Wall Drug Store

The billboard campaign does the heavy lifting before you ever arrive — billboards line roughly 650 miles of I-90 from Minnesota to Montana, teasing five-cent coffee and free ice water the whole way. Once you pull off at Wall, the place turns out to be a sprawling complex of cowboy-themed shops that runs most of a city block, all operated under one roof rather than as independent tenants. The Western Art Gallery Restaurant seats more than 500 and serves the things riders actually want: buffalo burgers, hot beef sandwiches, homemade donuts, and that famous five-cent coffee. The free ice water is still on the house, same as it has been since the Husteads put up their first roadside sign in the 1930s.

For a rider doing the Badlands Loop on SD-240, the stop pulls practical weight. Wall sits at the northern edge of Badlands National Park, making it the natural last chance for a full meal, a tank of gas, and over-the-counter supplies before dropping into the park. The complex also includes an actual drug counter stocked with basics — batteries, phone chargers, and the kind of things you realize you need after a morning in the saddle. The western art gallery holds more than 300 original oil paintings, and the backyard area adds a seasonal outdoor courtyard if you need a few more minutes to stretch before heading south on the Loop Road.