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Belle Fourche (pronounced “Bell Foosh”) offers visitors a unique old west experience with the same authentic western hospitality today that it extended a century ago. Belle Fourche is best known for the annual Black Hills Roundup, Fourth of July Rodeo and Celebration and various other rodeos throughout the year. Belle Fourche has coined itself the antique capital of the state, featuring ample antique shopping and early 20th century architecture, as well as great options for hungry travelers seeking South Dakota beef and home cooking.
Belle Fourche is located on the northern rim of the Black Hills of South Dakota, at the center of an important three-state agricultural region. It also marks the geographical center of the fifty United States, marked by a Center of the Nation monument at the Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center. The Tri-State Museum, located next to the Visitor’s Center, pays tribute to those who pioneered the area.
Custer was named for General George Armstrong Custer, who discovered gold at nearby French Creek in 1874 and incited the Black Hills Gold Rush. As the gateway to Custer State Park, the second-largest state park in America, Custer is also less than 30 miles from Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Harney Peak, the Needles Highway, Crazy Horse Memorial and much more. Custer also offers many restaurants, shops and lodging facilities.
As portrayed in HBO's television series, Deadwood's colorful past comes alive in the National Historic Landmark town today. Visitors can stroll the cobblestone streets to admire the carefully restored architecture of Main Street and try their luck at a hand of blackjack, slots or Texas hold ‘em poker in one of Deadwood’s gaming halls. Infamous characters, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, are both buried in Mt. Moriah cemetery, which overlooks the city and is open to the public. A reenactment of the shoot-out that followed the fall of Wild Bill is performed daily during summer months. The Broken Boot Gold Mine offers tours every 30 minutes, and is open from mid-May to mid-September. Year-round tours of the Adams House offer a first-hand look at a Victorian-era mansion restored to museum quality. The accompanying Adams Museum is the oldest history museum in the Black Hills.
The city is minutes from Terry Peak and Deer Mountain ski resorts and miles of snowmobile trails, and marks the Northern Trailhead of the George S. Mickelson Recreational Trail.
Primarily a ranch town, Edgemont marks the Southern Trailhead of the Mickelson Trail and is home to the famous bandstand where President Teddy Roosevelt addressed the locals in 1903. Begin your Black Hills adventure in Edgemont with a hike through the Black Hills or visit to the Trails, Trains & Pioneers museum.
Hill City, known as “The Heart of the Hills” is a thriving arts community with a beautiful Main Street lined with quaint shops, dining and galleries. Renowned artists with galleries include Jon Crane and sculptor Marinka Ziolkowski, daughter of Crazy Horse Memorial sculptor Korczak Zialkowski. The famous 1880 Train recreates Black Hills train travel as it was over 100 years ago. While in the area, visit award-winning Prairie Berry Winery for a complimentary wine tasting. Hill City is located midway between Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore memorials.
Hot Springs is a scenic southern Black Hills community known for relaxation and refuge. The hot springs that gave the city its name still feed Evan’s Plunge, the world’s largest indoor/outdoor pool fed by 87-degree natural mineral springs. The beautiful Southern Hills Golf Course, named Top 9-hole Course by Golf Digest magazine, was recently expanded to 18 challenging holes. The Hot Springs community is also home to the Mammoth Site, which showcases a prehistoric sinkhole that preserved a large collection of Columbian mammoth bones and other Ice Age fossils. Visitors can observe a live paleontology laboratory, take a guided tour, learn from interactive displays and shop the extensive gift shop. Kids can participate in daily summer sessions of the Junior Paleontologist Dig to learn excavation techniques and fossil identification. After all the digging, parents can relax with a spa treatment at the Red Rock River Resort.
Keystone’s close proximity to Mount Rushmore makes it a great place to stay or stop in the Black Hills. The mile-long retail district offers over 400 hotel rooms, a variety of restaurants and souvenir shops. Watch homemade saltwater taffy being pulled, have an “Old Time” western family photo taken, or mingle with American presidents at the National Presidential Wax Museum. The Rushmore Borglum Historical Center sheds light on Gutzon Borglum, the man who carved Mount Rushmore. At nearby Big Thunder Gold Mine, patrons can tour the depths and try their luck at panning for real gold. The President’s Alpine Slide offers thrilling downhill rides, and gold-mine-themed Holy Terror Mini Golf provides 18 holes of challenging fun.
Lead (pronounced “leed”) is just minutes from Terry Peak and Deer Mountain ski resorts and provides direct access to the Mickelson Trail, 114 miles of pristine hiking and biking trails that wind through the Black Hills. Lead has a variety of quaint restaurants and art galleries, and a half-dozen hotels provide a great central lodging location for summer sightseeing or winter sports in South Dakota.
The town of Lead has a rich history and an opportune future. Lead was once home to the Western Hemisphere’s oldest and deepest gold mine, and a massive “open cut” is visible from most of the city. Although the mine is no longer operational, visitors can follow the hoisting, crushing and milling process of gold ore on a Homestake Mining Operation surface tour, or stop by the Black Hills Mining Museum on Main Street. The future outlook: The National Science Foundation (NSF) has chosen the former Homestake Gold Mine as the site for the Multipurpose Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory.
Murdo provides a convenient central location to access the South Dakota prairie’s abundant hunting and fishing. Visit the Pioneer Auto Show and Museum, a collection of 250 classic cars, motorcycles, tractors, music boxes, toys and nostalgic items. The museum also houses a dramatic collection of the famous Zeitner rocks, gems and fossils.
Just 22 miles west of Murdo, take a step back in time at South Dakota’s original 1880 Town. Originally built as a movie set, 30 authentic buildings showcase thousands of original relics for your family to experience the real Old West.
Oglala Lakota tribal culture, part of the Greater Sioux Nation, still lives today on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the second-largest reservation in the United States. The rugged terrain features wide-open prairies and the mystical Badlands of South Dakota. Visit the Wounded Knee massacre site or Red Cloud Heritage Center, which houses one of the largest and finest collections of Native American art and handicrafts in the United States.
Rapid City is the shopping, dining and travel hub of the Black Hills and western South Dakota. A quaint downtown area includes shops like Prairie Edge, which features authentic Plains Indian art and other beautiful handcrafted items. Downtown visitors can stroll the Presidential Walk, which features life-size bronzes of past American presidents. The Museum of Geology and the South Dakota Air & Space museum on Ellsworth Air Force Base offer two distinct historical collections.
A 30-minute drive from Mount Rushmore, Rapid City is home to many of the Black Hills’ best family attractions, including Reptile Gardens, which houses the largest reptile collection in the world; Bear Country U.S.A.; and The Journey Museum, which brings together major prehistoric and historic collections to tell the story of the Western Great Plains, from the geological formation of the Black Hills 2.5 billion years ago to the legacy of pioneers and Lakota tribes who shaped the area.
Rapid City is also serviced by Rapid City Regional Airport, providing flights from many major U.S. cities.
Spearfish is uniquely positioned at the mouth of scenic Spearfish Canyon National Scenic Byway in a valley between Crow Peak, Spearfish Peak and Lookout Mountain. Pine and deciduous trees line the towering limestone walls and create breathtaking Black Hills views, especially during the autumn months. Camping, hiking and rock climbing are popular in the canyon, and roadside stops grant easy access to waterfalls, like Bridal Veil Falls. The Spearfish Canyon Country Club is a championship 18-hole golf course, and plans for a second 18-hole course are in the works. The Black Hills Passion Play, a theatrical production that reconstructs Christ’s last seven days, uses the natural setting to its advantage with outdoor amphitheatre performances. Family vacationing activities include the Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a refuge for big game animals, and the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, where kids can feed and view trout in an underwater viewing area. The High Plains Western Heritage Center honors pioneers and Native American settlers and is open year-round.
Spearfish also has a variety of great dining options, ranging from sports bars to fine cuisine. The Crow Peak Brewery is a great place for a pint, and growlers of locally-brewed beer are available for purchase.
For over 60 years, Sturgis has been the motorcycle capital of the United States. Half a million classic and modern bike owners ride into Sturgis every August for the rally, races and a variety of entertainment. South Dakota's biggest (and loudest) event draws people from all corners of the world to share their love of choppers, hogs and cruisers. Sturgis’ location on Interstate 90 provides year-round access to Black Hills attractions and routes for scenic rides. Fort Meade, formerly a frontier cavalry post, sits a few miles east of Sturgis. The Old Fort Meade Museum is open seasonally for tours. Bear Butte, also east of Sturgis, is a unique geological formation with volcanic origins, now open for hiking. Made a state park in 1961, the mountain is a sacred site to Native American tribes, who hold religious ceremonies throughout the year.
Wall Drug, known for its worldwide billboard advertising, has been attracting tourists to Wall, South Dakota, since 1931. The sprawling, western-themed shopping complex got its start when its founders began offering free ice water to parched travelers during the Great Depression. The complex includes western clothing, souvenirs and “South Dakota Made” product shops. A “Jackalope” statue and replica of Mount Rushmore provide kooky photo opportunities for travelers. Wall also sits at the gateway to the Badlands, making it a great place to stop for beverages, batteries and other essentials before traveling the Badlands Loop.
Official Central Reservations System for the Black Hills & Badlands of South Dakota
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Photos by South Dakota Tourism
