Things To Do in the Black Hills of South Dakota

If you’re looking for things to keep you busy on your vacation in the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota, you won’t be disappointed! In fact, you may be surprised to find there’s so much to see and do here you’ll have to plan some extra time just to get it all done!

Attractions
Children and adults will discover over 100 attractions to enjoy animal adventure, underground wilderness, amusement parks and family adventure, water parks, museums, gold mines, a variety of performances, the Native American culture, Black Hills history &  more.

Parks and Monuments
and Besides the natural beauty you’ll find everywhere you look in this 6,381-square mile region, you can explore six national parks, two national forests, two national grasslands areas and four state parks. Here, you’ll find Badlands National Park, Minuteman National Historic Site, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial (Mt. Rushmore Monument), Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park and Devils Tower National Monument; Black Hills National Forest; Custer National Forest; Grand River National Grasslands and Buffalo Gap National Grasslands; and Bear Butte State Park, Custer State Park, Angostura State Recreational Area and Shade Hill State Recreational Area.

Outdoor Recreation
If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. With activities available year-round, the opportunities in the Black Hills and Badlands are endless! Enjoy summer-specific activities such as boating and jet skiing. Winter fun here encompasses downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and sledding to ice climbing. Discover the back country on horseback and experience nature like never before! Hike the region’s tallest mountain or learn to rock climb.

Dining
While you’re here, be sure to try some of our uniquely Dakota entrees. Eat a buffalo, or sample our state bird or state fish! Whether you choose from one of the dozens of casual dining eateries or prefer a more upscale fine dining atmosphere, be sure to ask about regional specialty foods including pheasant and walleye, rainbow trout or Dakota beef. It’ll wake up your taste buds and add an exciting dimension to your vacation in the Black Hills.

Shopping
Whether you’re downtown surrounded by unique shops and quaint boutiques or prefer mall shopping, you won’t have to look far to find a place to shop. You’ll find so many shopping opportunities here, you may need a bigger suitcase to haul it home!

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, Black Hills - Sout Dakota

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial is a huge mountain statue of four US Presidents, located near Keystone, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Presidents depicted are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These four Presidents were chosen to represent the founding, growth and preservation of the United States. The work was designed by the sculptor John Gutzon Borglum (March 25, 1871- March 6, 1941).

The Construction of Mt. Rushmore National Memorial: The monument was sculpted by Borglum and about 400 stone workers. Construction began on August 10, 1927 (President Coolidge attended the dedication that day). Funding was provided by private donations and the Federal Government.

The sculpting Mount Rushmore Monument was done by first blasting away tons of rock with dynamite. Workers then sat in hanging "swing seats," and used jackhammers, drills, hammers, and other tools to do the finishing work. Bad weather and a lack of funding slowed work; although it took 14 years to finish the project, work was done for only about 6 of those years.

After Borglum's death, soon before the sculpture was done, the completion of the giant sculpture was overseen by his son, Lincoln Borglum. The Mount Rushmore monument was completed in 1941 (after Borglum's death).

Geology of the Area: The rock of Mount Rushmore consists of outcroppings of fine-grained granite (a hard, light-colored, igneous rock - volcanic rock that has cooled) and some mica schist (a type of crystalline metamorphic rock). The light-colored granite of Mt. Rushmore contrasts with darker layers of mica schist. Mt. Rushmore is the northeastern edge of the Harney Peak Granite Batholith (a batholith is a huge body of igneous rock that solidified under the earth).