Here's your quick-switch plan for today, May 24, 2025, from 11 a.m. onward, adapted for cloudy and showery conditions. I've incorporated the provided "Plan B" swaps and weather-aware tips, and added Google Maps links for convenience.
Quick-Switch Plan: Badlands & Black Hills (Clouds & Showers Edition)
Weather Notes for Today: Showers will stay light but persistent all day in the Badlands/Black Hills, with temperatures in the mid-50s °F. Layer a fleece and keep a rain shell handy. Granite and pine needles on scenic byways will be extra slick, so keep speeds low, especially in tunnels. Fog may pool in low Badlands basins and Black Hills switchbacks – use headlights. Watch for wildlife on the pavement. Evening in the Bighorn Mountains can drop to the low 40s °F; have gloves for fueling. Daylight lasts until about 8:20 p.m. MDT, but overcast skies will make it feel darker earlier.
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.: Finish Badlands Loop Road → Pinnacles Exit
* Mileage / Drive-time: 27 mi / ~45 min (plus stops)
* Focus: Low sun drama is gone, but the banded colors pop when the rock is damp. Pull over at Yellow Mounds & Pinnacles for photos; fog can sit in the draws, so keep headlights on.
* Google Maps: Badlands Loop Road
11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.: Wall Drug Coffee/Snack + Fuel
* Mileage / Drive-time: 7 mi / 10 min
* Focus: Duck inside, warm up, top off the tank—prices jump west of here.
* Google Maps: Badlands Loop Road to Wall Drug
12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.: I-90 West to Minuteman Missile NHS (Exit 131)
* Mileage / Drive-time: 20 mi / 15 min
* Focus: Visitor-center exhibits are indoors; rain doesn’t matter. Skip the silo stop if you’re racing daylight.
* Google Maps: Wall Drug to Minuteman Missile NHS
12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.: Hammer I-90 to Rapid City for Lunch (Grab-and-Go)
* Mileage / Drive-time: 75 mi / 1 h
* Focus: Check webcams for Mount Rushmore—if faces are socked-in, hit Crazy Horse first and circle back later.
* Google Maps: Minuteman Missile NHS to Rapid City
1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Mount Rushmore
* Mileage / Drive-time: 24 mi / 40 min
* Focus: Low cloud can hide the carving. If totally hidden, do the visitor center & movie (indoors, 20 min) and move on (Plan B).
* Google Maps: Rapid City to Mount Rushmore
2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.: Iron Mountain Road to Custer State Park
* Mileage / Drive-time: 17 mi / 45 min
* Focus: Twisty, narrow, and extra-slick when wet—drop to 20 mph. Tunnel “framed” Rushmore view may be fogged.
* Google Maps: Mount Rushmore to Custer State Park (via Iron Mountain Road)
3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.: Wildlife Loop, Custer SP
* Mileage / Drive-time: 18 mi / 1 h+
* Focus: Overcast = bison like the open meadows all day. Keep windows up around the “begging burros.” If running late, bypass Wildlife Loop and take SD-87 south straight to Custer (Plan B).
* Google Maps: Wildlife Loop Road (from Custer State Park Entrance)
4:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Needles Highway (SD-87) to Sylvan Lake
* Mileage / Drive-time: 14 mi / 45 min
* Focus: Road is open for the 2025 season (typically early Apr–mid-Oct) but has tight one-lane tunnels—watch clearance and rock-slick pavement. If fogged in, skip it and route Sylvan Lake → US-16/385 south to Custer; you’ll save ~40 min of slow, slick driving (Plan B).
* Google Maps: Wildlife Loop Road to Sylvan Lake (via Needles Highway)
5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.: Crazy Horse Memorial
* Mileage / Drive-time: 6 mi / 15 min
* Focus: Indoor film & viewing deck; low clouds don’t hurt.
* Google Maps: Sylvan Lake to Crazy Horse Memorial
6:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Grab Dinner in Custer or Hill City
* Mileage / Drive-time: 14 mi / 20 min
* Focus: Last solid food stop before the long haul west.
* Google Maps: Crazy Horse Memorial to Custer or Crazy Horse Memorial to Hill City
7:00 p.m.--► Overnight Push: US-16/US-385 → I-90 W
* Mileage / Drive-time: 430 mi / 7 h to Yellowstone East Entrance
* Focus: If rain intensifies in the Bighorns, be ready for fog above 8,000 ft; plan a sleep break in Gillette (2 h) or Buffalo (3 h). Hit the curves before dusk, then set the cruise control toward those Yellowstone geysers.
* Google Maps: Custer to Yellowstone East Entrance
Safe travels, Charan, and enjoy the whirlwind!
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