Bearded Buffalo Resort

Want to spot some wildlife without putting too much strain on the joints? The 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road (25 minutes’ drive) is your best friend. Driving this route gives you the chance to see antelope, buffalo and elk; animals are usually particularly active around dawn and dusk. Gorgeous Wind Cave National Park (20 minutes) is another great place for outdoorsy days out. Look out for bison and elk on trails such as the Rankin Ridge or take a guided tour with a park ranger into the Wind Cave chambers. With forests and grasslands, the landscapes are simply spectacular. A few more things to tick off your bucket list are the Crazy Horse Memorial (10 minutes), a new monument that shows a war leader Crazy Horse pointing towards his tribal lands, and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial (35 minutes), an older mountain sculpture (of former presidents) finished in 1941. The Needles Highway (under half an hour’s drive), well known for its spectacular pine and spruce forests and views of granite mountains, crosses through the Custer State Park too.