Though we began our Northwest road trip in Sioux Falls, another great place to start a similar adventure is Rapid City. Rapid City is a central point for places such as Badlands National Park and The Black Hills.
We were only here for a day, but we had a chance to explore the downtown area, eat some delicious food, and watch baby bears wrestling (cuteness overload).
Things to Do
For a family friendly adventure, check out Bear Country USA. This is a drive through park where you can see wildlife from the safety of your vehicle. This is actually the only time on this entire trip that we saw bears. In addition to bears, you will also see a variety of other animals such as moose, wolves, and mountain lions. Just make sure to keep inside your vehicle at all times or risk being removed from the park… or attacked by a wild animal. At the end of the drive, you’ll have a chance to get out of your car to see other animals including baby bears. We felt okay about visiting this wildlife park (Tiger King scarred us all) because the Irwins have visited and approved. And if you can’t trust the Irwins, who can you trust really?
If you have kids (or even if you don’t), you may also consider stopping by the Dinosaur Park to see a variety of dino statues that are great for photo ops. Storybook Island is also a good place (at least according to Trip Advisor…we didn’t actually go) for kids. Find your classic fairytale characters and even take a mini train ride.
In downtown Rapid City, do a little shopping along the strip. There were a lot of unique, small businesses including lots of comic books shops. And while you’re at it, check out the President’s Walk. You’ll find a US president on every corner. We turned it into a game to see if we could identify each statue before reading the name plate (spoiler alert, we were about 12 for 44).
Where to Eat/Drink
Need a pick-me-up? Check out Alternate Fuel Coffee House in downtown Rapid City. Get a coffee, tea, or a tasty smoothie. They also have food here if you’re searching for a quick lunch.
If you like a good burger, check out Murphy’s Pub. The Murphy Burger is a great choice (beef patty covered with caramelized granny smith apples and onions…yum) and sweet potato fries with maple bacon dipping sauce makes it even better.
Try Firehouse Brewing, the first brewery opened in the state, for a great drinks and dinner option. While waiting for our table, we hopped into their wine bar for a tasting. The bartender told us a little history on the place and how a house wine got to be named after a soldier from the 1950’s. The Bell Tower Lager is a good light beer that they brew right there if you like trying local beers. If you enjoy spicy foods, try their famous gumbo (made with sausage, shrimp, chicken and oysters).
By the time you reach Rapid City, you will have seen a very large amount of road signs for Wall Drug. This drugstore/eatery/giftshop is located about 45 minutes outside of Rapid City. If you’re coming from the East like we were, stop on your way in. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend going out of your way to visit Wall Drug, but if you’re nearby or visiting the Badlands, check it out. They have 5 cent coffee and free ice water, along with tasty donuts and more.
Where We Stayed
We tried to find somewhat unique and interesting places to stay where we could instead of staying in all hotels. We decided on the Rockerville Lodge and Cabins for our Rapid City stay. Here we had our own private “cabin” room, which was essentially a motel room decorated to look like a cabin. It was nice though and relatively close to everything we wanted to see and do.
We enjoyed our brief stay in Rapid City. It was convenient to all of the stops on our itinerary and gave us a nice rest day from hiking.
If you haven’t read the other blogs we’ve written for this trip, check them out:
The Ultimate Mid/Northwest Road Trip Through SD, WY, MT
Packing for a National Park Road Trip – SD, WY, MT
Our McTravels 
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