Our itinerary, where we stayed, and how much we spent
South Dakota has been a dream of mine for a while! I originally planned this trip 5 years ago, and even went as far as to book campsites for half of the journey. Then, a couple of weeks before our trip, the weather forecast started to look worrisome, calling for high winds and nighttime temps in the 40s. We decided that tent camping with 4 kids in those conditions would be a nightmare, so we quickly pivoted and traveled to Vermont and New Hampshire instead.
The last few years we’ve had other trips on the docket, so South Dakota sat on the back burner. When we arrived home from Australia in February, Mr. Yoder told me that we had to stay in Ohio for 6 months. The last 7 months of 2025 and the first few months of 2026 had been our busiest travel season to date (Florida, Colorado, Florida, NYC, & Australia/NZ), and he wanted us to just chill out for a while (and complete some house projects). Well, you know, me being me, we left for South Dakota exactly 6 months and 1 day after our return from Australia! What an obedient wife I am. Haha!!
Our itinerary
Even though gas prices were less than ideal, we decided to drive this trip. We had the points and miles to fly to Denver, and we talked about flying there and doing a round-trip drive through SW South Dakota and SE Wyoming, but I realized that some of the destinations I had planned to stop at on the way to Rapid City were some of the reasons I wanted to take the trip. However, I also had a goal to not spend any money on accommodation! I wanted to book the trip for as little money as possible. So, that created some issues with finding lodging, as once you get into SW Minnesota or eastern South Dakota, lodging isn’t plentiful, and places that sleep 6 are even more obscure.
Thankfully, I was able to book every night using credit card points, and it saved us big time! Read until the end to find out how much!
Day 1: Ohio to Milwaukee
We drove to Indiana Dunes National Park, explored the Visitor Center & had a picnic. We hiked the West Beach Dune Succession Trail, then headed to Milwaukee (we hoped to beat Chicago rush hour). Once we arrived in Milwaukee, we planned just to explore downtown and go to bed early (since we gained an hour in the day by going to Central Time).
We ate in the brewery district, where our hotel was located, and then walked into the city. Our favorite area was the Riverwalk, where we happened upon a group of kayakers following a band on a boat! Talk about a unique experience.
Notable expenses: We purchased a National Park pass before leaving home. The cost of the digital + physical pass was $87. This was a worthwhile investment, as it paid for admission to Indiana Dunes, Badlands, and Devils Tower National Monument, and we still have another year to use it.
Hotel: Hyatt Place Downtown Milwaukee – used a Hyatt free night certificate. Cash price: $200.30
Day 2: Milwaukee to Baraboo
We spent more time exploring Milwaukee on the cheap, like walking along Lake Michigan and getting our picture with the Fonz statue. Then we headed to the Milwaukee Brewers game at American Family Field. (Game time at 1:10). This was truly a family-friendly field! The children’s area was a hit with our little and big kids! After the game, we drove the 2.5 hours to Devil’s Lake State Park and hiked the East Bluffs/Balanced Rock Trail.
Devil’s Lake State Park seemed absolutely perfect. I’m sad we didn’t have more time there. The hike was one of the scariest we’ve done with kids – I wouldn’t recommend it for kids under 5 unless they are in a backpack carrier or Ergo! However, the views at the top were exquisite.
Notable expenses: The Brewers were running a half-priced game deal for kids during August midday home games. Thankfully, it was for ages 14 and under. We paid $136 for 6 Upper Deck seats. Cheese curds at the game were $10. Admission to Devil’s Lake State Park was $16 per carload (a bit of a bummer since we arrived late and only had time for one hike).
Hotel: Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott, Baraboo, WI – Booked through the Chase Travel Portal. It was $174.80, so I used 7,479 Chase points and left $100.01 on my Sapphire card. This triggered the $100 per year Sapphire credit, so I paid $.01 for one night! Crazy!
Day 3: Baraboo, WI to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
We departed the hotel around 9am and started our journey west. Our main stop for the day was the Laura Ingalls Museum and the House on Plum Creek in Walnut Grove, MN. I read the Little House on the Prairie books to my big kids a few years back, and I’m now revisiting them with our youngest. While DeSmet, SD is considered the best Laura Ingalls destination, I couldn’t figure out how to add it to our itinerary with our limited time and the limited hotel options.
Unfortunately, everything we did took longer than planned. We stopped at the Mississippi Welcome Center, and Mr. Yoder spent quite a bit of time catching up on work. Then, we tried to save money by getting lunch and gas and refilling the cooler at a Sam’s Club in Minnesota, which added more time. All that to say, we didn’t arrive at the Laura Ingalls Museum until 4:25, and they closed at 5! Ugh! We had to rush through the museum, and I hardly had time to peruse the gift shop. However, we still found it interesting and a helpful companion for the books. Something to note: while many of the reviews said the museum focused too much on the Little House television show (set in Walnut Grove), I thought it was a nice balance between the books and the show.
After the museum, we drove to the site of On the Banks of Plum Creek. There is no physical structure standing, but it was neat to see the creek where Laura and Mary often played. They have the site of the home marked with tape so you can visualize it.
We then drove to Pipestone National Monument. I added it to our itinerary because of the helpful guide at the Minnesota Welcome Center. We ate our picnic dinner quickly, and then drove to the trail. Pipestone National Monument is located in far southwest Minnesota and is known for the red claystone that is used to make Native American pipes. While we felt rushed (and hyper, running children didn’t help), I’ll never forget looking out over the prairie watching deer, while hearing the sounds of a Native American chant. This area is sacred to Natives, who pilgrim here for religious purposes (and to quarry the pipestone).
Notable expenses: We spent $58 on admission to the Laura Ingalls Museum, despite only having 30 minutes to explore. It was one of those, “well, we’re here, so we’re going to do it” moments. It was a $10 suggested donation to see Plum Creek.
Hotel: We stayed at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Sioux Falls Airport, SD. Finally, South Dakota! This was our smallest hotel room to date (it was definitely not suited for 6 people. It was 33k Marriott points, but the cash price was $344.88 (why?!?!). Chase was running a transfer bonus, so I only had to use 15k Chase points to complete the booking. Cost to us: $0
Day 4: Sioux Falls to Rapid City, SD
Another full day ahead for the Yoders. Driving from Sioux Falls to Rapid City meant driving nearly across the entire state of South Dakota. Thankfully, had a ton of stops to break up the time.
First, we stopped at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD, to check out the America 250 Display. We were impressed by the ingenious design and craftsmanship. Then we stopped at the rest area with the statue “Dignity of Earth and Sky,” which is a 50-foot stainless steel monument that overlooks the Missouri River. This was another place that wasn’t on my to-do list until chatting with the Minnesota guide (why didn’t I get his name?) It was a beautiful stop, and we appreciated the Visitor Center devoted to Lewis & Clark.
Our next stop was the Badlands, but first we stopped at the ranch outside of the entrance to feed the prairie dogs. By the time we arrived, it was early afternoon, and the prairie dogs were fat and full, so we proceeded to the entrance of the Badlands. Badlands National Park was one of our favorite parts of the trip, and it saddens me that so many people don’t spend the time that it deserves. We spent nearly half a day here, between grilling our lunch on the Blackstone, hiking a trail, stopping at most of the overlooks, and driving the entire length of the 39-mile Badlands Loop Scenic Byway. The only thing I found disappointing about the Badlands was the Visitor Center. It was small and dated.
As we were exiting the park, we had our first bison sighting. What a magical experience, as twilight fell over the prairie.
Before hitting the road for our hotel, we stopped at the popular Wall Drug. While travelers have been raving about this stop for years, we found it to be exceptionally touristy, and the free water isn’t worth the price! Ha! We planned to eat dinner here, but the meals didn’t look appetizing, so we grabbed donuts for the next morning and moved on.
Notable expenses: $10 for a Christmas ornament from Badlands NP, $1 per bag of peanuts for the prairie dogs, and $18 for 6 maple donuts at Wall Drug.
Hotel: Hyatt Place Rapid City. We were here for 4 nights. The first night was 10k Hyatt points; the next 3 were 7.5k points each. I transferred 32,500 points from Chase to Hyatt to complete this booking. The cash price was $1165.49. We paid $0.
Day 5: Black Hills, SD
We left early and began the Needles Highway. Rapid City and the surrounding areas were quiet on a Sunday morning. The Needles Highway was so beautiful, and we couldn’t have picked better weather. We stopped at Sylvan Lake to hike the 1.1 mile Shore Trail. Sylvan Lake is one of the sights from the movie, “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.”
After the 14-mile Needles Highway, which is part of the broader Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, we drove up Mt. Coolidge. This provided a scenic view of the entire area, without having to hike. From the top of Mt. Coolidge, we could see Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore, though we could only see them clearly through binoculars.
From Mt. Coolidge, we headed towards Wind Cave. This is when we had the special moment of encountering a herd of buffalo along the road. We pulled over for a bit to let them pass, then we passed them as they grazed along the road. This was one of the Top 3 moments of the trip for me!
We arrived at Wind Cave National Park with plenty of time to peruse the museum and Visitor Center, picnic out of the van (are you seeing a theme?), and prepare for the 3:30 tour. Tours must be booked in advance; they only release so many spots on the day of the tours. We saw someone arrive at 3pm and be turned away. I booked our tour about 2 weeks in advance, and yet they had very limited open times for 6 people.
Wind Cave was the most underwhelming part of our trip. The cave is long and narrow, but there wasn’t much to see. I enjoyed the Ohio Caverns much more. Wind Cave is notable because it was the first cave in the world to be made a National Park. Frankly, if I wasn’t set on visiting all National Parks, I’d skip it. I was more excited by the buffalo we saw along the road as we departed the park!
Notable expenses: The Needles Highway is part of Custer State Park, and they charge a $25 admission fee per vehicle, good for 7 days. Admission to Wind Cave was $78 for our family of 6.
Day 6: Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, and Deadwood
This trip was not a relaxing vacation, that’s for sure! Day 6 began with a 90+ minute drive to Wyoming! Devils Tower National Monument was one of my favorite places on the trip; the drive in was incredibly beautiful, and seeing the monument from afar as we drove reminded me of my days traveling the Outback of Australia and seeing Uluru (Ayers Rock) from miles and miles away. We arrived at Devils Tower in mid-morning and did the 1.4-mile Tower Trail around the base of the rock.
The Visitor Center here is very small, and I didn’t pick up any souvenirs because the gift shop was so crowded. Thankfully, we were visiting the 2nd week after Sturgis; I can’t imagine how crazy this place gets when the motorcyclists are in town!
After another picnic (every Yoder trip is like a ham sandwich tour), we started back towards South Dakota and the Spearfish Canyon Drive. We stopped in Spearfish for ice cream and a bathroom, then continued. Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is 19 miles long with steep canyons, waterfalls, and even mountain goats. I think I would have found this more exciting, but doing it after the Needles Highway made it feel lackluster in comparison.
We hiked to Spearfish Falls, which was fast and easy, and then moved the rest of the way quickly, because we wanted to make it to Deadwood in time for the 4pm shootout.
We made it to Deadwood just in time for their 10-minute program and shootout! I’m glad we added this in, even though it pressed us for time! What’s a trip out west without a little gunslinging?
After the shootout, we walked around downtown, but quickly realized that Deadwood probably isn’t the most kid-friendly spot. I mean, Deadwood was well-known as the stomping grounds of Wild Bill & Calamity Jane and had its last brothel raided in the 1980s!!! WHAT??!
The kids did a rock-climbing attraction in the park, then we headed back to Rapid City. We ate Pizza Ranch pizzas in a beautiful downtown park, then Mr. Yoder and the 3 older kids went to watch Spiderman at the historic theatre while Louisa & I caught up on laundry and cartoons.
Notable expenses: Today was mostly free except for fancy ice cream and Dad overpaying for rock-climbing $34 (I think they assumed our kids were older than they actually were). Parking in Deadwood was the deal of the day at only $2.
Day 7: Custer State Park, Iron Mountain Road, and Mount Rushmore
Our last day in South Dakota, and we decided to end it with the most anticipated attraction – Mount Rushmore. But first, we needed to get there. We went back and forth about doing the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop because we already saw most of the wildlife we had hoped to see! We decided to drive to Custer State Park, check out the Visitor Center, and then drive a small portion of the wildlife drive before turning around. The bison were right at the entrance to the drive, so we didn’t have to go in to see them. As we headed back towards Iron Mountain Road, I spotted my first bighorn sheep, which was high on my list! Africa has the Big Five; the Yoder family Big 5 for South Dakota was bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, and prairie dogs. The only one we didn’t see was an elk!
Iron Mountain Road was next, and it was one of my husband’s favorite parts of the trip! While the road doesn’t have the spectacular scenery of the Needles Highway, the highway tunnels all lead to amazing views of Mount Rushmore! Towards the end of the drive, the road makes hairpin turns and offers pigtail bridges. I understand why so many motorcyclists choose this scenic road, which is also part of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway.
We arrived at Mount Rushmore around lunchtime and guess what? We ate ham sandwiches out of the back of our van! Ha! Then it was time to head inside and see the attraction that our family was so excited about!
Mount Rushmore may be just a rock to some people, but to me it’s an example of what makes America so special! The art, the ingenuity, and American pride are all on display on that Black Hills granite! We loved it. We explored the Visitor Center, hiked the Presidential Trail (go clockwise to go DOWN the stairs instead of up), and listened to a ranger speak at the Sculptor’s Studio. We were told we had to try the Thomas Jefferson ice cream in the cafe, and I will say, it was probably one of the top 3 ice creams OF MY LIFE. It tasted like the homemade ice cream of my youth, but the consistency was more like dip ice cream.
We headed back to the hotel for a rest so we could have the energy to come back for the evening lighting ceremony. We visited in August, so the evening show was still at 9pm, but the program began at 8. Some friends had said that they felt the lighting ceremony wasn’t anything to write home about, but I found myself very emotional during the Veterans’ Ceremony and the playing of “God Bless America.”
Day 8: Rapid City, SD to Fort Dodge, Iowa
Today’s travel goal was to make it to Fort Dodge and stop in Nebraska so we could check off another state in our quest for all 50. We pushed ourselves to get across SD as quickly as possible so we’d have time at Ponca State Park.
Ponca State Park is located in NE Nebraska and includes an overlook of the Missouri River. We were a little taken aback by the $14 parking fee, until the nice people at the Visitor Center encouraged me to come in and explore the museum. Because of its management of Missouri River conservation, the museum was curated by the National Park Service
The Ponca State Park museum and overlook exceeded our $14 expectations – that’s for sure! The three-state overlook provided a sweeping view of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, although we weren’t exactly sure which was where! Ha! They need to add this to the signage.
After a quick dinner, we continued through Iowa to Fort Dodge. We didn’t have a great reason to stay in Fort Dodge, other than positioning ourselves for the next day.
Hotel: We stayed at the Holiday Inn Fort Dodge. I booked it directly with IHG for $210.76 and then used 21,076 Capital One Venture points to “erase” the purchase. Final cost: $0
Day 9: Fort Dodge, Iowa to East Moline, Illinois
From Fort Dodge, we had a 2.5-hour drive to our main attraction for the day – the Field of Dreams. The filming site for the 1989 film has stayed with me ever since my older brother frequently rented the movie from our local video rental place (I’m aging myself now). Pulling into the parking lot, I felt a wave of nostalgia and teared up – thankful that I was able to visit this place with my family. The baseball field is definitely off the beaten path; you almost wonder how the film producers found this location.
We arrived at the Field of Dreams around 1 pm, and our eldest son immediately ran to the baseball field. We were excited to see a “ghost” in the outfield greeting guests and throwing a ball. Our boys played baseball with the ghost and other visitors from around the U.S. for nearly an hour.
We skipped the house tour (the cost was over $100 for our family) and only stepped inside the gift shop and the restaurant, but didn’t buy anything. Sadly, the ice cream shop was closed on the weekday that we visited.
Our total visit was about 90 minutes, then we ate those ham sandwiches (again!) and headed toward our next hotel.
Notable expenses: The suggested donation for the Field of Dreams was $20 per vehicle. As I mentioned before, this only includes access to the field and the perimeter of the home. Cost for sunset drinks: $33 (see below).
Hotel: We continued our eastbound journey and stayed at the Hyatt Place East Moline. This was such a steal at 3500 points per night. I ended up booking us two rooms and calling to confirm that they would be connecting. The Hyatt Place had a lounge on the 8th floor overlooking the Mississippi River. Mr. Yoder and I spent an hour of peace enjoying the sunset and recapping our trip before the rest of the drive home. Cost for 2 rooms: $0. Cash rate was $127.57/room.
Day 10: Driving home to Ohio
Our son had to be at work at 6 pm, so we high-tailed it home, trying to stop as little as possible, only for gas and to (you guessed it), eat some ham sandwiches! (Pray for our intestines)! Left with only the memories, our trip to South Dakota ranks as one of our favorites – the landscapes, the wildlife, and the gratitude for the history and diversity of our country, all a piece of why this trip was so special.
The final numbers: The cash rate for all of the hotels combined was $2,351.57. I paid was 1 penny! Ha! Total savings: $2,351.36
What we spent
Attractions, including the baseball game, National Park pass, etc: $463
Gas (rounded to the nearest dollar, and I did not include what I paid to fill up before we left home): $444. This was just on budget for us. Outside of Ohio, we were paying an average of $3.70 per gallon. I’m glad we did this trip in August before prices jumped again!
Food & miscellaneous: approx. $550. I usually don’t share this number because it varies greatly by family size, but this includes what we spent on eating out, ice cream, and souvenirs along the way! I didn’t include groceries because we’d be buying lunch items even at home!
We did this entire trip for $1460! I think that’s an amazing price for the size of our family and the time that we spent away! However, that price would have jumped to nearly $4000 if we’d paid for all of our hotel stays! This is why I constantly tell people about using points and miles to save on travel!
Before you go:
I used this Black Hills travel guide to help plan our trip.
I purchased this book at Wind Cave: Who Pooped? Field Guide, Journal, and Activity Book, and although it says it’s about poop, it has a ton of info about animals in the National Parks of the US. We are using it as a homeschooling companion. It’s perfect for kids aged 4-9.
We usually keep bug spray in the back of our van, but unfortunately it was taken out before our trip! Make sure you have bug spray if you will be anywhere near prairie dogs! They carry fleas, and our kids got attacked! Prairie dogs can even carry the plague! Oye!
Spirit is an older animated movie that kids may enjoy before visiting South Dakota. It is set in the Dakotas.
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