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Top Things to Do in the Black Hills

Granite spires and pine-covered hills rise from the prairie on the state’s western edge, where you'll find top-notch attractions such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park.

Do

1880 Train Stained- glass windows, wood trim, leather- upholstered benches and the chug of the steam engine make riders feel as if they’re stepping back in time for the two-hour Keystone-Hill City round-trip.1880train.com

Badlands National Park Prairie and rolling hills give way to rugged, otherworldly outcroppings about an hour east of Rapid City. See the geologic maze along the 40-mile Badlands Loop Road. Also, join park rangers for daily (summer) prairie and geology walks, fossil talks and other programs originating at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. nps.gov/badl

Badlands National Park.

Badlands National Park

Bear Butte State Park Hike 1.85 miles to the butte’s summit for panoramic views of the Black Hills. The Lakota and Cheyenne hold the area sacred; respect any prayer offerings you see. gfp.sd.gov

Black Elk Peak At 7,242 feet above sea level, the peak (formerly Harney Peak) makes for a challenging but doable hike. Take the No. 9 trail (about 7 miles round-trip) from Sylvan Lake. harneypeakinfo.com

Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary Guided tours lead to up-close views of some of the 600 mustangs that range the 11,000-acre property 14 miles south of Hot Springs. Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary on Facebook

Buffalo Roundup As many as 20,000 people wait hours at Custer State Park to hear, see and feel 1,000-some bison thundering down a valley, dozens of cowboys in chase. The event is typically held in late September. gfp.sd.gov

Buffalo roundup

Buffalo Roundup

Crazy Horse Memorial Since 1948, the great Oglala Lakota leader has slowly emerged from the world’s largest mountain carving. Learn about Native American culture at the visitors center. crazyhorsememorial.org

Crow Peak Brewing Company Taste local brews in a lodge-style tap room with a large deck in Spearfish. crowpeakbrewing.com

Custer State Park Open ranges, granite spires and sky-blue lakes awe visitors to one of the nation’s largest state parks (71,000 acres). Hike around Sylvan Lake, drive the winding Needles Highway, paddle Legion Lake, and get up close to hundreds of bison on a Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour. Hay-wagon rides depart from Blue Bell Lodge for a 45-minute ride, sing-along and chuckwagon cookout. Lodging options include campsites, cabins and lodge rooms. gfp.sd.gov

Custer State Park

Custer State Park

Evans Plunge Float in spring-fed warm mineral water (87 degrees year-round) that has soothed visitors since 1890. Or splash into the Hot Springs attraction via slides. evansplunge.com

George S. Mickelson Trail The 109-mile crushed-stone bike path from Edgemont to Deadwood follows former railbeds and passes through rock tunnels and over converted railroad bridges. gfp.sd.gov

Jewel Cave National Monument Calcite crystals, dogtooth spar, and cave popcorn and bacon are a few of the formations guests see during ranger-guided tours of the third-longest cave in the world. nps.gov/jeca

The Mammoth Site Walkways give visitors a close look at a prehistoric sinkhole holding fossils of 61 young male mammoths and other Ice Age animals. mammothsite.com

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Peer into a missile silo, tour a command center (reservations required) or drop by the new visitors center to learn about the Cold War’s firepower in western South Dakota. nps.gov/mimi

Mount Rushmore National Memorial The 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, carved from 1927 to 1941, rank as one of America’s must-see destinations. The visitors center details how the monument was created. nps.gov/moru

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Spearfish Canyon Home to some of the best scenery in the region, this gorge holds granite and limestone cliffs, waterfalls and forests, easily accessible from the 22-mile Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. visitspearfish.com

Roughlock Falls at Spearfish Canyon

Roughlock Falls tumbles into Spearfish Canyon.

Sylvan Rocks Climbing School and Guide Service Friendly guides literally show beginners (and more experienced climbers) the ropes on guided climbs of the granite spires around Sylvan Lake and beyond. sylvanrocks.com

Wall Drug Almost 2 million visitors come annually to this sprawling kitsch palace off I-90. Swing up on the 10-foot-tall jackalope for a classic photo opwalldrug.com

Wind Cave National Park The rarely found cave formation boxwork—blades of calcite in a honeycomb pattern—stand out on guided tours. nps.gov/wica

Eat

Black Hills Burger and Bun Co. Meat ground on-site, buns baked daily and creative toppings make seriously great burgers at this family-owned joint in Custer. blackhillsburgerandbun.com

Black Hills Burger and Bun Co.

Black Hills Burger and Bun Co.

Buglin' Bull Restaurant and Sports Bar Lunch staples with a South Dakota twist include buffalo wraps and elk burgers in Custer; the menu dresses up for dinner. buglinbull.com

Laughing Water Restaurant Try the Native American tacos (made with Indian fry bread) or bison stew at Crazy Horse Memorial’s on-site restaurant. Large windows give diners great views of the mountain carving. crazyhorsememorial.org

Leones’ Creamery Handcrafted ice cream in Spearfish features flavors of the Black Hills, such as Cycle Farm rhubarb or Sunrise Hives honey. leonescreamery.com

Prairie Berry Winery Sample fruit-infused wines with names like Calamity Jane, Lawrence Elk and Razzy Apple. Locally grown vegetables and herbs flavor pizzas and sandwiches. prairieberry.com

Sage Creek Grille This downtown Custer restaurant built its following with expertly prepared seasonal fare, such as wild sockeye salmon with roasted vegetables and beef pot roast sandwiches with melted dill Havarti. sagecreekgrille.com

Stay

Buffalo Rock Lodge The three-guest-room B&B outside Keystone opens to a distant but direct view of Mount Rushmore. Days finish with dessert on the balcony. buffalorock.net

Cedar Pass Lodge and Badlands Inn Cabins and rooms offer spectacular views of Badlands National Park. The complex includes a campground, restaurant and gift shop. cedarpasslodge.com

Circle View Guest Ranch Feed calves, ride horses and enjoy hearty breakfasts at the family-owned 3,000-acre ranch in the Badlands area. circleviewranch.com

Custer State Park Cabins, lodge rooms and campsites take advantage of the inspiring landscape. custerresorts.com

Ghost Canyon Dude Ranch  Horseback ride, bike, hike, fish and kayak at the Black Hills’ first all-inclusive dude ranch, 27 miles southwest of Rapid City. ghostcanyonranch.com

Spearfish Canyon Lodge Overlooking Spearfish Creek, the lovely inn is a perfect base for touring the canyon, fly-fishing and snowmobiling. spfcanyon.com

Terry Peak Chalets Vacation homes in Lead sleep up to 14 people each and come with hot tubs, full kitchens and fireplaces.  terrypeakchalets.com

Under Canvas Mount Rushmore Go glamping with a view at this new lodging option 2 miles from Keystone. Many of the safari-inspired canvas tents have private baths and decks; larger spaces accommodate families. undercanvas.com/camps/mount-rushmore

More information: Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes Association, blackhillsbadlands.comHot Springs Chamber of Commerce, hotsprings-sd.com

Spotlight: Deadwood

The Wild West still intrigues in this northern Black Hills destination. At the Adams Museum (deadwoodhistory.com), look for N.C. Wyeth’s sketch of notorious gambler Wild Bill Hickok and Potato Creek Johnny’s 7¾-ounce gold nugget. Weathered tombstones at Mt. Moriah Cemetery (cityofdeadwood.com) mark the resting place of 19th-century gunmen, gamblers, lawmen and madams. Experience a different era of history at Pump House (Pump House on Facebook) in a former Texaco station, where you can snag a sandwich and coffee, see Texaco memorabilia and watch a glassblower demonstrate her art at Mind Blown Studio (mindblownstudio.com). Step back into the area’s past at Tatanka: Story of the Bison (storyofthebison.com), where a bronze sculpture commissioned by Kevin Costner depicts bison and Native American hunters; an interpretive center gives insights into the role of bison in Lakota life. Native American and Western history also star at the Days of ‘76 Museum (daysof76.com). See a re-creation of the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok three times a day outside Saloon #10 (saloon10.com); head inside and upstairs to the Deadwood Social Club for creative dishes such as smoked pheasant over fettuccine. Many of the town’s lodging facilities contain or adjoin casinos; our picks include The Lodge at Deadwood Gaming Resort (deadwoodlodge.com) and Celebrity Hotel (celebritycasinos.com).  More information: deadwood.com

Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood

Wild Bill Hickok re-creator in Deadwood

Rapid City

Click or tap here for our Rapid City trip guide.

 
 

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