Miners Gateway Tunnel on the drive from Keystone to Spearfish Canyon 🌳 Black Hills, South Dakota travel blog

Hi there!

 

There are many tunnels that are carved through the rocks of the Black Hills.

Miners Gateway Tunnel is one of them!

This is a short tunnel that you’ll see and then before you know it you’ll be done driving through it!

 

 

I ended up going through Miners Gateway Tunnel on the drive from Mount Rushmore to Spearfish Canyon. (That was a drive from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower with Spearfish Canyon along the way!)

Explore the map.

 

👆 Keystone SD: Miner’s Gateway Tunnel is near the town of Keystone SD. It’s about a half mile outside of the main town area.

 

I also went through the Miners Gateway Tunnel in the opposite direction since I first was going from Wall Drug to Mount Rushmore, and Keystone (and the tunnel) are along the way.

 

 

More below about the drive to Miners Gateway Tunnel!

 

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Here’s a bit about my drive through Miners Gateway Tunnel near Keystone SD!

You can make your last stop in Mount Rushmore a roadside stop to see the George Washington profile view. 

This is the George Washington of Mount Rushmore and it’s one of the best things to do in Mount Rushmore National Memorial!

 

 

Then, onwards leaving Mount Rushmore!

 

👆 Driving towards Keystone, Custer State Park, and Rapid City.

 

👆 Straight ahead to Keystone, or turn to go to Custer State Park.

 

 

And then… approaching Keystone SD!

 

 

The town of Keystone is small, and you will be done driving through it before you know it.

And then… you will soon see the Miner’s Gateway Tunnel!

 

 

And then before you know it you are done driving through the tunnel!

And then onwards to Spearfish Canyon!

 

👆 Driving towards Lead SD and Deadwood SD.

 

👆 Driving away from Miners Gateway Tunnel, around 10 minutes.

 

After around 20 minutes since driving through the Miners Gateway Tunnel, you will come across the Pactola Lake Recreation Area of Black Hills National Forest.

There is a picnic area at Pactola Lake if you need a place to stop to eat your picnic food.

There is also the Pactola Campground here.

 

 

Or you can just keep driving and you will drive right past the lake!

 

 

And then continuing the drive, if you are headed to Spearfish Canyon you may drive past Cheyenne Crossing, and then finally you will make it to Savoy for things to do in Spearfish Canyon!

 

And that’s about the driving before and after Miner’s Gateway Tunnel!

 

Famous tunnels in the Black Hills:

• Needles Eye Tunnel in Custer State Park
• Doane Robinson Tunnel with Mount Rushmore view (one of the Iron Mountain Road tunnels)

 

More of the Black Hills and beyond:

• Things to do in the Black Hills
• Things to do in Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument

 

HAPPY DRIVING THROUGH MINERS GATEWAY TUNNEL!