I had an amazing opportunity to join my cousins on their family vacation recently! We did a road trip from St. Louis, Missouri to Billings, Montana. I wanted to share our itinerary with you below and some pictures as well!

Day 1: St. Louis, Missouri to Sioux Falls, South Dakota

We left St. Louis, Missouri about 8 am on the morning of Day 1. We were in for a long drive on this day, but 10 hours in the car would be worth it for the rest of the trip. Rather than take Interstate 70 across Missouri to Kansas City, we headed north on Highway 61 to Hannibal, Missouri and then west on Highway 36 to St. Joseph, Missouri. This was actually a really nice drive and avoided a lot of the traffic and construction on the interstate.

From here, we hugged the western border of Iowa by heading up Interstate 29. On road trips, I am always looking out the window, but honestly, there isn’t a ton to see along this route so grab a good book if you aren’t driving 🙂 We also played the “License Plate Game” to pass the time! It was a long day in the car, but the time passed quickly as we chatted about our adventures to come!

Day 2: Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Rapid City, South Dakota

We woke up the next morning and headed to the falls in downtown Sioux Falls. They were really neat to see! The Big Sioux River tumbles over red quartzite rock. There is a nice park with different viewing platforms and sidewalks to take in the falls. If you have time, I highly recommend making a quick stop!

From here, we hopped on I-90 and headed west. One beautiful view was the view approaching the Missouri River. This picture does not do it justice, but the sun was peeking out of the clouds and I loved the rolling hills on the far bank of the river.

I loved looking out the window as we drove across South Dakota. The views were expansive and the hill rolled as far as you could see.

Our destination was Badlands National Park which was about a 4 hour drive. Plan accordingly, because there are very few exits with food and gas. Before entering the park, you will want to ensure you have enough gas to drive the 39 mile loop from Cactus Flat to Wall. Kadoka was the last exit before the Badlands and it was busy!

We entered through the Northeast Entrance Station. If you plan on visiting multiple national parks, be sure to purchase the “America the Beautiful National Park Pass” to save money and also save time going through the entrance gates.

Our first stop right past the gate was the Big Badlands Overlook and it did not disappoint! From the interstate you get a peek into what the Badlands might be like, but at this overlook, you get an up close view of them. We sat here and had a picnic lunch and took in the view.

There is also an accessible boardwalk to a viewing platform. We love when places are accessible! ❤️

Our next stop was at the parking lot where three hiking trails start. We hiked the Door Trail and the Window Trail, both of which are really short. If I ever get to go back, I would love to hike the 1.5 mile Notch Trail which has the ladder on it!

We drove over Cedar Pass and could see far into the valley below. But before driving all the way down, we pulled over and hiked the Cliff Shelf Trail which is about .5 miles long. This trail does have stairs on it, but it was by far my favorite trail. I loved the contrast of the rocks and juniper trees.

We then stopped at the Visitor’s Center to grab a few keepsakes and then headed out to finish the loop. There are several overlooks to stop at, but I recommend the Yellow Mounds Overlook because of the stunning colors and the Pinnacles Overlook as it is your last view of the badlands.

I loved the clouds in the picture above. It felt like a sign. 😊

From here, we exited the park through the Pinnacles Gate and took a quick picture at the national park sign! Overall, the Badlands took my breath away. I hear a lot of people say “it’s just rocks, it’s not worth the stop”, but I was in awe of the natural beauty and rugged landscape. You have to see this place at least once!

The loop ends in the small town of Wall, South Dakota which is famous for the Wall Drug Store. We had heard mixed reviews on the place, but since we needed a bathroom break, we decided to stop. Overall, it was neat to see it once 🙂 If you need a souvenir, this is a good place to stop.

We headed to our next hotel for the night in Rapid City which was about an hour drive. We had dinner at Sickie’s Garage which I recommend. Good food and a neat atmosphere.

All in all, this was a great start to our trip! Spending time with my family exploring and seeing new things makes my soul happy.

Stay tuned for more posts and leave a comment below! Have you ever visited the Badlands or Wall Drug? 👍 or 👎?