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Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota's second-largest city, is at the heart of a land-scape of prairies, pine forests, and rocky outcroppings. Founded in 1876, two years after the Black Hills gold rush, Rapid City is a boomtown that has truly made a name for itself.
Outdoor recreation is plentiful and varied; from biking to golfing, hiking to camping, fishing to mountain climbing. Combined with Rapid City's heartland hospitality, amid a back-drop of some of the most attractive scenery in America, the city is a sure bet for a memorable trip.
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 Mount Rushmore
(605) 574-2523
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13000 Highway 244
Keystone, SD 57751
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South Dakota's Black Hills provide the backdrop for Mount Rushmore, a National Monument and an epic sculpture that features the 60 foot high faces of four exalted U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The sheer size of the mountain carving evokes a sense of awe in those who view it.
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Badlands National Park
(605) 433-5361
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25216 Ben Reifel Road
Interior, SD 57750
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Located 51 miles east of Rapid City, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. Established as Badlands National Monument in 1939, the area was redesignated "National Park" in 1978.
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Crazy Horse Memorial
(605) 673-4681
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202 Avenue of the Chiefs
Crazy Horse, SD 57730
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Crazy Horse Memorial, the world's largest sculpture, now in progress, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota on US Highway 16/385 just 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore. The Memorial includes the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, the sculptor's studio, and a 40,000 square foot Orientation Center and theaters.
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Custer State Park
(605) 255-4464
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13329 US Highway 16A
Custer, SD 57730
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Encompassing 71,000 acres of spectacular terrain and wildlife in the Black Hills, you're free to explore via trail rides, scenic drives, mountain bikes, paddle-boats, hay rides and safari tours. More than 1,000 magnificent bison wander the Park, which they share with swift pronghorn, shy elk, sure-footed mountain goats and a band of curious burros.
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Jewel Cave National Monument
(605) 673-2288
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11149 US Highway 16
Custer, SD 57730
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53 miles southwest of Rapid City, Jewel Cave is a giant underground labyrinth with a myriad of beautiful "jewel like" Dogtooth and Nailhead Spar crystals. Interesting calcite formations may also be found, including Hydromagnesite balloons, first identified in Jewel Cave.
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Bear Country U.S.A.
(605) 343-2290
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13820 South Hwy. 16
Rapid City, SD 57701
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Enjoy a leisurely 3-mile drive through this spectacular and unique wildlife park nestled on 250 acres of the beautiful Black Hills offering visitors intimate views of black & grizzly bears, mountain lions, timber & arctic wolves, elk & big horn sheep, American buffalo and more.
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Photo credit: South Dakota Office of Tourism
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