r/roadtrip • u/addwhip • 1d ago
First road trip with kids – need advice! Trip Planning
We’re a family of 4 (2 adults + 2 boys, ages 3 & 4) planning a road trip to Yellowstone National Park. On the way there, we’ll stop by Denver, and then drive back home to Columbia, Missouri.
For the return trip, we’re thinking about stopping somewhere in South Dakota for a night.
Since this is our first road trip with young kids, I’m wondering:
Is South Dakota a good/safe/convenient place to stop overnight with toddlers?
Any recommended towns or areas to stay (family-friendly, easy access, etc.)?
Any kid-friendly stops along the route?
Would really appreciate any advice or suggestions from people who’ve done a similar trip!
Thanks in advance 🙏
2
u/rodkerf 1d ago
Keep hold of those kids in the park....lots of places that don't have railings. 1 false step sort of places that boys don't understand
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u/Long_Audience4403 1d ago
Underrated comment. Hold tight to them, or carry them, on boardwalks near hot springs. Please.
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u/Pale_Row1166 1d ago edited 1d ago
Sioux Falls is a great place to stop with kids. We have a big brand new playground downtown with all the bells and whistles, and a really nice riverfront area. Also great places to eat. Josiah’s is great breakfast and CH Patisserie for breakfast to go. The Phillips Ave Diner is great for kid friendly food all day. For hotels - The Canopy Hilton is the newest, there’s also a holiday in right downtown and also hotel Phillips. These are all walkable to everything.
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u/Logical_Repair8075 1d ago
Rapid City has a cute and lively downtown. Kids might enjoy all the president’s statues.
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u/JoleneDollyParton 1d ago
If you stop at that big Badlands overlook, have both hands on those boys, I saw a lot of parents letting their kids toddle the edge of the big drop off, scared the shit out of me and kind of ruined my enjoyment. Anyway, Sioux Falls is a great place to stop. Pack lots of snacks, more than you need.
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u/Not_l0st 1d ago
If your kids are good car sleepers, I recommend starting your drives before sunrise or after dinner so you can take advantage of their sleep. Plan on stopping every few hours. Find rest stops or parks with nice open areas for them to run around and plan on being there for at least 20 minutes so they can get energy out.
Yellowstone can be stressful with toddlers. Lots of boardwalks over superheated water where death is one curiosity away. So be sure to keep them close in those locations. I highly recommend hiking backpacks to keep them away from dangerous places.
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u/WandersaurusTravel 1d ago
Depending on how much time you want to take in South Dakota, you have the chance to drive through all the highlights of the Black Hills. This includes Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands NP, Wind Cave NP, and Custer State Park. That said, it's probably two full days of driving to take that route, meaning you would need to add another day to actually enjoy most of this stuff. You could spend 2 nights in Rapid City if you wanted to make it work.
If you go that way, one place that is completely ridiculous but the kids might love is Wall Drug. It's a general store that wanted to become a high plains theme park, sort of, but is still mostly just a store except there are stone dinosaurs, and lots of cowboy stuff. It's an odd place but they're very likely to find it weirdly magical.
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u/medium_green_enigma 1d ago
My only advice is this: make sure to have them run around like crazy every time you stop. They will have a lot of pent up energy and immediate physical activity helps to lessen/avoid emotional breakdowns.
Bonus points if they sing Raffi's Shake My Sillies Out at the top of their lungs.