Badlands National Park & Black Hill National Forest – South Dakota General Information Wear hiking shoes or boots. There will be a variety of terrain at Black Hills and Badlands will be rocky. Certain spots may be difficult to hike with tennis shoes. Bring lots and lots of water while hiking – especially at Badlands as it will feel more dry and hot (depending on the season) Day 1 Plan Information Badlands Badlands National Park https://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm National Park and Wall Cost: $30 for a vehicle. Park pass is good for 7days so keep the receipt! Badlands National Park covers 244,000 acres of the world’s richest fossil beds. It was named by the Lakota people, a Native American tribe, and called "mako sica" which translates into "bad lands." It was named this because it was thought to be land that was bad due to the difficulty to travel through and lack of rain. When it did rain, it would cause the clay to become slippery. The rock formations of Badlands National Park are due to deposition and erosion. Over millions of years, layers of rock slowly built up on one another. It's estimated that around 500,000 years ago, the Cheyenne and White Rivers began forming which has caused erosion. The erosion is occurring at one inch per year therefore it's believed that the Badlands will be completely eroded in the next 500,000 years. Visit Ben Reifel Visitor The visitor center is a great way to obtain more information and maps of the park. You can find a museum exhibit, film about the park, Center (Park and working fossil preparation lab. There is also a gift shop to buy souvenirs. Headquarters) Hike There are 8 hiking trails near Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Notch Trail was recommended by the park ranger. It is a 1.5 mile moderate to strenuous hike. You will have to climb a log ladder to reach a ledge. Once you reach the end, you will see views of the White River Valley. Watch the sunrise or For sunrises, visit Big Badlands Overlook, the Door Trail, the Norbeck Pass area, the Dillon Pass area, and Panorama Point, just west sunset at the park of Bigfoot Pass. For sunsets, try Pinnacles Overlook, Conata Basin Overlook, Bigfoot Pass Picnic Area, and the Norbeck Pass area. We watched the sunset at Pinnacles Overlook and it was beautiful! Visit Wall Drug Store Wall Drug Store is a roadside tourist attraction. You’ll see signs everywhere on your drive! It is home of the free ice water and 5 ¢ coffee along with dining, gifts and souvenirs, and visitor information. It opened in 1931 and now brings million of visitors each year. There are other restaurants and shops that surround Wall Drug Store. WWW.EM-ENROUTE.COM Day 2 Black Hills & Custer https://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills Park https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/ Visit Black Hills National Forest Cost: $20 for a vehicle. Park pass is good for 7consecutive days. and Custer State Park Black Hills National Forest is named from the Lakota words Paha Sapa meaning "hills that are black". It covers 1.2 million acres of mountains and lush forest. The forest has many options for activities such as hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, mining, wildlife viewing, and so much more. Custer State Park is nestled in Black Hills and contains 71,000 acres of land. The drive to Custer State Park is incredibly beautiful as you wind through the mountainside. Hike Little Devils Tower Little Devils Tower Spur Trail is a 3-mile out and back trail. It offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as a moderate to strenuous Spur Trail hike as the last half mile has a steep rocky incline. The trailhead is located less than a mile south of Sylvan Lake and parking is available. From the top, you will see beautiful views of Black Hills along with Black Elk Peak. Sylvan Lake Sylvan Lake is one of Custer State Park’s five lakes. You can swim, boat, fish, kayak, and canoe on the lake. There are many large rocks you can climb and jump off into the water. More information can be found at the General Store located next to the lake. Canoe/Kayak Cost: $14 per person for half hour. $24 per person for 1 hour. Day 3 Bear Country USA https://www.bearcountryusa.com/ Cost: $18 per person Sightseeing in Black Hills Bear Country USA is a wildlife drive-through park. It is over 200 acres with bears, elk, reindeer, cougars, bobcats, wolves, and more! National Forest Mount Rushmore https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm Cost: $10 for a vehicle Mount Rushmore is a 60-foot sculpture of four U.S. presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, aimed to tell the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. The carving began in 1927 and was completed in 1941. Crazy Horse Memorial https://crazyhorsememorial.org/visit Cost: $30 for a vehicle Crazy Horse is a memorial honoring the Oglala Lokota warrior, Tasunke Witco or Crazy Horse. It is the world's largest mountain carving. Initiated by Chief Henry Standing Bear and sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski, the construction began in 1948. It remains under construction and the completion date is unknown. The memorial's mission is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition, and living heritage of the Northern American Indians. Watch the informative video, tour the Indian Museum of North America, visit the sculptor’s home and studio, and grab something to eat at the restaurant on site. If you’re visiting between Memorial Day to end of September, stay for the laser lightshow. “Legends in Light” is the Crazy Horse Memorial‘s multimedia laser-light show presented nightly, at dark. The laser-light show turns the mountainside into a giant 500-foot “screen” for the spectacular display. WWW.EM-ENROUTE.COM Day 4 Hike Black Elk Peak Black Elk Peak Trail (formerly known as Harney Peak) is a 6.6 mile roundtrip out and back trail leading to a stone fire tower. The Trail tower was constructed in 1938 and made of stone, cement, and sand. The peak is the highest elevation, 7,242 feet, in South Dakota and also the highest elevation between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains in France. The trailhead is located at Long hike day Sylvan Lake day use area and parking is available. Expect the hike to take 4-5 hours. Afterward, consider taking a dip in Sylvan Lake again! Bathrooms are available at the lake. Highly recommend stopping by Miner Brewing Company and Prairie Berry Winery on your way out! Bonus Wind Cave National https://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm Activities Park Wind Cave was established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was the first cave to be designated as a national park. The cave is decorated with cave formations and speleothems (a structure formed by the deposition of minerals from water). The speleothems that the cave is most known for is boxwork. Multiple tours are available and prices range from $5-12. There are also two other caves in the area, Wonderland Cave and Black Hills Caverns. Devils Tower National https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm Monument Cost: $25 for a vehicle. Park pass is good for 7consecutive days. Devils Tower is located in Wyoming about an hour and a half outside of Black Hills National Forest. The tower is a protruding geologic feature in a prairie. It is considered sacred by Northern Plains Indians and indigenous people. You can hike a 1.3 mile loop around the base of the formation. Art Alley Art Alley is located on 7th street in Rapid City. Started in 2003, the alley walls highlight local artists with unique works of art. Restaurants, Breweries, Miner Brewing Company & Prairie Berry Winery – Located in Black Hills and a perfect stop after a day of hiking or sightseeing Wineries, and more! Firehouse Brewing Company – Located in Rapid City. Full menu of food and beer with a winery located next door. Great outdoor seating. Independent Ale House – Located in Rapid City. Specializes in pizza. Where to stay: If you want a nature feel, I recommend staying in Black Hills National Forest. There were many options for lodging including cabins, campgrounds, and hotels. If you’d like a city feel, I recommend staying in or around Rapid City. We stayed in an Airbnb in Summerset, just outside of Rapid City. WWW.EM-ENROUTE.COM Check out the Google Maps link for location details. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Ogfr0bBiDojSf7lre044ZdMkU3Pprfji&usp=sharing WWW.EM-ENROUTE.COM .