I recently took a road trip to the Black Hills and fell in love with the entire region. The people are friendly and you can still feel the pioneer spirit that originally brought people to the area in search of their fortune. The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range stretching from western South Dakota into eastern Wyoming. It’s a really pretty area with lush forests, rolling hills, and amazing rock formations. The beautiful scenery and plethora of tourist attractions make it a great vacation destination for families, outdoor lovers and history buffs alike. But before I get into the best tourist attractions in the Black Hills, let’s take a quick step back in time.

Black Hills History

The region has a long history for the Native American people and the territory was central to the culture of the Lakota tribe. In 1868, the U.S. government signed a treaty exempting the Black Hills from all white settlement in perpetuity. But in 1874, gold was discovered and miners stormed into the area. The US government took back the Black Hills and in 1889 reassigned the Lakota, against their wishes, to five smaller reservations in western South Dakota.

In 1980, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Black Hills were illegally taken by the federal government and ordered remuneration of nearly $106 million. The Lakota refused to take the settlement as they only wanted the land to be given back.

From an economic perspective, the region has changed quite a bit over the years. The economy has shifted from mining and timber to tourism and hospitality. Today, the Black Hills has many wonderful tourist attractions for people of all ages. Since I was traveling solo, I skipped many family activities. However, I would’ve loved to do many of them and I wouldn’t hesitate to bring my entire family back to the Black Hills in the near future.

Family Activities

This post will go into more detail on some of the best activities and attractions in which to partake. But before we get to that list, here are some of the the terrific family activities to consider. You can explore underground tunnels at places like Jewel Cave National Monument or Wind Cave National Park. Visitors can also get tours at one of several abandoned mines and even pan for gold. In addition to those popular activities, here are some other options families should consider:

• Bear Country USA – Take a leisurely two-mile drive through this wildlife park where you’ll see black bears and other animals like buffalo, wolves, and elk, all from the comfort of your vehicle
• Reptile Gardens – See the world’s largest reptile zoo featuring all kinds of reptiles, amphibians, birds and bugs
• Custer State Park – Drive through one of the largest state parks in the U.S., famous for its bison herd, a variety of wildlife, scenic drives and historic sites
• Rush Mountain Adventure Park & Rushmore Cave – Four fun attractions all set in one location; ride down the mountain on a coaster, zip line through the trees, shoot bandits on a 7-D interactive ride and explore stalactite-filled caverns
• 1880 Train – Take a step back in time with a two hour, round trip train ride between Hill City and Keystone, while riding aboard an authentic steam engine
• Dinosaur Park – Enjoy spectacular panoramic views at this free park where real dinosaur footprints have been found; seven life-size concrete dinosaur replicas inhabit the park providing a glimpse into the past

Badlands National Park

Driving through Badlands National Park feels like being on another planet. The park is vast, protecting 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes and pinnacles. The terrain is rugged, the geologic formations are colorful and the environment is really awe-inspiring. It’s absolute desolation, where you can look for miles and see no sign of civilization.

The park is not actually in the Black Hills, but it’s close enough to make it a must see when you’re in the area. It’s about an hour’s drive east of Rapid City, with one park entrance just a few miles off Interstate 90 near Wall, South Dakota.

The easiest way to see the park is driving along the Badlands Loops State Scenic Highway. Also known as Highway 240, this 30-mile loop provides nearly 30 scenic overlooks which give visitors amazing photo opportunities.

If you want to get further inside the Badlands, there are several other ways to enjoy the park. There are a variety of hiking and biking trails and you can also hunt for fossils. While exploring, visitors have the opportunity to see wildlife, including buffalo, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, prairie dogs and numerous birds.

Mount Rushmore

Every American knows the famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It centers on a sculpture of four American presidents carved out of the granite face of Mount Rushmore. The sculpture features the 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The four presidents were chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation, respectively.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created the sculpture’s design and oversaw the project’s execution from 1927 until his death in 1941. Each president was originally to be depicted from head to waist, but lack of funding forced construction to end on October 31, 1941.

Besides looking at and taking pictures of the sculpture, there are several other things to do at the memorial.

Visitors can listen to a 15 minute talk about the sculptor, carving process and lives of the workers at the Sculptor’s Studio. There’s also a very nice gift shop and a cafe where you can enjoy Thomas Jefferson’s famous ice cream recipe. His recipe is the first recorded ice cream recipe in American history. Visitors can also walk down the half-mile long Presidential Trail to get a closer look at the presidents. And during the summer at sunset, there’s an evening lighting ceremony done while a park ranger talks about the history of the monument.

Even though I’d seen pictures of the memorial on several occasions, seeing it in person filled me with a sense of patriotism and pride.

Crazy Horse Memorial

The Crazy Horse Memorial is just 17 miles from Mount Rushmore, meaning you can see both in just a few hours. The monument, which is currently under construction, will depict the Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing into the distance.

It was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to be sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski. He informed the sculptor, “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, too.” The project has accepted no government funds and instead relies on private funding from influential Americans and memorial visitors.

The memorial’s master plan includes the monument, a museum, and a cultural center. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain, on land considered sacred by some Lakota. It’s been in progress since 1948 and is far from completion.

Guests start their visit in the museum where a short film is shown. It introduces Crazy Horse, Henry Standing Bear, Korczak Ziolkowski and details the history of the monument. The Ziolkowski family have made it their mission to complete the work that Korczak began so many years ago. Today his children and grandchildren continue to carve the sculpture.

Downtown Rapid City

Rapid City, with a population of around 70,000, is the biggest city in the Black Hills. It’s a good, centrally located place to use as your home base while visiting the various Black Hills attractions. I stayed one night at the Hotel Alex Johnson, which is located right in the heart of downtown Rapid City. I’ve always loved visiting both small and large cities and I found Rapid City to be quite charming.

Downtown Rapid City is very compact with plenty of shops, restaurants and nightlife all within walking distance of the city center. Main Street Square is the main downtown gathering place for the community and features special events, live concerts, seasonal ice skating and interactive fountains. Along the square’s perimeter, you’ll find boutiques, eateries and art galleries.

Anytime I’m in a new city, I always research local breweries to see if anything looks interesting. Lucky for me, Rapid City has a pretty vibrant craft beer scene. So after checking into the hotel, I headed over to Hay Camp Brewing Co to enjoy a flight. Later for dinner and another cold one, I went over to Firehouse Brewing Company, which is South Dakota’s oldest brewery.

I found my dinner entree to be only average, but they have a wonderful indoor/outdoor patio, which is a great place to enjoy a cold beer and do some people watching.

City of Presidents

Rapid City considers itself the most patriotic city in America. In support of this claim, are a series of life-sized bronze statues of our nation’s past presidents. As you stroll through downtown, you’ll notice presidential statues on every corner. I was able to find many of them and a few even posed for selfies with me.

Golf Club at Red Rock

I love to golf, so one afternoon I headed over to the Golf Club at Red Rock. About 20 minutes from downtown Rapid City, it’s rated the #1 golf course in the state according to most major golf publications. That being the case, I was really excited to play a round there.

The course is really well maintained and has such a fun layout. It’s very hilly with many holes playing straight down, straight up or with big sideways sloping fairways. The 1st hole is a par-4 with the tee box up way higher than the rest of the hole. Bombing a tee shot down the hill is a beautiful way start what turned into one of the more enjoyable rounds I’ve ever played.

The weather that day was absolutely perfect and the course was relatively open, so I played alone. It was such a peaceful and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon for me.

If you’re a golf enthusiast like I am, this course is a must play.

Deadwood

As I wrote in my Deadwood road trip planning post, visiting Deadwood was the reason I drove out to the Black Hills. Located in the northern Black Hills, it was established in 1876 during one of the great American gold rushes. In its hay day, Deadwood had a population of around 5,000, mostly miners, gamblers, store owners and prostitutes. It was known for its lawlessness, as murders were common and justice not always fair and impartial.

Since the gold rush, Deadwood has been through many ups and downs. It’s survived three major fires and numerous economic hardships, pushing it to the brink of becoming another Old West ghost town.

However, in 1961, the entire town of Deadwood was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It was the first time an entire community received this recognition. The city became part of the National Park Services’ effort to recognize several western mining communities as historic landmarks because of the important role they played in the development of the American West.

Current Day Deadwood

The current incarnation of Deadwood really began in 1989 when limited-wage gambling was legalized. Today, the town is booming once again and you’ll find modern-day casinos in every hotel.

I’m glad to have seen Deadwood but I admit I felt conflicted as to what I thought about it. I’m not a big gambler so the presence of gambling in virtually every establishment was a negative for me. I know gambling saved the city, but the town’s focus on it and the unending sound of slot machines were a turn off for me.

Mt. Moriah Cemetery

Mt. Moriah Cemetery was established in 1878 and sits on a mountainous plateau overlooking Deadwood Gulch. This cemetery is the final resting place of Old West legends, murderers, and pillars of Deadwood’s early economic development.

The first thing you’ll notice is how beautiful the cemetery grounds are. The backdrop of the ponderosa pine trees is so pretty and let’s rays of sunlight sliver in between them. It’s so natural and quiet and I saw several deer during my visit who were also enjoying the morning calm.

Visitors are allowed to walk through the cemetery and view the graves of the famous residents. Before entering the cemetery, visitors receive a map and guide showing the locations of each famous grave. What I loved about the guide is that it told a short story about each resident. So when I was standing at his or her grave, I could read a little bit about who they were. Learning each resident’s story made the visit to the cemetery so much more meaningful. I even got goosebumps a few times.

In the corner of the cemetery is Brown Rocks Overlook which provides a panoramic view of Deadwood and the surrounding area. At this point, visitors are 4,802 feet above sea level.

Below are photos of just a few of the famous pioneers who lived and/or died in Deadwood.

Adams House

This Historic Adams House was built in 1892 by Deadwood pioneers Harris and Anna Franklin. While the Queen Anne-style house was being built, a local newspaper reporter wrote, “When completed, the residence will equal in point of beauty anything of its kind west of Omaha.” Unlike any other house in the area at the time, it was centrally heated, plumbed with hot and cold running water and lighted by electricity. It also had telephone service and an electric bell system to communicate with servants.

In 1905, Harris Franklin sold the home to his son Nathan for $1. Nathan, a two time mayor of Deadwood, lived in the home for 15 years before selling it to in 1920 to William E. and Alice Adams for $8,500.

W.E. Adams made his fortune in the grocery business. By 1901, he discontinued his retail business to concentrate on wholesale, supplying goods to the entire Black Hills region and neighboring states. Besides being a respected community leader, Adams also served six terms as Deadwood’s mayor.

After W.E. Adams’ death in 1934, the house sat vacant for more than 50 years. His second wife, Mary Adams, left everything intact, from the books in the library to the china in the dining room to cookies in a cookie jar.

Now owned by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, visitors can take a 45-minute guided tour of the home.

Adams Museum

W.E. Adams founded the Adams Museum in 1930 with the purpose of preserving and displaying the history of the Black Hills. I really enjoyed the museum, which has lots of exhibits on the history of the region and its famous pioneers.

The old photos and newspapers were fun to look at and helped me get a sense of what life in Deadwood was like in the late 1800’s. The museum offers three floors of local history and viewing can be done in 1 or 2 hours.

Mt. Roosevelt Monument

Mt. Roosevelt Monument, also known as Friendship Tower, is located just two miles from Deadwood. It was created in 1919 by Seth Bullock, the famous Deadwood sheriff, U.S. Marshall and Forest Supervisor. He built it as a memorial to the friendship he had with President Theodore Roosevelt. Getting to the tower requires an easy hike of less than one mile. Your reward is a spectacular view of the Black Hills from the top of Friendship Tower.

Live Reenactments

During the summer months, history comes alive as actors perform daily free shows and shootouts at various locations along Main Street. There are three live shows on Main Street, at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.

Shooting of Wild Bill Hickok

In 1876, Old West legend Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed from behind while playing poker in a Deadwood saloon. His murderer was Jack McCall, who had felt insulted by Hickok after losing all his money in a poker game the day before. The hand of cards which Hickok was holding at the time of his death has become known as the dead man’s hand; two pairs, aces and eights.

During the summer months, a reenactment of the shooting of Wild Bill is held four times a day inside Saloon No. 10. The actor does a great job of first talking about who Wild Bill was before he arrived in Deadwood. Then the poker game starts…

Below is a one-minute video which captures the actual shooting.

Trial of Jack McCall

In the evening, the actors perform the Trial of Jack McCall, a stage play based on the real trial of Wild Bill’s murderer. The performance has been part of Historic Deadwood’s entertainment lineup since the 1920’s, making it one of the longest running stage shows in the nation!

It’s a family-friendly show where members of the audience participate in the performance as jurors and witnesses.

Bottom Line

A Black Hills vacation is a wonderful getaway for people of all ages. If you love the history of America’s westward expansion, this region will immerse you into that pioneer spirit. If you’ve never seen the natural wonder of the Badlands or the man-made wonder of Mount Rushmore, add it to your bucket list. This friendly, laid back region contains so many great sights and attractions to enjoy!

Trip Report Index

1. Introduction and Planning
2. Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls Downtown
3. Hampton Inn Deadwood at Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort
4. Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City
5. Top Tourist Attractions in the Black Hills
6. How I Earned Almost 30,000 Hilton Points on my Short Road Trip