What time of year will you be going??? That seems like a very long trip for the kids, but near Rushmore are some things to visit like, Wind Cave NP, Crazy Horse memorial, and just abit east is Badlands NP. Rushmore itself is no more than a one day visit.

What city in Texas will you be leaving from? Texarkana is a long way from El Paso.
If you go that far, at least see Devils Tower and the Badlands if not Yellowstone.
Rushmore Waterslide Park is in the south end of Rapid City.

We are going in August. We've driven further before with the kids. They're not a concern. I just don't know where to stop along the way. Thanks for the tips!

We are traveling from Frisco, which is North of Dallas.

With that much time, I would suggest you either go up or back a different way. You can easily skirt over to Wyoming and head down through Colorado.

Rocky Mountain National Park is good for a day and the Colorado Springs area has lots to do for families.

You could head even further west and include Yellowstone. We've combined Mt Rushmore and Yellowtsone in that time period more than once (we live in NE Texas).

Between Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone is Little Bighorn Battlefield, the Beartooth Highway and Cody. Boys would love Cody, Wyoming

I grew up often vacationing in the Black Hills and have returned there to vacation as an adult with my own kids. There's so much to see and do in the area that I would recommend you find a vacation house through VRBO and plan to spend at least a week there.

You will be drving past two spectacular zoos. Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita is one of the best in the Country. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is one of the best in the world.

I would detour 40 miles to Hutchinson to visit the Kansas Cosmosphere. It has the 2nd largest collection of US space memorabilia anywhere and the largest collection of Russian space memorabilia outside the former Soviet Union. It has two of the most famous spacecraft of all time: Apollo 13 and Liberty 7.

Keith

We took 4 kids to South Dakota and had a blast. South Dakota is very "campy" and if you have a sense of humor you will find tons of stuff to do. It seems like there is no end to panning for gold, caverns, mazes, odd attractions, reptile gardens and water parks in the Rapid City area. We rented a house through VRBO and it was great. The horseback riding was the best we ever had. Wall Drug is so corny you just have to go!

The scenic beauty is wonderful but the corny activities will entertain the boys. Mount Rushmore will only entertain most kids for 10 minutes so the hiking, fishing, and attractions will be a great part of the trip.

Keith is correct about Henry Doorly Zoo, it is incredible.

This is a very boring drive so bring along the electronics for the boys. There will be nothing but corn to look at most of the trip. The midwest is beastly hot and humid in August but you are from Texas so it will feel like home

I hope you have a great trip!!!

If you come through Wichita you could catch a baseball game at Lawrence Dumont.

We are taking two of our grandkids (both 10, cousins) to SD in June and were wondering the same. I have a good idea of what we want to do once we get to Custer (we've rented a cabin) but don't know what to do/see from north TX on the way up and back.

Thanks for the ideas . . . any others?

Sandy (in Denton)

You might want to start your own thread. Include what kids of things you find interesting

On your route through Nebraska, I recommend Fort Robinson State Park and the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron and Carhenge near Alliance. I haven't been there, but you might want to look at the Crane Trust Nature Center in Grand Island (it's the wrong time of year for the Sandhills Crane migration but should still be interesting to the boys).

I don't want to sound too obvious, but are you planning around the Sturgis Rally? (August 5-11) I don't know how crowded this will make attractions in the area, but they do raise hotel/rental rates considerably during rally week. Of course, the boys would probably love the noise!

The OP asked this question in 2011.

Sandy in Denton (Denton where) brought it to the top. I recommended she start her own thread