Photo: Larsz / Feature photo: Mike Willis
National parks, chuck wagon suppers, and cave tours. If variety is your thing, you’ll love the Black Hills of South Dakota.
1. Spearfish Canyon National Scenic Byway
This is a fantastic drive in any season, where you’ll find granite walls specked with Black Hills spruce and aspen, tumbling waterfalls, and rolling creeks cascading over rocky beds.
The hike to Roughlock Falls is the perfect way to connect with nature. In the fall months the reds, oranges, and yellows of the trees, combined with the deep canyon walls and surging falls, provide plenty of visual and aural stimulation.
Photo: allygirl520
2. Deadwood
This restored gold-mining town is a national historic landmark, with architecture dating from the late nineteenth century. Gambling is legal here, so if you enjoy the slots, or just like bantering with witty bartenders, head to one of the numerous casinos.
If history is what you’re after, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried at the Mount Moriah Cemetery. The Adam’s House Museum provides an educational perspective on Deadwood and the Black Hills.
There are also some great events in town. My favorite, the Deadwood Jam in mid-September, is an eclectic music festival showcasing blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and reggae. You can line up lawn chairs at the outdoor venue, crack open some drinks, and enjoy the local company.
3. Mount Rushmore
Visiting Mount Rushmore renews my patriotic spirit no matter how many times I’ve seen it. National pride swells as your eyes wander over the 60ft carvings by Gutzon Borglum and his 400 helpers. The nightly lighting ceremony, accompanied by patriotic music, is a reminder to be thankful for the privileges we enjoy as Americans.
4. Keystone
Two miles from Mount Rushmore, Keystone is an entertaining stop. Dip into the shops and restaurants, fly down the alpine slide, or watch a wood carver transform a tree stump into a proud bald eagle or bulky bison. You can also ride a tram, pan for gold, relax on the verandas, and visit the Presidential Wax Museum.
Big Time Pizza in the Roosevelt Inn has the best pies in the region. Ask for my favorite, the Super Supreme.
5. Hill City
This hospitable town has a quaint Main Street lined with art galleries and shops full of gifts and antiques. Hill City is also home to the 1880 steam train, which winds it’s way from here to Keystone.
Near Rapid City — the gateway to the Black Hills — visit the Circle B Ranch for an authentic western experience. Eat a proper cowboy meal, bob your head to twangy country music, watch a gun fight, and go horseback riding. The Flying T Chuckwagon Supper & Show or the Fort Hays Chuckwagon Supper & Show can also satisfy the little cowboy in you.
6. Crazy Horse Memorial
My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, also.
- Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear to Korczak Ziolkowski
Photo: Jennifer L. Sovanski
These words set in motion the building of the Crazy Horse Memorial, 17 miles from Mount Rushmore. The head alone is planned to exceed the size of the presidents’ heads by over 20 feet.
Although Mr. Ziolkowski was twice offered $10 million from the U.S. government to fund the project, he declined it on the principle that his broader educational vision would be compromised by federal involvement.
Mr. Ziolkowski died in 1982 but his wife, Ruth, and most of their 10 children have continued the work.
7. Harney Peak
Hiking to the top of Harney Peak — the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains at 7,244 feet — is well worth the sweat. On my first attempt I was unable to make it to the top, despite encouragement from hikers coming down.
On the way down, I encouraged others to keep going.
However, I vowed to make it the next time — and I did. On a clear day, you have panoramic views of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Montana from the fire lookout tower.
On the way down, this time it was I who encouraged others to keep going.
8. Needles Highway
Located in Custer State Park, the Needles Highway is a road worth traveling for views of the 20-40ft granite spires reaching to the sky, backdropped by thick forest. Drive carefully — the single-lane tunnel is a little harrowing.
9. Caves
There are eight caves to tour in the Black Hills, two being part of national parks and six owned privately. Inside one of the largest cave systems in the world, you can expect to see unique calcite crystals, arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern, embedded in the limestone walls.
As the temperatures in the caves stay consistently in the 50s F, they’re great for cooling off when it’s too hot up top.
Photo: IndigoValley
10. Custer State Park
At 71,000 acres, Custer State Park is a great place for wildlife viewing. You can spot hordes of buffalo grazing on the green grass from Wildlife Loop Road.
Every time I see them, I’m amazed by their size and presence and am reminded of their connection to the Lakota Nation, who relied on buffalo for survival.
I giggle at the wild burros in the park, who stick their snouts into car windows looking for food. Mountain goats, antelope, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, and wild turkeys are other animals you might be able to glimpse during a visit.
Looking for some relaxation? The lakes here are the perfect prescription for stress. Swim or fish, or simply wade around for some therapeutic calming.
More information
Make sure you visit the South Dakota Tourism website for more on the area’s history, events, and things to do.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
If you’re looking for more great itineraries and ideas in the States, check out Gateway to Pristine America: 12 Towns on the Edge of Spectacular Wilderness and Bike Touring Montana: Classic Big Sky Rides.
Why not save some money while you’re at it? Have a read of 8 Ways to Save Money on a U.S. Cross-Country Road Trip.
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25 Comments... join the discussion!
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Besides the beauty of the Black Hills, you’ll love the hospitality. South Dakota is a friendly state to visit. Come on over! Have a GREAT time!
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Thank you so much for this article! I’ve been wanting to see the beauty of this article for a long time.
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Your welcome! I am lucky enough to live here and I love to share the news with as many as I can. There are numerous things to see and do – too many for one article – come explore for yourself!
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Oops…I mean beauty of this area..
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And a beautiful article!
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Thanks, Carlo, for the opportunity and the assistance!
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That Crazy Horse memorial is fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
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Yes, it is! I wish I could see it completed in my lifetime…but not likely. Have you seen the Laser Light Show that is projected off Crazy Horse at night? It is very entertaining, informative and worth going back at night to watch. It actually brought tears to my eyes.
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I love the Black Hills and the Dakotas in general. There’s something powerfully beautiful and quiet about the whole area. Thanks for this article, Rita!
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You’re welcome! You’re so right on – it’s is relaxing and you can find solitude in many areas. Thanks for reading! Rita
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Wow, looks fantastic. Added to the wishlist! Thanks Rita.
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It is, Paul, you can find gems all across the state. Most of the state is prairie, which has it’s own beauty, and we have the Missouri River that runs through the center of the state, north and south, the Badlands National Park, – one hour east of the Black Hills…I could go on and on. For more scenic drives, get off the Interstate highways, however, towns are sometimes spread far apart, so planning for gas stops is key. If time is short, the Interstates are the quickest for getting to your destinations. I hope you can visit someday.
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Hi Rita,
very interesting and well put together piece. Just one point to note: technically speaking ‘them bufallos is bison’ as mentioned in #10 custer state park.↵ -
Ravi,
Thanks for your comments about the article – I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m no scientist, but in North America, the North American Bison is often referrred to as buffalo and Custer State Park often calls their bison “buffalo”, as in their famous October event, the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. It is quite an exhibition, where hundreds of buffalo get rounded-up and stampeded down a hill into the buffalo pens where they are vacinated and sorted to be auctioned off later in the fall. Along with the round-up, there is an art show and festival. Thousands of people come to watch and the event gets more popular each year. You should come experience it!↵ -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bison
Interesting.
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Thanks, Carlo, for posting the interesting piece on bison from Wikpedia. I appreciate that.
I also had the priviledge to work for a year and a half for a national non-profit organization called InterTribal Bison Cooperative, who’s mission is “restoring buffalo to Indian Country, to preserve our historical, cultural, traditional and spiritual relationship for future generations.” For those interested, they are a great resource:
Thanks, Rita
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I have lived in the Black Hills region for most of my life and it is the best place to visit and live. I feel the author described the area very good. It would make me want to visit with all the detail of each place.
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Thanks for your comments, Cheryl! I appreciate them. We are lucky to be here, aren’t we?
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Hello, Have read and enjoyed your article! I recenly tour the Black hills as I grew up vactioning there several time as a child and wanted to do it all again. Now, my children have come of age to do all the fun things I had the chance to do. My kids loved every bit of it. We went to Bear Country and they got to see the wild animals of the mountains. They really thought it was cool to see the bears bathing in the pools! The next stop was lunch. We chose FT. Hayes as it was the set of Dances with wolves! It made the kids like modern times better as in the past people had to work physically hard in those days! They also, felt like they were in the old west! The meals were a great price and filled you up too!
After that we went to a childhood favorite Story Book Island. It was free but the smaller kids loved every second. They loved seeing their fairtail dreams come to life! We also, toured Crazy Horse and the musium was awesome and the work shop was something I couldn’t get anywhere else in the hills! Culture and authentic ART! We lastly finished with Sylvan Lake! A great place to take the kids swimming! As a SD native I hope all who are interested in South Dakota do come and visit weather they are single, couples, or families!↵ -
Amber,
Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with visiting the Black Hills and making the point that it is great for everyone – couples, singles, families. I enjoyed reading about your weekend and I’m glad you all had a great time!↵ -
You are so right about the Black Hills. A great place to visit, even better to live there. You have a real command of writing. Seem to be pasionate about it. Keep up the good work.
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Al,
Thanks for reading my article! I appreciate your comments and support!↵ -
I enjoyed your article, I too enjoy Mt. Rushmore every time I go. We stop yearly on our trip back to S.D. to visit family, and we never tire of it. Why don’t you write an article on the Badlands area? You spent much of your youth there and could really give some good press of the area for visitors. Keep writing, your aunt, Lessie
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Thanks, Aunt Lessie, for reading my article. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, the Badlands deserve their own article and that is one on my list. There’s more to SD than just the Black Hills. Please get my email from Marilyn and let me know next time you’re in the area…I’d love to have you over.
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