Black Hills

Home to the tallest peaks east of the Rocky Mountains, the Black Hills exist in the western region of South Dakota. Blessed with towering summits, sprawling forests, and meandering rivers, the Black Hills are a pristine haven for sightseeing, fishing, hiking, camping, and rock climbing.

Native American peoples have inhabited the area since 7,000 BC, making the Black Hills a site of spiritual and historical significance. Ownership has passed through many hands, resting today with the Lakota. There is a history of conflict, with it experiencing bloodshed and massacre during the Great Sioux War of 1876.

The diverse geology of the Back Hills attracts visitors each year, as well as its abundance of indigenous flora and fauna. Erosion has formed a terrain of desolate beauty in Badlands National Park, with sharp buttes, twisting spires, deep gorges, and one of the richest fossil beds on the planet.

Jewel Cave is the third longest cave in the world, with visitors exploring miles of underground passageways and stunning rock formations. Scenic drives through Custer State Park provide amazing encounters with the once-endangered bison that now flourish in free-roaming herds.

Black Hills is also the setting for the popular HBO series Deadwood, although it was filmed in California. The City Fathers of Deadwood have created a false wooden street front based on the original town and similar to the one on the television series.

Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic attractions in South Dakota, and indeed the country. Carved into Thunderhead Monument, the Crazy Horse Memorial has been in construction since 1948 and would potentially be the largest sculpture in the world on completion.