Devils Tower Road Trip: Things to Do

On August 3, 2022 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn American Road Trips, Campgrounds, Hikes, Museums, National Historic Landmark, National Monuments, Scenic Byway, State Parks, USA Travel43 Comments

This airport to destination road trip to Devils Tower begins in Rapid City, South Dakota. Distance between Rapid City and Devils Tower: 107 miles/1.75 hours. In this post we will be highlighting four bonus stops along the way and listing things to do at each stop. We’re even including a bonus road trip! Let’s check out Rapid City before we hit the road.

Lying just east of the Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota, Rapid City was settled by prospectors during the Black Hills Gold Rush days of the late 1800s. From its humble beginnings on the banks of Rapid Creek, Rapid City has grown into a flourishing metropolitan area. Nicknamed the City of Presidents because bronze statues of every U.S. president can be found on downtown streets and because of the city’s proximity to Mount Rushmore. As a vacation hotspot, Rapid City has practically anything a visitor could want in the way of accommodations, dining, shopping, and entertainment.

Things to do in Rapid City

Click the venue name for information about these family favorites:

Bear Country USA – drive through wildlife park
Chapel in the Hills – replica of a famous Norwegian church
Main Street Square – urban park area with a summer splashpad and winter ice skating rink
Reptile Gardens – the world’s largest reptile zoo
Art Alley – urban art installment located in a downtown alley

When to go? Anytime, but we recommend May, June, July and September. Note that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally takes place during the first two weeks of August. Visiting during this time is not recommended unless you plan to participate in the rally.

Things to Do near Rapid City

Rapid City is also a perfect road trip “home base” due to its proximity to several state and national parks. (Click the park name for information.)

Badlands National Park – 62 miles/54 minutes
Minuteman Missile National Historic Park – 75 miles/1 hour
Mount Rushmore National Memorial – 23 miles/31 minutes
Devils Tower National Monument – 107 miles/1.75 hours
Wind Cave National Park – 42.5 miles/51 minutes
Jewel Cave National Monument – 53 miles/1 hour
Custer State Park – 30 miles/38 minutes
The Mammoth Site – 57 miles/1 hour

Now, let’s begin our road trip to Devils Tower…

Getting There

⇒Take I-90 west toward Sturgis via Black Hawk. Distance between Rapid City and Sturgis: 29 miles/30 minutes.

Bonus Stop: Sturgis, South Dakota. Home of the world’s largest motorcycle rally. The city has some interesting stops whether you are interested in motorcycles or just a little history.

Things to do in Sturgis

Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame – 999 Main St, Sturgis
Saab Heritage Car Museum USA – 940 Dickson Dr, Sturgis
Black Hills National Cemetery – 20901 Pleasant Valley Dr (3 miles east of Sturgis)
Old Fort Meade Museum – 50 Sheridan St, Fort Meade, SD (1.5 miles east of Sturgis via Highways 34 and 79)

No road trip to Sturgis would be complete without a visit to the world’s largest biker bar. Full Throttle Saloon (19942 Hwy 79, Vale, SD) is the real deal. While you’re there, grab a bite to eat, an ice-cold beverage, and a souvenir or two. Most of the time the bar is open from 8:00 am to around 8:30 pm. If in doubt about the hours, give them a call – (605) 423-4584. Distance between Sturgis and Full Throttle Saloon: – 20 miles/20 minutes.

⇒ Continue west on I-90 toward Spearfish. Distance between Sturgis and Spearfish: 21.7 miles/22 minutes.

Bonus Stop: Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway via Exit 10 or Exit 14 off of I-90. US Highway 14A is the 19-mile-long Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. Without stops, the drive takes approximately 30 minutes, but we recommend allowing 1-1.5 hours for sightseeing along this beautiful byway. The canyon features three waterfalls, wildlife, and hiking trails as well as steep cliff walls and a variety of trees and other plant life. Free to visit.

Roughlock Falls, Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota

Things to do in Spearfish

High Plains Western Heritage Center (museum) – 825 Heritage Dr, Spearfish
D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery – 423 Hatchery Cir, Spearfish
Spearfish Rec & Aquatics Center (water park) – 122 Recreation Ln, Spearfish

Bonus Road Trip: Deadwood, South Dakota. Back during the gold rush Deadwood was a rambunctious Old West town that catered to the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Their gravesites in the Mount Moriah Cemetery are a popular stop for tourists. Today, this National Historic Landmark town features a lively Main Street with gun fight reenactments and plenty of shopping and dining.

Things to do in Deadwood

Gambling resorts and gaming halls
Museums
Gold mine tour
Tatanka, Story of the Bison – exhibit featuring bronze sculptures depicting a bison hunt
Northern Plains Peoples Interpretive Center

Distance between Spearfish and Deadwood: 15 miles/18 minutes – via US Highway 85 south.

⇒Continue west from Spearfish on I-90 toward Beulah, Wyoming. Distance between Spearfish and Beulah: 15 miles/15 minutes.

Welcome to Wyoming

Wyoming’s welcome centers are definitely worth a stop. The Northeast Wyoming Welcome Center at Beulah includes museum-type exhibits, free maps and other tourist information, clean restrooms, and extremely helpful employees. Travelers can also enjoy a paved walking trail and wayside information boards that detail interesting historical facts about the area.

Bonus Stop: Vore Buffalo Jump. This active archaeological site is located approximately 3 miles west of Beulah on the US Highway 14 access road. See archaeologists at work recovering bison bones and other artifacts left by the Plains Indians in a trap/sink hole dating to 1500-1800 AD. The site is open daily June 1 through Labor Day, but tours may be able to be arranged during other times of the year by calling (888) 945-7676.

⇒Continue west on US Highway 14 toward Sundance, Wyoming. Distance between Beulah and Sundance: 18 miles/20 minutes

Statue of the Sundance Kid in Sundance, Wyoming

Bonus Stop: Sundance, Wyoming. Sundance is the county seat of Crook County, Wyoming. Harry A. Longabaugh was an outlaw who served time in the Crook County Jail for theft. He joined Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch Gang after being released from prison around 1896 and became known as the Sundance Kid. It is widely believed that Butch and Sundance both died in Bolivia in 1908 during a shootout with the Bolivian army. Crook County Museum – 120 North 4th Street – holds an array of historic relics from the area, including some exhibits about Longabaugh, and also features an art gallery. Admission is free and the museum is well worth the stop. Allow 1-1.5 hours.

⇒Continue west on US Highway 14, then take Highway 24 north to Devils Tower. Distance between Sundance and Devils Tower: 27 miles/31 minutes.

Destination: Devils Tower National Monument

Devils Tower as seen on approach to the park

What is it? The result of ancient volcanic activity, Devils Tower is a rock butte rising 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. The National Park Service explains:

“We know that the Tower is formed of a rare igneous rock, phonolite porphyry, and is the largest example of columnar jointing in the world.”

Devils Tower is sacred to Northern Plains Indian tribes who traditionally refer to the butte as Bear Lodge. The tower has been called by other names, but Bear Lodge or Bear Lodge Butte is what appears most commonly in early explorers’ notes and maps. Somehow through explorers’ translations of Lakota Indian words, the probable misinterpretation of “bad gods tower” evolved into Devil’s Tower. The government entity that manages place names officially proclaimed the monument Devils Tower and dropped the apostrophe due to their policy against possessive names. President Theodore Roosevelt designated Devils Tower as our country’s first national monument in 1906.

Website link: Devils Tower National Monument
The park is open 24 hours every day
Cost: $25.00 per car for a 7-day pass – credit card only or purchase pass online

Note that parking at the visitor center is limited and can be difficult for maneuvering long RVs and travel trailers. Check the website for information regarding RV parking.

Things to do at Devils Tower

Stop at Devils Tower Trading Post just before entering the park to pick up snacks or souvenirs and then take some postcard worthy shots of the tower
Camp – RV and tent camping available at the Belle Fourche River Campground – first come only, no reservations
Picnic – large picnic area with tables
Hike – several trails available
Join a ranger program or night sky program
Visit the park’s resident prairie dogs at Prairie Dog Town
Climb. Climbing is permitted with registration of climbers. Note: during the month of June when Native American rituals and religious services take place, climbers are asked not to climb due to the sanctity of the site.

Thank you so much for joining us on our road trip to Devils Tower!

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road or at a national park.

Mike and Kellye

Need more US road trip inspiration? Click on these other exciting destinations:

Abilene, Texas Road Trip: Things to Do

Albuquerque to Taos Road Trip: Things to Do

10 Amazing Things to See and Do at Big Bend National Park

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

Wish We Were There Wednesday: Feathers and Fur

On March 23, 2022 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Hikes, Miscellany, Places, Wish We Were There Wednesdays6 Comments

Part of the reason we travel to parks is to see wildlife. We even keep lists of the animals we see on trips because we can’t always get a picture of them – like the badger that ran in front of us on a road in South Dakota. Hey, it was exciting! (Here in West Texas you don’t see too many badgers, although a couple of coyotes ran across the road in front of us near our Walmart one time!) Anyway, all wildlife sightings are a thrill to us. Today we’re sharing some of our faves.

Cute prairie dog at Badlands National Park. Okay, these animals make their homes in nearly every vacant lot where we live – they’re literally everywhere – but we don’t go around taking pictures of them. Besides, this is a *South Dakota* prairie dog.

We have no idea what kind of bird this is, but it was a beggar. We were at the end of our hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, and as soon as we sat down to have a snack, this guy showed up, like, “Y’all gonna share?”

This is a javelina that we saw in a dry creek bed near Big Bend National Park. We’re sure they serve some purpose, but we don’t know what. Wouldn’t want to snuggle with one.

Petrified Forest raven – not the species, we just took the picture there. Another shameless beggar. He sat right down next to us, and every time we would move over, he would move over too. Pretty sure he was checking out our jewelry. Never trust a raven, they are super sneaky. Trivia: ravens can imitate human voices better than a parrot, and if they like you, they might bring you a gift – probably something they stole out of someone’s purse, but it’s the thought that counts.

We have squirrels in our yard, but these little (Colorado chipmunk) dudes are way cuter… and they don’t eat our fence.

We captured (not literally) this mad mother cactus wren at Big Bend National Park. We’d be mad if we had to live in a cactus, too.

Rocky Mountain National Park bull elk. No lie, this macho man had at least 20 wives and a bunch of kids that he was watching over, but he was so pretty we wanted a shot of him alone.

We didn’t have to go far to find this little hummingbird because he was in our own back yard. Thrilling for us because we only see them if we’re lucky enough to catch them during migration. Trivia: a group of hummingbirds is called a charm.

Here’s a little North Dakota gal that we would like to snuggle.

Boston harbor gull. Undoubtedly, he is waiting for an unsuspecting tourist to walk by with food. These guys aren’t beggars, they’re thieves. Trivia: gulls can smell food up to three miles away, and they can see for up to two miles. A group of gulls is called a colony. PSA: never go near a harbor with a Big Mac.

We’re going to close this post with a bison we saw at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We wouldn’t want to get too close to him, not only because he weighs a ton and could probably kill us with a little head butt, but because we think he would smell terrible – like really terrible. We will keep our distance, thank you.

We hope you enjoyed our post and will come back again for more exciting road trip destinations, a Quick Stop, some tips and tricks, or another Wish We Were There Wednesday. Better yet, come back for all of our posts, and join our family of followers so you never miss one! We can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Happy hump day, everyone!

Mike and Kellye

Happy Anniversary To Us!

On August 31, 2019August 31, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Hikes, Tribal Park2 Comments

In celebration of One for the Money Two for the Road’s first anniversary, we want to share some shots from some of our favorite national park posts over the last year. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate each of you for following us on the blog site and on Facebook. You are the reason we post our adventures! Enjoy the recap…

From our very first post: Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park

Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bear Lake with Hallett Peak reflection, Rocky Mountain National Park

Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim at Imperial Point

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

IMG_4367 (2) — Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Bison grazing at Wind Cave National Park

Monument Valley Tribal Park (Navajo Nation)

Gifford Barn, Capitol Reef National Park

Sedona 2007 086 — The Tepees, Petrified Forest National Park

Lower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park

IMG_0334 (3) — Grand Teton National Park

Thank you for joining us over the past year. We hope that you will keep coming back for more fun adventures, tips, and tricks. Oh, and there are sixty-one “national parks” now, and we’ve only covered eighteen of them so far! We will be covering more national parks, national monuments, national historic sites, state parks, awesome camping sites, and some great cities during year two. We’re also going to give you some helpful tips on RVing and road tripping. You won’t want to miss a post, so sign up, buckle up, and let’s go. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road (or at a national park!)

Mike and Kellye

Black Hills of South Dakota – Day Seven

On February 23, 2019February 23, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn National Memorials, National Monuments, Picnicing on the Road, Places, State ParksLeave a comment

Day Seven

Destination: Relaxation

Surprise! We’re leaving the entire day open for you.

However, we are going to leave you with a few additional photos. (Oh, and if you need help finding something to do on this final day of your Black Hills vacation, check out this link: Visit Rapid City)

Delta-01 Launch Control, 31 feet underground. Note the wall-size computer.

Blast Door on the Delta-01 Launch Control Center

This snake interrupted our hike at Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon.

Dog “driving” a red truck at Mount Rushmore.

Giant short-faced bear skeleton at The Mammoth Site.

Wow! What a week! Thank you for hanging on with us through this series of blog posts. Below is a little trivia you can use to impress your friends.

If you followed our itinerary, you:

visited three National Parks (Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt, Badlands);
visited two National Monuments (Devils Tower, Jewel Cave);
visited one National Memorial (Mount Rushmore);
visited one State Park (Custer);
visited one National Historic Landmark (Deadwood);
visited one National Historic Site (Minuteman Missile);
visited one National Natural Landmark (The Mammoth Site);
visited three states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming);
saw a lot of wildlife;
saw some spectacular scenery;
probably learned something new;
can tell all your friends that you’ve been to Wall Drug Store!

Stay tuned for another series coming soon. Meanwhile, check back on our site each week for another great road trip or travel tip. We post on Saturday mornings, and we would love to have you join us on our journeys. By the way, we would love to hear about your journeys, too, so leave us a note in the comments section. Until next time…

Travel safe, travel smart and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

Black Hills of South Dakota – Day Six

On February 16, 2019February 15, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn National Memorials, National Monuments, Picnicing on the Road, Places, State ParksLeave a comment

→Note: this post is the sixth in a series as we cover a week long vacation itinerary. Our trip starts at Rapid City, South Dakota.

Day Six

Destination: Badlands National Park

Website link: Badlands National Park
Cost: $20.00 per car
Accommodations: Cedar Pass Lodge and campground, and one additional primitive campground. Backcountry camping is permitted. See the website for details.

⇒Take I-90 east toward Wall, South Dakota. Drive time: 1 hour.

Bonus stop: Wall Drug Store. The ultimate tourist trap! You can’t miss the exit because there is a sign every few hundred feet (it seems) along I-90. This place has everything imaginable, including their famous free ice water. Definitely worth a stop for food, gasoline, shopping, and more.

⇒From Wall, take Highway 240 south to the Pinnacles Entrance of Badlands National Park.

Look for bison and prairie dogs near the entrance station. Notice the pristine prairie of Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Listen for the wind rustling the grasses. The rattling sound the grass makes is enchanting.

⇒After entering the park, turn right (west) on to Sage Creek Rim Road (unpaved) for spectacular views and sightings of bighorn sheep. Stop at each of the overlooks on this road for major photo ops of the Badlands Wilderness. Remember not to approach or feed wildlife.

⇒Turn around and head east toward the paved road, which is Badlands Loop Road. Follow this road through the park, stopping at the overlooks for different perspectives and information on the park. Photos do not do justice to the beautiful scenery in this park. We believe it needs be seen in person.

⇒It is approximately 25 miles from the Pinnacles Entrance to the park headquarters, Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Just before reaching the visitor center, stretch your legs at the short, easy Fossil Exhibit Trail, then drive on to the visitor center for the exhibits, more gorgeous scenery, and additional park information.

⇒Take Highway 240 north out of the park toward I-90.

Bonus stop: Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. Just north of I-90 when exiting Badlands National Park. View the exhibits in the visitor center and check in for your guided tour of the park’s Delta-01 site. During the tour, you will go underground to see how minuteman missiles were used to protect the United States during the Cold War. Advance reservations are required for the tour, and there is a nominal fee. Check the park’s website for details. Here’s a link: Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

This is a very interesting site and a great learning experience! We highly recommend a tour of the Delta-01 site.

⇒Return to Rapid City via I-90 west.

That’s day six, folks, and what a full day it was! We hope you enjoyed traveling with us to Badlands National Park, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, and Wall Drug Store. Our mission is to share our knowledge to help you plan your own great vacations. Log in to our site next week for the final day, Day Seven, of our Black Hills vacation itinerary. Better yet, become a follower so you get an e-mail notification every time we post a new trip. Until next time…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

Three Get Ready and Four Let’s Go to the Black Hills of South Dakota – Day One

On January 12, 2019January 12, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn PlacesLeave a comment

→Note: this post is the first in a series as we cover a week long vacation itinerary. Our trip starts at Rapid City, South Dakota.

Rapid City, South Dakota is a great “home” base for all this area has to offer.
Rapid City has a major airport.
Excellent family vacation destination.
When to go: Anytime. We recommend May, June, July and September. (Note: the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally takes place during the first two weeks of August. We do not recommend going at this time unless you are planning to participate in the rally.)

There is so much to do in the western part of South Dakota that you could actually spend several days (or weeks) at most of the sites we’re going to talk about, however, we’re going to do it in one week. For those who want to do it all and see it all, but don’t have a lot of time, this road trip is the one for you!

Starting in Rapid City, let’s hit the road.

*Recommended hotel in Rapid City: Holiday Inn Express on I-90. (Restaurants and shopping nearby.)

*Recommended splurge restaurant in Rapid City: Minervas Restaurant & Bar – 2111 N. LaCrosse St.

*Recommended family restaurant in Rapid City: Chili’s Grill & Bar – 2125 Haines Ave.

*RV and tent camping available in many locations in and around Rapid City.

Day One:

Destinations: Devils Tower National Monument and Spearfish Canyon

Travel tip: this will be a full day, so plan to leave early in the morning. We recommend 7:00 am. Pack a picnic lunch, road snacks, plenty of water, and suitable-for-hiking footwear for this day trip.

Drive time between Rapid City and Devils Tower National Monument: 1.75 hours.

⇒Take I-90 West toward Sturgis. Bonus Stop: Sturgis, South Dakota. Even if you’re not a biker, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame is worth a stop.

⇒Continue on I-90 via Spearfish, and then on to Sundance, Wyoming. At Sundance, the road changes to US Highway 14. Bonus Stop: Sundance, Wyoming. Crook County Museum – 309 E Cleveland St. Nice museum with history about the area and the Sundance Kid.

Travel tip: top off your gas tank in Sundance.

⇒Continue on US Highway 14, then take Highway 24 north toward Devil’s Tower. Make a quick stop at the Devils Tower Trading Post for souvenirs before proceeding to the park entrance.

Devils Tower National Monument

Website link: Devils Tower National Monument
Cost: $20.00 per car (as of August, 2018). Travel tip: the National Park Service will be increasing all park entrance fees during the next year.
RV and tent camping available in the park.
Picnic areas and hiking trails in the park.
Night sky programs.
Climbing is permitted with registration of climbers.

After a stop at the visitor center, we recommend taking Tower Trail for a hike around the base of Devils Tower. Just a little over a mile long, the trail is easy (stroller friendly) and has some tree shaded areas and benches. Look up to see (the very gutsy) climbers on the tower. Afterward, enjoy a picnic lunch in the park.

⇒Take Highway 24 back to US Highway 14/I-90 east toward Spearfish, South Dakota. Bonus stop: Vore Buffalo Jump (archaeological site). Take Exit 199. Here’s a link: Vore Buffalo Jump.

Spearfish Canyon

⇒At Spearfish take US Highway (Alt)14 south (Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway). Breathtaking scenery. Can’t miss: Bridal Veil Falls and Roughlock Falls for photo ops. Plan to hike the easy, paved trail at Roughlock Falls.

⇒Continue on US Highway (Alt)14 to Deadwood.

Bonus stop: Deadwood, South Dakota. This town is a National Historic Landmark, rich in Black Hills Gold Rush and Old West history. Shopping, casinos, bars and restaurants, as well as historic homes, a museum, and the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

Hotels and camping available in Deadwood.

⇒Continue on US Highway 14 to Sturgis, then take I-90 east to Rapid City.

We hope you had a fun and exciting first day of your Black Hills vacation. Check back next week for Day Two. Until then…

Travel safe, travel smart and we will see you down the road.

Things to do in Rapid City

Things to Do near Rapid City

Getting There

Things to do in Sturgis

Things to do in Spearfish

Things to do in Deadwood

Welcome to Wyoming

Destination: Devils Tower National Monument

Things to do at Devils Tower

Mike and Kellye

Need more US road trip inspiration? Click on these other exciting destinations:

Share this:

Like this:

Mike and Kellye

Share this:

Like this:

Mike and Kellye

Share this:

Like this:

Day Seven

Destination: Relaxation

Surprise! We’re leaving the entire day open for you.

Mike and Kellye

Share this:

Like this:

<img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" size-full wp-image-385 aligncenter" src="https://oneforthemoneytwofortheroad.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/img_1448-e1533820212524.jpg?resize=640%2C443" alt="IMG_1448" width="640" height="443" data-recalc-dims="1" />

→Note: this post is the sixth in a series as we cover a week long vacation itinerary. Our trip starts at Rapid City, South Dakota.

Day Six

Destination: Badlands National Park

Mike and Kellye

Share this:

Like this:

→Note: this post is the first in a series as we cover a week long vacation itinerary. Our trip starts at Rapid City, South Dakota.

Day One:

Destinations: Devils Tower National Monument and Spearfish Canyon

Devils Tower National Monument

Spearfish Canyon

Mike and Kellye

Share this:

Like this: