Mt. Rushmore Family Tour
It was a great introductory cycling trip for a family of 5 with ages ranging from 7 to 40+. We all loved the cycling and the countryside. All the kids made friends and loved being together.
Our tour was one to remember thanks to the excellent guides, Kurt and Renee, as well as the staff that coordinated all the bookings. Making sure that things were taken care of and adjusting as needed, BA took care of it.
Join us for a terrific family tour based entirely on what Bicycling Magazine ranked as the U.S.A.’s #1 bike path – the Mickelson Trail! Pedal the ‘Big Mick’ past buffalo grazing in the Badlands. Ride to Hot Springs, South Dakota. Soak, swim and play on the waterslides. Explore an active mammoth dig. Discover the secrets of Wind Cave (discovered by a bored teenager.) Experience world-famous Wall Drug. Go rock climbing. Bicycle to Sylvan Lake and Crazy Horse Monument – the largest sculpture in the world, with an amazing story to match. Then it’s off to Mt. Rushmore and a finale in the rough-and-ready town of Deadwood, once home to Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. You might even catch a wild west gunfight.
National Parks on this tour: Badlands National Park | Mt Rushmore National Memorial | Wind Cave National Park
This tour is operated under special use permit/s with the Badlands National Park, Mt Rushmore National Memorial and Wind Cave National Park. Bicycle Adventures is an equal opportunity provider.
Itinerary
Day 01
Badlands National Park. Then head for the hot springs.
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Red Rock River Resort
Ability Level
Distance
23 miles
Elevation
+894 ft / -1517 ft
Meet us in Rapid City, South Dakota. Head toward the Badlands, with a stop at the famous Wall Drug to start off the trip. Ride Badlands National Park, where roads are wide and safe. The Badlands are a stunningly beautiful 244,000-acre preserve of mixed-grass prairie surrounding needled buttes, pinnacles and spires. Once blanketed by a warm, shallow sea, it contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here; today it’s home to bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferret. Spend tonight at the Red Rock River Resort & Spa in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
Day 02
Explore an active mammoth dig site. Ride the Mickelson Trail.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Lodging
Red Rock River Resort
Ability Level
Distance
17 miles
Elevation
+327 ft / -1035 ft
Visit Mammoth Hot Springs Site of South Dakota – an active paleontological dig boasting the largest number of mammoth remains in the world! Start riding the Mickelson Trail today, from the Minnekahta Trailhead to Pringle (like the potato chip). Hop in the van and head over to Custer State Park to explore Wind Cave National Park, where one of the world’s longest caves lies hidden beneath the rolling Black Hills. Head back to Hot Springs for a second night here, with time for a stop at the waterslides of Evans Plunge, with the world’s largest indoor swimming pool. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Day 03
Back onto the Mickelson Trail and then ride to Crazy Horse Memorial for a tour.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Sylvan Lake Lodge
Ability Level
Distance
16 miles
Elevation
+677 ft / -986 ft
Hop back onto ‘the ‘Big Mick’ at Pringle again this morning. Ride first to Custer, SD, where George Armstrong Custer discovered gold in 1874. After lunch continue on to Crazy Horse to see the world’s largest mountain carving-in-progress: Mt. Rushmore would fit inside Crazy Horse’s shoulder! It’s got an amazing story. Spend the next two nights at the ‘crown jewel’ of Custer State Park: Sylvan Lake Lodge, an amazing property designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Day 04
Relax by the lake, go rock climbing or hiking, and visit Mt. Rushmore.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Dinner
Lodging
Sylvan Lake Lodge
Ability Level
Tons of choices today: Go rock climbing. Swim in the lake. Try stand-up paddle-boarding or go canoeing. Hike (and maybe climb) Black Elk Peak. Or maybe just relax at the lodge. This afternoon, head to Mt. Rushmore to see one of the most amazing monuments in the world.
Day 05
Ride from Hill City to Deadwood and see a wild west gunfight.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust
Ability Level
Distance
23 miles
Elevation
+1365 ft / -1092 ft
Back on the bicycles today, ride to tiny Rochford to see the ‘Small of America.’ Head to Deadwood for lunch. Explore the home of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. Watch a Wild West gunfight. There are lots to see! Stay in Deadwood tonight at the Holiday Inn Express Gold Dust.
Day 06
RIDE THE SPEARFISH CANYON SCENIC BYWAY.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Ability Level
Distance
19 miles
Elevation
+255 ft / -1913 ft
Enjoy a marvelous finish today. Thousand-foot-high limestone palisades in shades of brown, pink and gray tower over Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. Cyclists love its wide shoulders and uniform 3% downhill grade. (Bicycling Magazine named Spearfish Canyon one of the country’s Top 50 Scenic Bike Paths.) After the ride, shuttle back to Rapid City for your return trip home. Thanks for sharing the adventure with us!
*Bicycle Adventures operates under special use permits while on Federal Lands managed by the National Forest Service (USDA), National Parks and Bureau of Land Management. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
