A few years ago during a cross-country road trip, I spent some time in the Black Hills region of western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, a spectacular part of the American West and home to numerous attractions. The Black Hills are so named because of their dark appearance from a distance, a deep, shadowy appearance—making the hills look almost black against the lighter grasslands. Edging closer, they rise abruptly from the surrounding Great Plains, densely covered with ponderosa pine forests.
The name also reflects the area’s Native American heritage. The Lakota people call the region Pahá Sápa, which translates to “Black Hills.” Long sacred to the Lakota people and other Plains tribes, the Black Hills are a sacred landscape tied to spiritual traditions, origin stories, and cultural identity. They were later shaped by gold rush fortune seekers, and today, are a favorite destination for holidaymakers seeking a blend of dramatic landscapes, American history and small-town character.
One can spend a week or two in the Black Hills region, however, many of the attractions can easily be seen in three days. We spent time exploring some of the region’s most popular natural and man-made attractions. From the sculpted faces of Mount Rushmore to the windswept formations of the Badlands, we were thrilled with the incredible variety of experiences offered within this adventuresome region.
Rapid City: Gateway to the Black Hills
A good place to start, and use as a base is Rapid City, often called the “Gateway to the Black Hills” due to its position on the eastern slope. Rapid City is within an easy drive of many of the Black Hills’ most iconic sights, and while it is the second largest city in South Dakota, its small size makes it easy to navigate.
Rapid City has numerous lodging facilities catering to every budget, as well as restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisines. The small but lively downtown features cafés, breweries, art galleries, the historic Hotel Alex Johnson, a large public square, and the popular City of Presidents walking tour, where life-size bronze statues of U.S. presidents line the sidewalks. The city is also home to the Journey Museum and Learning Center, which explores the natural history of the Black Hills and the cultures that have shaped the region, including the Lakota people and early settlers. Along Skyline Drive, just west of downtown, is Dinosaur Park which contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city. On the southwest edge of the city is Chapel in the Hills, a stunning replica of a Norwegian Lutheran chapel surrounded by ponderosa pines.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
By far, the most famous attraction in the Black Hills region is Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and no trip to the region is complete without visiting it. Just 30 minutes south of Rapid City off Highway 16A, visitors to the memorial are awarded with a panorama of the massive granite faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, which gaze across the surrounding pine-covered mountains. The creation of this national memorial was led by sculptor Gutzon Borglum and completed in 1941 after 14 years of construction. An interesting fact is that the original design envisioned the presidents carved from the head down to the waist. Due to the untimely death of Borglum in 1941, low project funding during the Great Depression, and unsuitable rock, the completion only included the faces. The monument is especially striking during the early morning or evening light, when shadows emphasize the scale and artistry of the sculpture. The park includes a visitor center, café and gift shop, a sculptor’s studio and several trails. The parking fee ($10 per vehicle; $5 for seniors) allows access to the park.
Just beyond Mount Rushmore, winding roads such as Iron Mountain Road, and Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, offer sweeping views of Mount Rushmore in the distance behind rolling forests and rocky outcrops. Visitors can also picnic or hike at scenic spots like Breezy Point and Horse Thief Lake. Along the way, there are several one-lane tunnels carved through the granite rock.
Wildlife and Scenic Drives at Custer State Park
South of Mount Rushmore along Highway 16A, visitors will reach Custer State Park, a magnificent wildlife reserve that covers over 70,000 acres. The park is filled with scenic drives past grasslands, lakes, forested hills and rocky buttes. We drove along Wildlife Loop Road where we spotted many bison, followed by two burros that came right up to our car looking for food, itching their chins on the side mirror. Pronghorn, deer, elk and endearing prairie dogs also inhabit the area. Entrance to the park requires the purchase of a pass for $25 (covers up to seven days), which can be purchased at pay meters.
Part of the adventure of Custer State Park is the drive along scenic and winding 14-mile Needles Highway. Here, visitors can slowly drive through the Needles Eye Tunnel which is carved through granite and measures only 8.4 feet wide and 9.5 feet high. It is a one-lane, two-way passage that requires caution and is not suitable for large motorhomes. A few miles west of the tunnel stand the Needles, dramatic eroded granite spires and pillars. A mile west of the Needles lookout is the Cathedral Spires, where a two-mile trail provides stunning up-close views of the formations. Other hiking trails lead to alpine lakes and panoramic viewpoints. Sylvan Lake—often called the “Crown Jewel” of the park, is surrounded by huge rock formations. It offers kayaking, swimming, and postcard-perfect scenery.
The Wild West in Deadwood and Sturgis
The echoes of the American frontier can be found in the town of Deadwood, located 40 miles northwest of Rapid City. Deadwood was born during the gold rush of the 1870s, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the Wild West’s most notorious and lawless boomtowns. Famous western figures Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried here. Today, its restored historic district and main street meanders along a narrow valley filled with saloons, casinos, and museums. Above the main street, historic Victorian style homes are perched on a hillside overlooking the downtown. The entire town is on the National Historic Register, and is filled with tourist attractions including curio shops, saloons, restaurants, hotels and a significant number of casinos / gaming resorts.
Just down the road lies Sturgis, internationally known for hosting the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Each August, hundreds of thousands of riders descend on the town for one of the largest motorcycle gatherings in the world. Outside of rally season, Sturgis offers scenic rides and access to the surrounding hills.
Hill City – The Heart of the Hills
South of Deadwood along Highway 385, Hill City is a charming town that blends gold-rush history with a lively arts scene. The small town was founded in 1876 during the Black Hills Gold Rush and is often called the “Heart of the Hills.” Visitors may feel as if they have stepped back in time as they walk along the historic Main Street lined with wooden and brick western style buildings and their false front architecture. Behind the facades stand art galleries, craft shops, cafés, local wineries and even saloons. Visitors can explore regional history at the South Dakota State Railroad Museum or ride the vintage steam trains of the 1880 Train, which runs scenic trips through the forested hills to nearby Keystone. North of Hill City, we drove through beautiful green hills covered with large boulders and pine trees, and past beautiful clear lakes including Pactola Lake.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Follow Highway 385 south of Hill City to reach Crazy Horse Memorial, one of the most ambitious sculpture projects ever undertaken. At the invitation of Lakota leaders, sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began carving the massive statue in 1948 to honor the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, who famously resisted U.S. government encroachment during the 19th century. Ultimately, the sculpture will depict Crazy Horse riding a horse and pointing toward his ancestral lands. Today, only the 88-foot-tall face of Crazy Horse is finished, but once fully completed, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world. Visitors to the memorial can view the monument from the base, explore the nearby Indian Museum of North America, and learn about Native American cultures and history.
Devils Tower National Monument
A little over 100 miles northwest of Rapid City, crossing into Wyoming, travelers encounter one of the country’s most striking natural landmarks. Devils Tower National Monument, with its fluted columns, rises over 1,200 feet above the Belle Fourche River and the surrounding rolling prairie and forest. Many visitors may recognize the otherworldly formation from its appearance in the 1977 science-fiction classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where the tower becomes a mysterious gathering place for extraterrestrial contact.
Devils Tower was formed millions of years ago when molten rock pushed upward beneath the Earth’s surface and cooled slowly underground. As the magma cooled, it contracted and fractured into the striking hexagonal columns visible today. Over time, erosion wore away the surrounding softer rock, gradually revealing the tall, isolated monolith that remains today. The tower has long held deep spiritual significance for several Native American tribes, who consider it a sacred site and place of prayer. It’s also a favorite destination for climbers, hikers, and photographers.
Visitors can experience the monument up close on several scenic trails. The Tower Trail circles the base on a paved 1.3-mile loop, offering views of the massive stone columns and the surrounding forest. Interpretive signs explaining the geology and cultural history of the site. For a longer hike, the Red Beds Trail winds through meadows and forest, providing wider views of the tower and the surrounding valley.
Badlands National Park – A Landscape from Another World
About an hour east of Rapid City, the prairie suddenly breaks into the stark, otherworldly formations of Badlands National Park, one of the most photogenic locations in the region. The Badlands is one of the most unique and striking natural places on earth. The park includes multi-hued eroded buttes and pinnacles that rise above grass prairies. Erosion over millions of years has resulted in sedimentary layers of rock of different colors including purple and yellow (shale), tan (sand), red and orange (iron oxides) and white (volcanic ash). This was my second time visiting the park. I flashed back twenty years prior, when I witnessed dark blue skies and strikes of lightning behind the hills, making the experience even more mysterious.
We woke up early to see the sunrise within the park, allowing us to capture glows in shades of red, gold, and lavender. Sunset is also a magical time to tour the park. The scenic drive winds past sweeping overlooks, while trails allow visitors to explore the layered rock formations up close. Wildlife such as bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and bison are commonly spotted throughout the park. Visitors coming from Rapid City can access the western Pinnacles entrance south of Wall, South Dakota (home of famous and massive Wall Drug Store) and drive the 35 miles to the eastern entrance point. Near the eastern entrance, just north of Interstate 90, is the visitor center for the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. Visitors can learn about the history of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race and the last intact Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in the U.S., which was operational from 1963 to 1991.
Getting There
Getting to Rapid City, the main gateway to the Black Hills, is relatively easy by air or car. The Rapid City Regional Airport, located about ten miles southeast of downtown, offers nonstop flights from several major hubs across the United States, such as Denver, Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Rental cars are available at the airport.
The city sits just off Interstate 90, which runs east–west across South Dakota. There is currently no direct passenger rail service to Rapid City. The nearest major station is in Denver, served by Amtrak via the California Zephyr line. From Denver, visitors can rent a car and make the scenic six-hour drive north through Wyoming into the Black Hills.