destination, this is the carful of kids second trip to this area because we did not visit everything the first time. I like the Black Hills area because it's so family-friendly, from the driving to the prices.

Summer mountain resorts, especially Colorado, can be expensive and my family is always looking for ways to enjoy a place without the high-end prices. Black Hills has a lot to offer, you have beautiful scenery without the crazy, scary mountain driving.

Several summers ago on our first trip, the carful of kids toured the Badlands National Park and Custer State Park, both are awesome and don't miss them on your first trip. We won't be returning to those parks this time, instead we are touring the caves in the area.

Our first stop is Wind Cave National Park--we start out early in the morning so that we can get one of the first tours, we're in the SUV by 8:15. Wind Cave (open everyday except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day) is a quick 11 mile drive from our room in Hot Springs.

When the carful of kids arrive at the Visitors Center (open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the summer high season, closing at 6 p.m. late May and late August, free to enter), it's already hopping with people all wanting to do the same thing as us. I get in line and forget about my original plan to get the 9 a.m. tour, I'll take what I can get.

The carful of kids score tickets to the first available tour which happens to be the Fairgrounds Cave Tour that departs at 9:40 a.m. and lasts an hour and a half (admission for adults 17 and older $ 12, for children 6 to 16 $ 6 and kids under 5 are free). There are several tours to choose from but if you are visiting during the busy summer season don't get too stuck on a particular tour unless you are willing to wait.

It's amazing what the kids learn and remember from their Junior Ranger Badges.

I grab the Junior Ranger Booklets and have the kids start working on them while we wait--that and use the bathroom since there is NOT a bathroom in the cave. Before we know it, they are calling our group to head down to the elevators for our tour.

Wind Cave National Park is named after the barometric winds at the entrance of the cave that can predict the weather. Due to the vastness of Wind Cave it has its own air pressure system that's always trying to equal the surface air pressure.

When high pressure is on the surface, air rushes into the cave. When low pressure is on the surface wind rushes out of the cave. The park rangers measure the wind and have calculated the volume of the cave and through this information have determined that only 10% of the cave has been discovered.

The oldest son seems to be really interested in the cave tour--he has been snapping flash pictures every few minutes. Then he tells me that he wants to visit some more caves. Sounds good because that's what is planned for later this afternoon.

The carful of kids ride the elevator back to the surface and finish up their Junior Ranger booklet, hand them into the Park Ranger and take the oath to get their badges. Loaded up in the SUV we head over to our next destination.

Wind Cave is a large national park with hiking trails and overnight camping. There is also a herd of bison that roam the land above the cave. It is just south of Custer State Park and makes a good first stop if you are staying in the southern part of Black Hills.

Bison roam through the Black Hills, this herd lives in Wind Cave National Park

Jewel Cave National Monument (Visitors Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, free to enter), is about 39 miles away from Wind Cave and you should give yourself 45 minutes to drive there. It is open 7 days a week mid-March through mid-November, five days a week the rest of the year--closed major holidays.

When we arrive at 1:00, all the big tours are booked for the day. Bummer! So I would advise you to call ahead if you aren't at the cave in the morning to secure your afternoon tickets.

I'm able to get Discovery Talk passes for 3 p.m. tour. The good news is the admission for this tour is only $ 4 for adults over 17, kids are free. This tour visits the Target Room and is great for families with small children and those with mobility issues, it's a short tour that lasts about 20 minutes.

The carful of kids have some time before our tour starts so we grab one of the picnic tables near the parking lot and have a picnic while we work on those Junior Ranger Booklets. There is a limited amount of parking at Jewel Cave National Monument too.

In Jewel Cave National Monument looking at the walls covered in calcite.

Jewel Cave National Monument was discovered by local prospectors in 1900, after using dynamite to enlarge the entrance to gain access, they found a cavern covered with calcite crystals. It was proclaimed a national monument in 1908 and the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the area in the 1930s.

The Discovery Talk is a great introduction to the cave but for my school-age kids it's a little too tame.  They really would like to do a Wild Tour of the cave but the carful of kids are a little too young still for that.

After learning that the scenic tour of Jewel Cave includes 700+ steps, I don't know if I could have done it, including 300+ I climbed this morning. So the takeaway from my experience--plan on attending a cave tour first thing in the morning and don't try to do both in the same day.

One of the most iconic national monuments of the US.

The carful of kids are back in the SUV headed to the most iconic of destinations, Mount Rushmore National Monument. This is a must do for anyone in the area and one of the most iconic of American national monuments, it should be on everyone's bucket list.

Mount Rushmore National Monument is open for 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. from mid-May to mid-August daily, closing at 9:30 p.m. the rest of the year. There is a nightly lightening ceremony at 9 p.m. during the busy summer season.

The view from the main viewing platform.

There is no admission charged to visit Mount Rushmore National Monument but there is a charge for parking and there is a parking garage so don't worry about finding a spot. For a standard passenger vehicle, the charge is $ 11--this pass is good for a year so you can come back several times during your stay.

The Mount Rushmore Visitors Center is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., there are a number of things to do at Mount Rushmore so don't rush your stay. There is a full cafeteria, coffee and ice cream shop as well as a large bookstore and souvenir shop.

Mount Rushmore has 3 million visitors per year but never feels crowded.

Mount Rushmore began in 1927 and was completed in 1941, unfortunately the original sculptor, Gutzon Borglum died before it was finished. His son Lincoln Borglum finished the project for him.

After picking up our Junior Ranger Booklets we head to the main viewing platform to admire George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Beneath this area is the Lincoln-Borglum Visitors Center that has a 14-minute film that talks about the methods used to carve Mount Rushmore.

After the film, the carful of kids take a hike along the Presidential Walk to get a closer look. It's a .6 mile hike that includes 422 stairs--take this walk, the view is worth it. After the Presidential Walk, we stop by the Sculptor's Studio (open from May to September) where Gutzon Borglum fine-tuned the design of the monument.

Dinner by lantern at our cabin in Key Hole State Park

The carful of kids eat ice cream while we finish up the Junior Ranger Booklets so that we can get on the road. I have a cabin reservation at the Key Hole State Park in Wyoming, just across the South Dakota border.

Know before you go: The Fairgrounds Tour at Wind Cave has 450 steps and is great for school-aged kids, NPS doesn't allow strollers down in Wind Cave so this tour might be a little hard on the preschool kids.

The Scenic Tour at Jewel Cave has 723 steps on metal scaffolding, kids under 5 are not allowed and you are NOT allowed to carry kids on this tour.

Take a jacket for the cave tours, the average temperature in both caves is around 50F. You CAN'T take backpacks or purses on either of the tours, leave them in your car.

Up Next: Devils Tower National Monument