A private full day loop from Rapid City with real time pacing, scenic drives, and admissions included.
This private full day tour pairs Mount Rushmore with the Badlands day in one smooth loop from Rapid City. We run the itinerary in real time, adjusting for crowds, weather, road conditions, and your pace, so the day feels calm, not rushed. Expect iconic viewpoints, scenic drives, and short walks, with plenty of space for photos and questions along the way.
This is a private, full day South Dakota classic built for real travel days. You’ll see Mount Rushmore with time to understand the story behind it, then transition into the wide open scale of Badlands National Park, where light, weather, and wildlife can change the feel of the landscape hour to hour. The pacing is calm and flexible. We keep walks short and scenic, use the drives to connect the story of the region, and adjust the flow in real time so you’re not stuck in crowds or forced into a rigid schedule.
If you want an iconic day that still feels personal, with practical logistics handled by a guide who pays attention to timing, this tour is designed for you.
You want Mount Rushmore and the Badlands in one day without feeling rushed. You prefer a private tour with a calm pace and real time flexibility, plus scenic drives and short walks instead of long hikes.
You care about timing and want to avoid the worst crowds when possible, and you’d like a guide who can connect the dots on local history, landscapes, and wildlife in a natural way. Most of all, you want the day to feel smooth, with the logistics handled and the decisions kept simple.
You want a fixed schedule with lots of quick stops and constant movement. You’re hoping for long hikes or hours off trail, or you strongly prefer a group tour environment with lots of other travelers.
You want to stay out late for an after dark experience, or you’re trying to see everything in the Black Hills and the Badlands in one day. This tour focuses on the best pairing and a calm flow, not every possible stop.
We start with a pickup in Rapid City and a quick check in on the day’s conditions so we can choose the smoothest route. Most days we begin with Mount Rushmore earlier, before the busiest stretch, but we can shift timing if traffic, weather, or your priorities suggest a better plan. At Mount Rushmore, you’ll have time for the main viewpoints and the core story, plus space for photos that don’t feel rushed.
From there, we transition out of the Black Hills and into the open country that leads toward Badlands National Park. The drives are part of the experience, not filler. You’ll see the landscape change in real time, and we use those miles to connect the natural history and the human story of the region.
In the Badlands, the day becomes a series of scenic overlooks, short walks, and photo friendly stops, paced around light, weather, and your energy. If wildlife is active, we slow down. If wind or storms roll in, we adjust. If you want fewer stops and more time in one place, we do that too.
The goal is a day that feels calm and well paced, with enough structure to make it easy and enough flexibility to make it yours.
This tour is designed around the best core stops that make Mount Rushmore and the Badlands feel real, not rushed. Exact stops can shift with crowds, weather, construction, and your pace, but these are the places we most commonly spend meaningful time.
We spend time at the main viewing terrace and surrounding areas so you can actually take it in, grab photos, and understand the story behind the carving and the setting.
We focus on the overlooks that give you the strongest sense of scale and color, with time to slow down, look, and photograph. These stops are short walks, not long hikes.
This drive is part of the experience. We use it to connect the overlooks and to catch changing light, shifting clouds, and the way the formations look different from mile to mile.
If conditions and timing fit, we can add one or two easy walks that deepen the experience without turning the day into a hike. These are chosen based on comfort, wind, heat, and your group’s pace.
Some days bring bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, or prairie dogs right into view. When that happens, we slow down and let the moment unfold naturally. Sightings can’t be guaranteed, but the route is built to give you real chances.
The Badlands aren’t a backdrop. They’re a living system, and the best days out here feel less like checking off stops and more like paying attention. Light changes the color of the formations minute by minute, wind can shift fast, and wildlife activity often ramps up when temperatures ease. That’s why this tour is built around flexibility. If something is happening, we slow down. If conditions change, we adjust.
Wildlife sightings can never be promised, but this route gives you real chances. Depending on the day and the season, we may spot bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, prairie dogs, raptors, or deer. Sometimes the most memorable moments are the small ones: a hawk working the wind, a herd moving across a distant ridge, a sudden quiet that makes the landscape feel huge.
We keep wildlife viewing respectful and safe. We stay at responsible distances, use pullouts when available, and never pressure animals for a photo. The goal is simple: see more by moving calmly, staying patient, and letting the landscape do what it does.
On this tour, the drives aren’t just the way we get there. They’re part of what makes the day feel big. South Dakota is a place where the landscape changes fast. Forested hills give way to open prairie, then suddenly the Badlands rise out of the earth like another world. That transition is one of the most memorable parts of the experience, and we don’t treat it like dead time.
We use the drives like Badlands Loop Road to keep the day flowing smoothly and to time your stops well. If crowds build, we shift the order. If weather changes, we choose the route that stays comfortable. If light is doing something special, we chase the best angles. You’ll have a guide who is watching conditions while you enjoy the scenery.
Most of the driving is comfortable and broken up naturally by viewpoints and short walks. The result is a day that feels calm and well paced, but still gives you that full sense of scale that makes Mount Rushmore and the Badlands worth the trip.
Private guiding for your group only with flexible pacing and a calm, unhurried flow
Pickup and drop off in Rapid City. Additional pickups available. Please inquire.
All park admissions included, including entry to Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Badlands National Park
A well paced itinerary with real time adjustments for crowds, weather, and road conditions
Flexible stops for viewpoints, photos, short walks, and backroad pullouts whenever something is worth your time
Bottled water, soda, and light snacks throughout the day
Professional quality photos included when possible, shared after the tour
• Meals not specified above
• Gratuities for your guide
• Personal expenses or souvenirs
A fresh picnic style meal is available for $20 per person and is highly recommended. Choosing the meal option lets us eat in a beautiful setting while saving time that would otherwise be spent waiting at a restaurant. This keeps the day flowing outdoors, where it belongs.
The tour is designed as an 8-hour day. If you’d like to extend your day and the guide is available the cost is $99 per additional hour billed in one hour increments.
This is a full, well paced day designed to cover Mount Rushmore and the highlights of the Badlands without rushing. Most tours run about 8 hours from pickup to drop off. Return time can shift a bit depending on crowds, weather, road conditions, and how much time your group chooses to spend at each stop. If the day is flowing smoothly, we keep it relaxed. If conditions change, we adjust the route so you still get the best experience within the time window.
A fresh picnic style meal is available for $20 per person and is highly recommended. Choosing the meal option keeps the day moving and helps us avoid waiting at restaurants during peak hours. It also makes it easier to eat in a beautiful setting instead of losing your best light and timing to a reservation. Dietary needs are welcome. Just let us know in advance so we can plan it correctly.
Most groups are happy with the full 8 hour experience, but some guests choose extra time for a slower pace, additional overlooks, longer time at Mount Rushmore, or a deeper Badlands loop when conditions are great. If we can accommodate an extension, additional time is $99 per hour. This covers guide time, fuel, insurance, and vehicle wear and tear. We communicate clearly during the day if we are approaching that threshold so there are no surprises.
Gratuities are always optional, but they are deeply appreciated and have a meaningful impact on our guides’ daily lives. Many guests ask what’s appropriate. In the Black Hills, gratuities for private guides typically range from $70–$150 per day, with $100–$200 per day being common when guests feel they’ve received excellent care and attention.
Our guides are paid a living wage, and gratuities are a vital part of how they support themselves beyond basic expenses. For multi-day tours, gratuities are customary per day, not as a single total. While we understand that times are tough and no gratuity is ever expected, its impact is real and sincerely felt.
Guides gladly accept cash, Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal. If those options aren’t convenient, the home office can process a gratuity of any amount and add it directly to the guide’s paycheck.
Weather can shift quickly between open country, higher elevations, and shaded canyon corridors. Dress in comfortable layers and plan for sun, wind, and cooler temperatures near the creek in Spearfish Canyon. The goal is simple: stay comfortable so the day feels calm and easy.
If you’re unsure about conditions on the day of your tour, we’re always happy to offer guidance ahead of time. The goal isn’t to be overprepared, but to feel comfortable and at ease as the day unfolds.
These are the most common questions we receive about the Mount Rushmore and the Big Badlands Tour. If something isn’t covered here, feel free to ask. We’re always happy to help you choose the right pace and route for your day.
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This tour is built around timing and flow, not a rigid checklist. Mount Rushmore is at its best when you can actually slow down and take it in, and the Badlands are at their best when light, weather, and space do what they do out here. That’s why we make real time adjustments throughout the day. If crowds build, we shift the order. If wind or storms roll in, we choose the stops that stay comfortable. If the landscape is doing something special, we give it time.
You’ll get the iconic moments, but you’ll also get the quieter ones that most visitors miss: a sudden break in the clouds that changes the color of the formations, a stretch of road where the horizon feels endless, wildlife moving across a ridge, and that feeling that you are finally away from the noise.
The goal is simple. A day that feels smooth, well paced, and genuinely memorable.
Mount Rushmore, Plan Your Visit (National Park Service)
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