Great Plains Region
The Great Plains roll across the middle of the continent - the granite faces of Mount Rushmore, the eerie Badlands, the sacred Black Hills, and wide-open prairie and bison country.
Great Plains at a Glance#
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The Great Plains are America’s wide-open middle - big skies, prairie, and some of the country’s most iconic monuments.
Why go / don’t miss: the presidential faces of Mount Rushmore, the moonscapes of Badlands National Park, the sacred Black Hills, the bison herds of the tallgrass prairie, and classic stretches of Route 66 across Oklahoma.
Areas: the Black Hills of South Dakota (Rushmore, Badlands, Custer); the prairies of Nebraska and Kansas; and Oklahoma (Route 66, Oklahoma City, Tulsa).
Getting around: a road trip is the way to see it - distances are vast and open.
When to go: May-Sep for warm, clear weather; winters are bitterly cold and windy.
Where to stay: Rapid City for the Black Hills, or Oklahoma City/Tulsa in the south.
Dining: steaks, bison burgers, and Kansas City-style BBQ nearby.
Local tips: the Black Hills cluster (Rushmore + Badlands + Custer) is the highlight - build the trip around it.
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