Where to Stay to See Both Mount Rushmore and the Badlands
One base or a split stay, with real drive times
Updated: October 13, 2026 | Hotel shortlist updated; check rates for your dates
Mount Rushmore and the Badlands sit on opposite sides of Rapid City, about 85 miles apart by road, and no town is close to both. Rapid City comes nearest: 35 minutes from one and just over an hour from the other. The choice comes down to which end of your trip gets the shorter drive, and how many days you spend at each.
Where should you stay to see both Mount Rushmore and the Badlands?
Base in Rapid City if you want one hotel for both. It is about 25 miles (35 minutes) from Mount Rushmore and about 62 miles (1 hour 5 minutes) from the Badlands Pinnacles Entrance, and it has the most rooms open year-round. Pick Keystone or Hill City when the Black Hills fill most of your days, then add one night in Wall or Interior for a sunrise drive through the park. Budget $30 per vehicle for Badlands entry (7 days, card only) and $10 for Mount Rushmore parking.
Hotels for visiting both Mount Rushmore and the Badlands
Start with these Rapid City stays for one hotel and two day trips. Compare the full room total, parking and breakfast before choosing; a hotel named Rushmore is still in Rapid City, not at the memorial.
Choose a stay that fits your trip
Indicative USD rates, not live quotes. Your dates, room and fees change the total. We may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Our first choice
Best Western Plus Rapid City RushmoreFirst-time visitors, families, value. Free Breakfast · Free WiFi · Pool
Compare all 4 hotels at a glance
| Hotel / best for | Indicative USD/night | Breakfast | Parking | Pets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western Plus Rapid City Rushmore First-time visitors, families, value | From $89 | Free Breakfast | Free Parking | Pet Friendly |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rapid City - Rushmore South A quieter stay on the road to Mount Rushmore | From $110 | Free Breakfast | Free Parking | - |
| Cambria Hotel Rapid City All-suite rooms and a free airport shuttle | From $115 | - | Free Parking | - |
| Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City, Curio Collection by Hilton A walkable downtown evening | From $105 | - | - | Pet Friendly |
A dash means not listed. Confirm fees, pet restrictions and included amenities for your room with the booking provider.
Prefer to split the trip? See the Keystone, Hill City, Wall and Interior shortlist. For a northern Hills stop, compare Spearfish hotels separately rather than using Spearfish for both parks.
The short answer by trip style
One hotel, one unpack: Rapid City
35 minutes to Mount Rushmore and 1 hour 5 minutes to the Badlands Pinnacles Entrance. The widest choice of hotels, and the base that stays open all winter.
The Hills take most days: Keystone or Hill City
3 to 12 miles from the memorial. The Badlands turn into one long day, about 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes each way.
Badlands light is the point: Wall or Interior
One night there turns the 1 hour 5 minute drive into about 10 minutes from Wall. Rushmore is then a half-day round trip.
If the Badlands are the whole reason for the trip, our Badlands-only lodging guide compares Cedar Pass Lodge, Interior, and Wall property by property. For the Hills side, where to stay in the Black Hills covers every town.
The geography: how far each base is from each sight
The National Park Service puts Badlands National Park 75 miles east of Rapid City. The Pinnacles Entrance is at I-90 Exit 110 in Wall, then about 7 miles south. The Northeast Entrance is at Exit 131, then about 3 miles south. The Interior Entrance is on SD-377, about 2 miles north of Interior. The table uses the Pinnacles Entrance, the one you reach first from Rapid City.
| Base | To Mount Rushmore | To Badlands entrance | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | About 25 mi / 35 min | About 62 mi / 1 hr 5 min | Shortest total driving for a trip that splits time evenly. |
| Keystone | About 3 mi / 10 min | About 81 mi / 1 hr 35 min | Best for Rushmore mornings. The Badlands become a long day. |
| Hill City | About 12 mi / 20 min | About 88 mi / 1 hr 45 min | Central in the Hills. Longest haul to the Badlands. |
| Wall | About 78 mi / 1 hr 30 min | About 7 mi / 10 min | Best for Badlands light. Rushmore is a half-day round trip. |
| Interior | About 108 mi / 2 hr | About 2 mi to the Interior Entrance | Closest town to the park. Few services. |
Distances and times are rounded road-routing estimates from October 2026 plus the NPS entrance directions. Rapid City and Keystone to Mount Rushmore match our Black Hills distances page, which has the other Hills drives.
The decision rule falls out of the table. Mount Rushmore to the Pinnacles Entrance is roughly 85 miles, or 105 miles to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, and every route runs through Rapid City. Staying in Rapid City costs about 25 extra minutes each way on a Rushmore day compared with Keystone, so about 50 minutes round trip. Staying in Keystone costs about 30 extra minutes each way on a Badlands day, an hour round trip, and Hill City costs about 40. Spend several days in the Hills and one in the Badlands, and a Hills base wins. Split them evenly and Rapid City wins.
Costs differ too. Badlands National Park charges $30 per private vehicle, valid for 7 days, and takes cards only, per the National Park Service. Mount Rushmore has no entrance fee, but parking is $10 per vehicle, and the NPS notes that annual passes do not cover that concession charge. Our Mount Rushmore fees and hours page has the details.
Option A: one base in Rapid City
Rapid City is where the I-90 road to the Badlands meets the US-16 road to Mount Rushmore, so you pass it on every trip between the two. Our hotel data lists 52 hotels there against 11 in Hill City. It also has the airport and keeps the most rooms open in winter, when several Keystone lodges close.
The cost is the Rushmore drive: 35 minutes each way instead of 10 from Keystone. For a trip that is about half Hills and half Badlands, that is a fair trade. Compare all of them on our Rapid City hotels page.
Best Western Plus Rapid City Rushmore
Rapid City
Best for: First-time visitors, families, value
Why choose this hotel?
Best Western Plus with free hot breakfast, an indoor pool, free WiFi, and free parking. Confirm pet fees and family room terms for your dates.
Opens expedia. Rates vary by date; check total price, guest reviews and room cancellation terms before booking.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Rapid City - Rushmore South
Rapid City
Best for: A quieter stay on the road to Mount Rushmore
Why choose this hotel?
A Holiday Inn Express south of downtown, near the hospital and the highway. It has a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool, and free hot breakfast. It is quieter than the downtown hotels and still on the road to Mount Rushmore.
Opens expedia. Rates vary by date; check total price, guest reviews and room cancellation terms before booking.
Cambria Hotel Rapid City
Rapid City
Best for: All-suite rooms and a free airport shuttle
Why choose this hotel?
An all-suites hotel with free Wi-Fi, a fitness center, an indoor pool, and the Reflect restaurant and lounge. Wolfgang Puck coffee is served in the rooms and at the Barista Bar, and beds have pillow-top mattresses. A free shuttle runs to the airport and anywhere within a 5-mile radius. The Grab and Go and Refill Sundries food areas are open 24 hours. Every suite has two flat-screen HD TVs, a microwave, and a refrigerator.
Opens expedia. Rates vary by date; check total price, guest reviews and room cancellation terms before booking.
Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City, Curio Collection by Hilton
Rapid City
Best for: A walkable downtown evening
Why choose this hotel?
A historic downtown hotel, built in 1927 and now part of Hilton's Curio Collection. It has hosted presidents and celebrities over the years. The decor mixes late-1920s style with Native American art: the lobby carries the 'four sacred directions' symbols, a tribute to the area's Native American culture and beliefs, along with a chandelier shaped like a teepee and hand-painted Sioux designs. Downtown Rapid City and Main Street Square, with shops, restaurants, museums, and family activities, are within walking distance.
Opens expedia. Rates vary by date; check total price, guest reviews and room cancellation terms before booking.
Hotel links are Expedia affiliate links. We earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Prices are indicative and change by date.
Option B: split the stay, Hills first, then Wall or Interior
Spend two or three nights in Keystone or Hill City, then move east for one night in Wall or Interior. You get Rushmore mornings 10 to 20 minutes from the hotel and a Badlands evening and sunrise with almost no driving. From Wall it is about 7 miles to the Pinnacles Entrance, and about 30 miles from Wall to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center along the Loop Road.
This order suits anyone leaving by I-90 toward Sioux Falls or Minneapolis, because the Badlands are on your way out. It adds one hotel change and about 75 to 80 miles of driving between bases. Skip it if you fly out of Rapid City, since you would drive back west the next day.
Check dates before you commit to the in-park option: Cedar Pass Lodge cabins run April 15 to October 15, per the park concessioner.
Option C: Badlands first when you arrive from the east
Driving in on I-90 from the east puts the Badlands first on the road. Take Exit 131 for the Northeast Entrance, 3 miles south of the interstate, and drive the Loop Road that afternoon. Sleep in Interior, Wall, or Cedar Pass Lodge, then head west for Rapid City the next morning.
If you arrive before check-in time, the park gives you something to do with the morning: the Loop Road and overlooks need no reservation, and you reach Rapid City the next day with the long highway miles behind you. If you would rather not drive the park yourself, guided Badlands tours depart from Rapid City.
Badlands tours
Let a guide handle the 62-mile drive and the Loop Road. Confirm pickup location, inclusions, and cancellation terms on Viator.
We earn a commission on Viator bookings, at no extra cost to you. Check dates and final prices on Viator. Tour information collected May 15, 2026; not live availability.
Private Tour of the Badlands with Local Experts
Private tour · 9h
Viator snapshot: 5.0/5 (25 reviews)
Route and experience details
The Badlands have many secrets and requires a seasoned guide to explain and reveal them. GeoFunTrek Tours' guides are local experts with decades of experience. We have no seasonal-guides, part-time guides or trainee-guides. This is a family-owned business and all tours are conducted by family members: Cindy, Christopher and John Esposti. We have the knowledge and skills to make your day one to remember. You will always get the A-Team when you tour with GeoFunTrek Tours! All tours are PRIVATE TOURS, exclusive to the group booking the tour, and no additional guests will be included. Children must be accompanied by one adult. Children 3 years and younger are free and will have their own seat. Children's car seats must be supplied by family members when required. Our vehicles are SUV's and a van may be rented for larger groups. Please enquire about vehicles if you have any questions. This tour is great for 3-generation families with Children, multiple couples and groups of friends.
Confirm pickup town, admission inclusions and cancellation deadline for your date.
From USD 425
Confirm whether the price is per person or per group. Cached price; check your dates.
Check dates on Viator (opens in a new tab)
Shared Badlands and Wall Drug Store Experience
Shared tour · 8h
Viator snapshot: 5.0/5 (8 reviews)
Route and experience details
What makes this Badlands and Wall Drug Store tour unique is the depth of knowledge and storytelling it offers. It's not just a scenic drive, but a fully narrated experience that brings the Badlands and prairie areas to life with abundant information and captivating stories. This ensures a richer and more engaging experience compared to self-guided tours or those with less historical and cultural context, especially since it spans a substantial 7-8 hours.
Confirm pickup town, admission inclusions and cancellation deadline for your date.
From USD 312
Confirm whether the price is per person or per group. Cached price; check your dates.
Check dates on Viator (opens in a new tab)More on the park itself in our Badlands National Park guide.
A two-day sample plan from Rapid City
Day 1: Mount Rushmore and the Hills
- Leave Rapid City early. Mount Rushmore is about 35 minutes away, and parking is $10 per vehicle.
- Drive about 30 minutes to Crazy Horse Memorial, or stop in Keystone for lunch.
- From late May through September, stay for the evening lighting ceremony. From October 1 there is no ranger program, and the sculpture is lit nightly at sunset.
- Return to Rapid City for dinner.
Day 2: the Badlands
- Take I-90 east to Exit 110 at Wall, about 55 miles, then 7 miles south to the Pinnacles Entrance. Pay the $30 vehicle fee by card.
- Drive the Loop Road east, about 30 miles from Wall to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, stopping at overlooks.
- Return through Wall for lunch.
- Be back in Rapid City by late afternoon, about 1 hour 30 minutes from the visitor center.
A third day lets you add Custer State Park or Wind Cave without cutting either sight short. See our Black Hills itinerary for longer plans, and when to visit the Black Hills for how the season changes the drive.
Winter and shoulder-season notes
- Cedar Pass Lodge closes October 15. The lodge lists April 15 to October 15 for its cabins, and the NPS says it is the only lodging in the park. After mid-October the Badlands depend on Wall and Rapid City hotels. We have not confirmed winter dates for the Wall hotels, so call before building a trip around one.
- Badlands roads can close. The park is open 24 hours a day and collects entrance fees year-round. The NPS warns that roads may close in winter or extreme weather and points drivers to safetravelusa.com/sd for conditions. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center keeps shorter hours off season: 8 am to 5 pm in fall and spring, 8 am to 4 pm in winter, per the NPS.
- Mount Rushmore stays open. The grounds run 6 am to 9 pm from November 1 through March 9, and the visitor centers are open 8 am to 5 pm from November 1 to May 21. The buildings close on December 25, though the parking structure and grounds stay open, weather permitting.
- Several Keystone lodges shut for the season. Battle Creek Lodge and Under Canvas run May through September, and K Bar S Lodge runs mid-April through October, so winter visitors should lean toward Rapid City. See the Black Hills in October for what is still open this month.
Hotel picks by base
Rapid City options are in Option A above, and the full list is on our Rapid City hotels page. For the Hills and for the Badlands side, these are the properties we would compare. Rates change by date, so check the total price and cancellation terms.
If the Hills come first
Keystone
Powder House Lodge
Cabin-style lodging in the town closest to Mount Rushmore. Confirm winter dates before booking November to April.
Keystone
K Bar S Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection
Breakfast and hill views, set apart from the town strip, so you drive in for dinner. The lodge lists mid-April through October as its season.
Hill City
EverSpring Inn & Suites Hill City
Free hot breakfast, and you can walk to Hill City galleries, restaurants, and the 1880 Train. Our hotel data puts it under 15 minutes from both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.
If the Badlands come first
Inside Badlands National Park
Cedar Pass Lodge
The only lodging inside the park. Cabins run April 15 to October 15, so it is closed for the winter.
Wall
Best Western Plains Motel
Wall is about 7 miles from the Pinnacles Entrance. A chain motel with free breakfast, a pool, and easy I-90 access.
Wall
Days Inn by Wyndham Wall
Indoor pool and breakfast. Check the total price against the Best Western for your dates.
Interior
Badlands Frontier Cabins
Cabins in Interior, the closest town to the park. Interior is small, so bring dinner or plan to eat in Wall.
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Questions travelers ask
Where is the best place to stay to see both Mount Rushmore and the Badlands?
Rapid City. It is about 25 miles (35 minutes) from Mount Rushmore and about 62 miles (1 hour 5 minutes) from the Badlands Pinnacles Entrance, with the most hotel rooms in the region and the most that stay open through winter. Every drive between the Hills and the Badlands passes through it anyway.
How far apart are Mount Rushmore and the Badlands?
Roughly 85 miles to the Badlands Pinnacles Entrance and 105 miles to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, or about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours of driving, by way of Rapid City and I-90. The National Park Service puts the park 75 miles east of Rapid City.
Can you see Mount Rushmore and the Badlands in one day?
It is possible from Rapid City, but you would spend more than 3 hours driving and see each place for a couple of hours. Two days works better: Mount Rushmore and the Hills on one, a full Badlands Loop Road day on the other. A guided Badlands tour from Rapid City removes the driving from the second day.
Should I stay in Wall or Interior for the Badlands?
Wall has more hotels and restaurants and sits about 7 miles from the Pinnacles Entrance. Interior is smaller and is the closest town to the park, about 2 miles from the Interior Entrance. Our Badlands lodging guide compares the specific properties, including Cedar Pass Lodge inside the park.
What does it cost to enter both places?
Badlands National Park charges $30 per private vehicle, valid for 7 days, and takes cards only. Mount Rushmore has no entrance fee, but parking is $10 per vehicle, and the National Park Service says annual passes do not cover that concession charge.
Where should I stay in winter?
Rapid City. Cedar Pass Lodge closes October 15, several Keystone lodges close for the season, and the Badlands roads can close in winter weather. Rapid City keeps the most rooms open, and it is 35 minutes from Mount Rushmore and about 1 hour 5 minutes from the Badlands Pinnacles Entrance on a clear day.
Pick the base, then check dates
Rapid City for one base, Keystone or Hill City when the Hills dominate, Wall or Interior for one Badlands night. Cedar Pass Lodge is available only through October 15.