South Dakota’s Best I-90 Pit Stops on the Way to Sturgis

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Driving from Sioux Falls to the Black Hills is a hefty trip. It's pretty difficult to make it across the state without taking a pit stop. If your bladder can take it, it takes about five hours to make the trip. If you're the average person you will need to stop somewhere. So what are the best places to make that quick stop to refuel and relieve yourself?

I went to Black Hills State University in Spearfish and my family and I take at least one trip there every year. I have traversed the state probably a hundred times or more. If you are going to make a stop along the way, these are the places to make it.

South Dakota Pit Stop 1 - Mitchell, Exit 332

Mitchell is pretty early in the trip from Sioux Falls to Rapid City on I-90. However, I often make this my first stop when I'm going on a hunting trip for a couple of reasons. I can pick up odds and ends I may need at Cabela's, gas is usually cheaper there than the rest of the trip so I will top my truck off after burning through four or five gallons, plus I can pick up some fire sauce at the Taco Bell for my freeze-dried food. It's also a great spot for your kids who resist the final bathroom break before getting in the car. You can build it into the trip and have a bunch of other options for meals if you want to that are all right near the exit.

South Dakota Pit Stop 2 - Pierre Exit 212

Whether you stop in Mitchell or not, you should make a stop at exit 212. There is nothing there except for the Coffee Cup truck stop. It was recently remodeled and has added a lot of extra amenities. First off, the restrooms are usually as close to immaculate as truck stop restrooms can be. There is a Caribou Coffee, Pizza Hut Express, plus some other decent food options. As gas prices have skyrocketed over the last year or so, you can usually count on gas being cheaper there than at the fueling stations before or after it. Chamberlain has Al's Oasis and a few more food options, the gas stations are more expensive and none of them have as big and expansive of candy and snack options.

South Dakota Pit Stop 2 - Wall Exit 110

Wall is a popular stop on the way to the Black Hills, but this is a list of quick pit stops, not tourist attractions. Wall exit 110 is the other go-to pit stop. My kids or I usually need another potty break after the stop at 212, and Wall is in a good spot for that. The Wall Auto Livery is a great small-town gas station to stop at. Plus there is a Subway and a DQ down the street. After this stop you're just 50 miles from Rapid City.