Top Things to do in The Black Hills
Top Hotels in The Black Hills
- 1. Bavarian Inn, Black Hills
- 2. Best Western Plus Rapid City Rushmore
- 3. K Bar S Lodge
- 4. Deadwood Gulch Resort, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
- 5. Best Western Golden Spike Inn & Suites
- 6. Comfort Suites Conference Center Rapid City
- 7. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Rapid City, SD
- 8. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Rapid City
- 9. The Lodge at Deadwood
- 10. The Rushmore Hotel & Suites, BW Premier Collection
10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in The Black Hills That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in The Black Hills, United States including Black Hills National Forest, Roughlock Falls State Nature Area, Bear Country USA, Reptile Gardens, Bismark Lake Campground, Wind Cave National Park, Rock Maze, McNenny State Fish Hatchery, Bismarck Lake, Cleghorn Springs Hatchery.
Restaurants in The Black Hills
1. Black Hills National Forest
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 885 reviews
This empty expanse where Native Americans once roamed is now a national forest.
Reviewed By CrankingChick - Tucson, United States
The Black Hills Forest covers a vast area of western South Dakota - more than 1.25 million acres! It's an excellent vacation destination because of the wide variety of attractions and recreation opportunities. One could easily spend a week exploring this beautiful area; we were there for four days and did not do everything, we could have easily filled two more days. We explored the historic main street at Deadwood, visited the DC Booth Fish Hatchery at Spearfish, drove through Spearfish Canyon and were enchanted by three waterfalls, learned about mining at Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center, gawked at the enormous carved faces of four presidents on Mt. Rushmore, drove the scenic Needles Highway through imposing stone pinnacles, navigated the unique pigtail bridges and stone tunnels of Iron Mountain Road (Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway), took a peaceful morning hike around Sylvan Lake, spotted wildlife like deer, prairie dogs, bison and pronghorns at Custer State Park, marveled at the fossilized bones of extinct animals at The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, visited Wind Cave National Park, and took a ride on the vintage 1880 steam train between Hill City and Keystone. We didn't visit the Crazy Horse Memorial or Jewel Cave National Monument this trip. (The above attractions all have separate Tripadvisor pages.) The Black Hills Forest hosts numerous campgrounds and picnic areas, plus there are lakes and streams for fishing, swimming and kayaking. There are many hiking trails of various lengths and difficulties, and also the 109-mile George S. Mickelson Rail-Trail for walking or biking. For those who like a more thrilling adventure, there are zip-lines, water parks, horse stables, and helicopter rides available. Food and lodging are available at the towns of Deadwood, Lead, Keystone, Hill City, Custer and Hot Springs. There is no charge to enter the forest, but some of the above attractions charge a parking or admission fee. Some roads, services, and attractions may be closed in winter.
2. Roughlock Falls State Nature Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 121 reviews
Reviewed By CruisinSarah - Casper, United States
We loved visiting this beautiful area while riding the hills in our ATV! A must-stop attraction in the Black Hills.
3. Bear Country USA
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,013 reviews
Enjoy a leisurely 2-mile drive through this unique North American Wildlife park in the the Black Hills of South Dakota. From the comfort of your vehicle view black bears, wolves, elk, buffalo and other wildlife! After your drive-through tour, walk around wildlife loop where young and smaller animals frolic in the outdoors. Don't miss the Baby Bears! Dine at the Cub Grub Snack Shack or shop in the Bear's Den Gift Shop. Open May through November, weather permitting
Reviewed By Mutiny - Sydney, Australia
For a family with young children or Tweenies, the highlight of this place is the bear cub enclosure they are just so cute and adorable. They play and rumble with each other and delight everyone with their antics. You can pay an extra $5 to feed them fruit and vegetables and it is hilarious to watch them feeding (as if they have never been fed before when you know that they are extremely well cared for). The drive through enclosure are also great with gorgeous Arctic Wolves, Mountain Lions and Black bears (of all colours) just to name a few. This was a great family excursion for the morning.
4. Reptile Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,204 reviews
World-renowned adventure park, Reptile Gardens is a must-see family attraction no matter what your age. We maintain the finest collection of tropical plants, colorful flowers, and exotic reptiles anywhere - we have more species and subspecies of venomous reptiles than any other zoo or park in the world!
Reviewed By shayleev - Grimes, United States
The Reptile Gardens was enjoyed by our entire family (kids age 11 & 8)! We did the gator & snake show and loved both. Matt has a great sense of humor while also giving tons of info. We loved all the different types of venomous snakes, Maniac the GIANT crocodile, prairie dog town and petting the Tank the tortoise was my favorite! While it did seem a little overpriced we definitely enjoyed our time there.
5. Bismark Lake Campground
6. Wind Cave National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 609 reviews
Reviewed By Hokie67 - Lexington, United States
Driving through the park to get to the cave is half the fun... as there are some spectacular vistas... and loads of wildlife like... a ton of prairie dogs, lots of mule deer, two big groups of wild turkeys and a few buffs in the distance. The other half of the fun is the cave itself. We arrived after lunch on a cool and rainy Friday... and got tickets for the 2:00 Natural Entrance tour. The guide makes all the difference in tours like this... and we had an excellent one... knowledgeable with plenty of personal insights into the cave's and park's history... plus a great sense of humor. The signature formation of the cave is its Box Work. The cave doesn't have any stalactites or stalagmites because of the way the ground water is absorbed by the limestone. Its popcorn formations are equally interesting There are some steep stairs going down, but you get to ride an elevator back up. There are also some low bridges to duck through. Unless you're a hard core chlosterphobe, you should be OK. Kind of interesting in that it was warmer in the cave than it was outside. The tour takes about an hour. I'd suggest having a time reservation during the season.
7. Rock Maze
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By A3242QZcaseym - Savage, United States
Kids loved exploring here. The ran around for hours running in and out of the rocks and exploring. Nice free adventure for the kids and they had a blast. Nice scenery and worth the visit.
8. McNenny State Fish Hatchery
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By GaryG714 - Denver, United States
This is a beautiful location with huge trout. Very family oriented and lots of fun. One can purchase fish food and feed the trout as much and as often as you want. Right next to City Park Campground.
9. Bismarck Lake
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
10. Cleghorn Springs Hatchery
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 10 reviews
