If you’re looking for a unique road trip idea in the USA, with rolling hills, the Badlands, mountains with faces carved into them, and wildlife all around, the Dakotas are the perfect destination for you. In this guide, you’ll find a 3-day road trip itinerary starting from Billings, Montana, covering everything from national parks to historic sites, Wild West towns, and memorable eateries.
If it wasn’t for a 50 States Goal, the Dakotas might never have made the shortlist. But this trip turned out to be one of the most surprising and rewarding U.S. adventures, full of dramatic scenery, rich history, and places that felt very different from the usual national park circuit.
Understanding the Dakotas
North and South Dakota are two neighboring states in the Upper Midwest. They are often thought of as rural states, and that is true: North Dakota is known as the “Peace Garden State,” while South Dakota is called the “Mount Rushmore State.”
But these states offer much more than farmland and open roads. From a travel point of view, the Dakotas combine vast prairies, rolling hills, dramatic badlands, the Black Hills, wildlife, and deep Native American history tied to tribes including the Lakota and Dakota peoples.
How to Reach the Dakotas from the Pacific Northwest
Planning this trip from Seattle took more research than expected. Neither North Dakota nor South Dakota had flight options that worked especially well, so the itinerary was built around the airport that offered the smoothest start.
Flights to Rapid City, South Dakota, and Bismarck, North Dakota, did not offer an ideal direct or easy one-stop option from Seattle. Billings, Montana, made the most sense because it offered a direct flight and also worked well as a practical base for a loop through North Dakota, South Dakota, and northeastern Wyoming.
This choice saved both time and travel stress. Instead of spending hours in layovers, that time went into scenic drives, local stops, and making the most of each day on the road.
Our Dakotas Road Trip Itinerary
Before diving into the full itinerary, here’s the quick version. Day 0 was used to fly into Billings and drive most of the way toward Theodore Roosevelt National Park, with an overnight stop in Glendive, Montana, about an hour west of the park’s South Unit.
An alternative option is to drive straight to Medora and spend the evening there, possibly catching sunset at Skyline Vista. But for travelers who do not enjoy long drives in one stretch, Glendive is a practical and budget-friendly overnight stop.
TL;DR: Dakotas Itinerary
- Day 0: Fly from Seattle to Billings, drive to Glendive, Montana, and stay overnight.
- Day 1: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, Belle Fourche, and stay in Deadwood, South Dakota.
- Day 2: Wall Drug, Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and stay in Newcastle, Wyoming.
- Day 3: Devils Tower National Monument, drive back to Billings, and fly to Seattle.
Day 0: Glendive, Montana
Day 0 was all about landing in Billings and driving to Glendive. The actual sightseeing began on Day 1, so travelers coming from nearby states or flying directly into the Dakotas can skip this step.
For travelers coming from the Pacific Northwest, this stop helps conserve energy. Medora is the more obvious base near Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but hotel prices there can run high in peak season, while Glendive often has more budget-friendly accommodation options.
Food spot: Uncle Mike’s Bucking Horse Saloon
Day 1: North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
With only one day in North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park was the obvious choice. The South Unit is one of the park’s main visitor areas and is known for scenic drives, overlooks, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
Even though the scenic loop drive is not very long, this is a park best experienced slowly. Wildlife sightings and dramatic landscapes are what make this place special, and it easily earns a spot on a top national parks list for travelers who love quieter parks with strong scenery.
Medora
Time in Medora adds a lot to the Theodore Roosevelt experience. Medora is known as the gateway town to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and it’s also famous for its Old West character, summer attractions, and the Medora Musical.
The town is small and walkable, with western-themed restaurants, lodging, and historic appeal. If musical theater is part of the fun, checking the Medora Musical schedule before planning the trip is worth it.
Belle Fourche
On the way toward Deadwood, Belle Fourche makes for a fun stop. It is known as the Geographic Center of the Nation, the official geographic midpoint of the United States when Alaska and Hawaii are included.
Belle Fourche is also historically important as a livestock and wool shipping hub in the West. That makes it more than just a photo stop, it has genuine regional history behind the monument.
Stay in Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood makes an excellent overnight base in western South Dakota. The town is about a 3.5-hour drive south of Medora and works well for a route that continues toward Badlands National Park and the Black Hills.
Deadwood is a preserved Wild West gold rush town and a National Historic Landmark, known for Gold Rush-era architecture and famous figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.
Walking around town is part of the fun, especially for travelers who enjoy places with strong atmosphere and a sense of history. A stay in a historic hotel fits the mood perfectly.
Hotel Recommendation: Historic Iron Horse Inn Deadwood
Day 2: South Dakota
Day 2 is the most ambitious day of the itinerary. It combines a roadside icon, a national park, two major memorials, and one of South Dakota’s most scenic state parks.
This day is doable, but it works best with an early start and realistic expectations. Weather can make a huge difference, especially around Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park.
Wall Drug Store
Before reaching Badlands National Park, Wall Drug is hard to miss. The signs along I-90 are almost a road trip attraction in themselves, and curiosity alone is usually enough to pull travelers in.
Wall Drug is one of America’s best-known roadside attractions and is famous for free ice water, 5-cent coffee, homemade donuts, western-themed shops, restaurants, and oversized photo-op displays.
It is touristy, quirky, and definitely part of the South Dakota road trip experience.
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is one of the visual highlights of the trip. The park is known for jagged buttes, pinnacles, spires, canyons, prairie habitat, abundant wildlife, and one of the world’s richest fossil beds.
This is a place where scenic drives and overlook stops do much of the heavy lifting, which makes it ideal for travelers who want big views without committing to long hikes. Wildlife sightings can include bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, pronghorn, and bison.
The route described here focuses on the unit near I-90, which is the easier fit for a road trip day packed with additional stops.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore is one of those places that feels familiar long before arriving, but seeing it in person still has impact. Weather can completely change the experience, though, and fog may hide the monument for part of the day.
The memorial is known as “America’s Shrine of Democracy” and features 60-foot-tall carved faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. It was carved between 1927 and 1941 by sculptor Gutzon Borglum.
Even on a foggy day, the museum and visitor areas help make the stop worthwhile. And if the clouds lift at the right time, the first clear view feels especially dramatic.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial offers a very different experience from Mount Rushmore. It is a tribute to Lakota warrior Crazy Horse and is planned as the world’s largest mountain carving when completed.
Work began in 1948 under sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and continues today. The face alone is more than 87 feet high, and the full monument is designed to be 541 feet from head to bottom, far larger than Mount Rushmore.
Even if visibility is poor, the museum can still make the stop worthwhile, especially for travelers interested in Lakota history and culture.
Custer State Park
Custer State Park adds forests, lakes, and wildlife to a trip that already includes badlands and memorials. The park covers about 71,000 acres and is known for its scenic drives, bison herd, burros, bighorn sheep, elk, Sylvan Lake, and Needles Highway.
This stop can feel especially magical in moody weather. Even if fog forces a simplified visit, places like Sylvan Lake still deliver a peaceful and memorable end to the day.
Stay in Newcastle, Wyoming
To make the final day easier, Newcastle is a smart overnight stop. It sits in a convenient position for a morning visit to Devils Tower before driving back to Billings.
For this kind of fast-paced road trip, choosing practical overnight bases is what makes the route work. A quiet inn or bed-and-breakfast here can be exactly what is needed after a very full day. We stayed at the Pines Country Inn and
Day 3: Devils Tower and Return to Billings
The final day begins with a detour to one of the most iconic natural landmarks in the region. Even though Devils Tower is in Wyoming, it fits naturally into a Dakotas road trip because of its location near the western edge of South Dakota.
Devils Tower National Monument
Devils Tower is America’s first national monument and an iconic rock formation in northeastern Wyoming. It rises 867 feet above its base, is sacred to more than 20 Native American tribes, and is also known to many tribes as Bear Lodge.
It was established as a national monument on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. Geologically, it is known for its dramatic columnar rock structure and for being composed of rare igneous rock called phonolite porphyry.
For climbers, hikers, photographers, and anyone who loves unusual landscapes, this is an unforgettable stop and a strong ending to the trip.
Billings, Montana
After the return drive, Billings serves as the final stop before flying home. Billings is the largest city in Montana and is known as the “Magic City” because of its rapid growth after being founded as a railroad town in 1882.
It also functions as a gateway to regional attractions such as Yellowstone National Park, Bighorn Canyon, and the Beartooth Mountains.
If time allows before the flight, Billings is a good place for one final meal and a reset before heading home.
Overall Thoughts About the Dakotas
The Dakotas feel underrated compared with many of the more famous destinations in the American West. For travelers who love scenic drives, wildlife, quieter parks, western history, and varied landscapes, this region delivers far more than many people expect.
What stands out most is the variety packed into a relatively short trip: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, Deadwood, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Devils Tower all feel distinct from one another.
This itinerary is fast-paced, but it works well for travelers who want a memorable sampler of North Dakota, South Dakota, and nearby Wyoming. A longer trip would make room for cities such as Fargo and Sioux Falls, but even three days are enough to understand why the Dakotas deserve far more attention.
