Hi there!
So you want to go to the Black Hills!
One of the best things that South Dakota is known for is the Black Hills.
I did a road trip through the Black Hills, and these are the things to do in the Black Hills that you need to know about!
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1. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
A trip to Mount Rushmore National Memorial to see the faces of several presidents carved into the rock formations of the Black Hills is one of the most popular things to do in the Black Hills.
It’s possible to see the Mount Rushmore presidents by just driving through Mount Rushmore National Memorial if you truly want to make it a quick visit.
One of the best views of Mount Rushmore while driving will be on the east side of the road through Mount Rushmore National Memorial. (map)
On the west side of the road, you can also see a unique perspective of George Washington as you’re driving. (map)
But to make the most of your trip, you’ll want to walk the Avenue of Flags so you can walk to the viewing platform with the Mount Rushmore presidents right in front of you.
And then after that, walking the Presidential Trail will offer you different views of each of the presidents.
Also make a stop by the Sculptor Studio to learn from a park ranger about how the Mount Rushmore presidential rock carvings came to be!
There are frequent talks held throughout the day, and you will find this along the Presidential Trail.
While there is no entry fee for Mount Rushmore National Memorial, there is a Mount Rushmore parking fee.
So for the best way to see Mount Rushmore, it will cost $10 per car. It is free to drive through the Mount Rushmore National Memorial park. So it is free to see Mount Rushmore from the road.
Mount Rushmore is also connected to Black Hills National Forest.
Breezy Point in the national forest can be a nice spot for a picnic after your trip to Mount Rushmore!
The closest campground to Mount Rushmore is the Horsethief Lake Campground in Black Hills National Forest.
2. Iron Mountain Road
One of the famous drives in the Black Hills is Iron Mountain Road.
This is another popular thing to do in the Black Hills related to Mount Rushmore.
For a perfect trip to Mount Rushmore, if you’re coming up from the south, then drive the Iron Mountain Road to get to Mount Rushmore!
This will be a grand intro to Mount Rushmore, where you can see the presidents’ faces for the first time as you are driving!
There are a few spots that you can see Mount Rushmore as you’re driving along Iron Mountain Road, but one of the things that makes this drive famous is the Iron Mountain Road tunnels.
There are tunnels in which you can see Mount Rushmore basically framed by the tunnel as you are driving through, and it makes for a unique scene.
Then, you will be able to see Mount Rushmore as you are driving, and more specifically, you can see the presidents as you are driving through the Iron Mountain Road tunnels too.
It’s a tunnel view of Mount Rushmore!
This is quite a distant view, though!
👆 If you have a better camera, you will be able to take much better pictures of Mount Rushmore through the tunnel! 😜 (I only have a phone…)
There are 3 tunnels that you can drive through along Iron Mountain Road:
In 2 of them you can see the faces as you’re driving north (that’s driving TO Mount Rushmore), and 1 of them as you’re driving south (that’s driving AWAY from Mount Rushmore). The road had many twists and turns!
See more about the best tunnel view of Mount Rushmore.
Custer State Park
A trip to Custer State Park is another one of the most popular things to do in the Black Hills.
You can make it one day in Custer State Park, or you can take it easy and spend a few days in Custer State Park.
The next few things on the list are specific things to do in Custer State Park.
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3. Sylvan Lake
There are many lakes in Custer State Park.
The most popular lake of them all is Sylvan Lake.
Among the best things to do at Sylvan Lake is to go for a walk around the lake!
There is the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail that loops around the lake, much of which is one of the easy lakeshore trails in Custer State Park!
And aside from Sylvan Lake, there are also quieter lakes in Custer State Park.
👆 Center Lake is one of the Custer State Park lakes.
👆 Legion Lake is one of the Custer State Park lakes.
See more things to do in the Black Hills:
- Things to do around Sylvan Lake
- Lakes in Custer State Park
- Easy lakeshore trails in Custer State Park
4. Sunday Gulch Trail
Since the Black Hills are known for rock formations all around, for another “very Black Hills” experience, you can hike the Sunday Gulch Trail.
You will get to walk with towering rock formations all around you!
The suggested time to hike the full trail is 2-4 hours.
But it can can be a worthy hike even if you hike just 10-15 minutes of it out, and then hike back!
The Sunday Gulch trailhead is located along Sylvan Lake Trail.
There are 2 trailheads for the Sunday Gulch Trail along Sylvan Lake.
If you don’t want to hike the full trail, then you can start the Sylvan Lake Trail by walking with Sylvan Lake on the left side of you. Then you can take the first Sunday Gulch trailhead you see.
See more about what you can see with 30 minutes of hiking on the Sunday Gulch Trail.
5. Needles Highway
Another one of the famous drives in the Black Hills is Needles Highway.
This is one of the popular scenic drives in Custer State Park.
The “needles” are a type of an iconic rock formation of the Black Hills, and on the Needles Highway you can see these “needles”!
Needles Highway can be just about the drive, and there are a few specific things that are also icons of the Black Hills, coming up on the list below!
There is a famous tunnel on the Needles Highway, and that’s the Needles Eye Tunnel.
This is a narrow tunnel that you can drive through!
Regular cars can drive through the tunnel, although because it’s so narrow it’s a one-lane tunnel that you can only drive through one direction at a time!
See more about the Needles Highway and the Needles Eye Tunnel.
6. Cathedral Spires
Another type of iconic rock formation in the Black Hills is the Cathedral Spires.
The Cathedral Spires are part of a national natural landmark, designated by the National Park Service.
You can get a better look at these spires by hiking the Cathedral Spires Trail.
The Cathedral Spires trailhead is located directly off of Needles Highway.
7. Little Devils Tower
The Little Devils Tower Trail is another iconic hike in the Black Hills.
Once you get towards the top of Little Devils Tower (aka the end of the trail), it starts to get a little steep.
If you make it to the top of Little Devils Tower, you’ll see stunning views of the Black Hills all around you!
It can be WINDY and cold up at the top, so you might want to bring layers!
The Little Devils Tower trailhead is located directly off of Needles Highway.
8. Black Elk Peak
The only way to get to the Black Elk Peak is to hike there.
The hike to Black Elk Peak is one of the best hikes in the Black Hills, if not THE best!
According to the US Forest Service, the Black Elk Peak is said to be the “highest point in the United States east of the Rockies.”
There are many ways to get to Black Elk Peak, and one of the most popular ways to get there is by starting from Sylvan Lake.
So, you can combine these 2 trails by first hiking Sylvan Lake for the grand lake views, and then hiking to Black Elk Peak for the grand hill views!
See more about the best hikes in Custer State Park.
9. Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is another one of the scenic drives in the Black Hills.
This is a scenic drive that goes through Black Hills National Forest.
The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway can be just about the drive, or there are small pullover areas as you are driving along for you to stop off at.
For reference on a map, you can think of this as a drive from Spearfish SD to Savoy SD… or in the opposite direction depending on where you’re coming from! (map)
For example, if you’re driving from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower National Monument, then you can drive the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway from Savoy to Spearfish.
10. Spearfish Falls
If you want to see waterfalls in the Black Hills, you want to go to Spearfish Canyon!
One of the stops you can make while driving through Spearfish Canyon is for Spearfish Falls.
Spearfish Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Spearfish Canyon.
You’ll take the Spearfish Falls Trail to get to the waterfalls.
The trailhead starts near the Spearfish Canyon Lodge. Although for purposes of parking, you may want to park at the first trailhead you see along the nearby Roughlock Falls Road. (It will probably be easier to find parking there.)
11. Roughlock Falls Road
Roughlock Falls Road is another scenic drive in the Black Hills.
This is near Savoy SD, also starting near the Spearfish Canyon Lodge.
Roughlock Falls Road is a dirt road.
12. Roughlock Falls Trail
Another one of the popular waterfalls in Spearfish Canyon is Roughlock Falls.
The Roughlock Falls Trail is a hiking trail that leads to waterfalls.
Once you get on Roughlock Falls Road, you’ll come across the first Roughlock Falls trailhead parking lot.
You can park here to make it a hike on the nature trail to go and see Roughlock Falls.
Or you can keep driving to the other parking lot directly in the Roughlock Falls Nature Area, where it’s a short path to walk around alongside the stream.
The other parking lot also connects to the same nature trail.
Actually what I did was park at that first trailhead near the intersection, and then I hiked the nature trail. On the way back, instead of hiking the same trail back, I walked the road back.
This is the same road that the cars drive, so you do also breathe in a bit of the dust that comes up when cars drive by.
Roughlock Falls Road comes with scenic views whether you choose to walk it or drive it!
National park caves around the Black Hills
If you want to explore the underground world while you are around the Black Hills, you can do that too!
There are 2 caves in the Black Hills area that are managed by the National Park Service:
Day trips from the Black Hills (or side trips!)
If you want to venture outside of the Black Hills and are into seeing iconic rock formations, then there are a couple of day trips or side trips that you can make from the Black Hills too.
Black Hills to Badlands National Park
Making it a South Dakota road trip that’s a “Black Hills and Badlands” type of trip is a thing.
So you can also make a day trip from the Black Hills to the Badlands too!
Badlands National Park is known for a different type of iconic rock formations.
It’s about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive one way from Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills to Badlands National Park.
When making the drive between Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park, you may also want to stop by Wall Drug for a super touristy All-American road trip stop!
If you want to make it an overnight, you can go camping in Badlands National Park.
Black Hills to Devils Tower
Devils Tower National Monument is located in eastern Wyoming, and it’s known for a single massive rock formation.
It’s about a 2.5 hour drive one way from Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills to Devils Tower.
If you want to make it an overnight, you can go camping in Devils Tower National Monument.
Head further west: Black Hills to Yellowstone
From the Black Hills, you can make it a road trip further out west too!
After you go to Devils Tower, you can continue onwards to the Wyoming national parks of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park!
You can make it a perfect 3 days in the Wyoming national parks!
See more about driving from the Black Hills to Yellowstone.
What are the most famous things about the Black Hills?
The Black Hills are the “mountains” of South Dakota!
The Black Hills are known for iconic rock formations that are seemingly a random group of rock outcropping in the middle of South Dakota. (Well, in western South Dakota, to be specific.)
Among the most popular ways for people to do the Black Hills is by driving through the state park, national memorial park, national forest, or scenic byway!
You can also hike, camp, stay in a cabin, and even have a chance to see buffalo!
1. Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is the most famous place to visit in the Black Hills.
2. Custer State Park
Custer State Park is the iconic South Dakota state park of the Black Hills.
3. Spearfish Canyon
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is one of the famous scenic drives in the Black Hills.
Buffalo in the Black Hills
And, you do have a chance to see buffalo in the Black Hills too!
Buffalo are free to roam on their own so they do what they want!
This means that there’s no guarantee that you’ll see them.
The best spot in the Black Hills to see buffalo is in Custer State Park.
There is a road called the Wildlife Loop Road, and driving the Wildlife Loop Road is in fact a way to have a good chance of spotting some wildlife, including buffalo!
For the best chance of seeing buffalo in Custer State Park, be sure to stop by the Custer State Park Visitor Center or the Wildlife Station Visitor Center. They have a little map of recent reported buffalo sightings in Custer State Park.
Again, there’s no guarantee that the buffalo will still be there since they do move around, but it can increase your chances!
You also might see buffalo as you are driving through Custer State Park in other areas too.
If you will be making it a “Black Hills and Badlands” kind of South Dakota road trip, and you will also be making it a South Dakota camping trip, then there is a campground in the Badlands that is known for buffalo sightings! And there are prairie dogs too!
South Dakota state park camping cabins in the Black Hills
As a tent camper, I loved the camping cabins of South Dakota state parks.
Similar to tent camping, it is basically bring your own everything, but you don’t need to worry about setting up shelter or the weather.
There are bunk beds with mattresses inside the cabin so you need to bring your own pillow and bedding/sleeping bag.
There is electricity to plug in your electronics, along with air conditioning and heat.
The cost in 2021 for South Dakota state park camping cabins was $66 a night, and that includes taxes and the out-of-state resident fee.
You separately also do need to pay the entry fee for the South Dakota state park you will be staying at… which in this case is the Custer State Park entry fee, since that’s the South Dakota state park with camping cabins in the Black Hills! You can expect to pay $20 for that and it lasts for 7 days. (There is no discounted one-day pass.) You can pay this when you arrive. See current fees.
See more about South Dakota state park camping cabins in the Black Hills.
And those are some ideas for a Black Hills road trip!
If you are interested in the Black Hills, you may be interested in these activities:
- Best hikes in Custer State Park
- The Needles and driving through the Needles Eye Tunnel
- Things to do for the best views in Mount Rushmore
- Getting to Little Devils Tower trailhead
- Cedar Pass campground
- Things to do in Badlands National Park for views
- How to spend one day in Grand Teton National Park
- Driving from Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills to Grand Teton National Park
HAPPY DRIVING TO THE BLACK HILLS!
👆 One of the best things to do in the Black Hills is to see buffalo! You have a chance to see buffalo in the Black Hills by going to the state park in the Black Hills.
Here are some ideas for a classic South Dakota road trip going from east to west!
After you go to Badlands National Park, you can head west to Wall Drug and then onwards to Mount Rushmore!
You've made it to the Black Hills, where you'll find Custer State Park.
While you're in the area, you can also go to Wind Cave National Park and/or Jewel Cave National Monument and/or the Mammoth Site!
Drive the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway on your way west out of the Black Hills and South Dakota as you continue your epic road trip to Devils Tower National Monument and Wyoming!
Then, onwards to the best places to visit in Wyoming with your grand finale of Wyoming being one day in Yellowstone National Park!
Read more for your South Dakota road trip: Best places to visit in South Dakota
Check the reviews at partner websites included below!
How to save money on your trip
I tend to use booking.com or hotels.com to look for the cheapest hotels. You can also try the expedia hotels site (good for car rentals too) or see if you like any of the vrbo vacation rentals or cabins!
Rapid City hotels will put you in the major city of the Black Hills.
Custer hotels will put you in a small town near Custer State Park!
Keystone hotels will put you in the gateway town for Mount Rushmore.
Wall is the major gateway town for Badlands National Park. I've stayed at the Super 8 in Wall.
Or, you can go camping in South Dakota!