Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes South Dakota Tourism: Cities, Tourist Attractions: Things to see and do -  SO.Dakota - Southdakota

In the Badlands, Black Hills and Lakes region of South Dakota, find lots of outdoor fun for the best family vacation. Mt. Rushmore is located here. You can go camping, horseback riding, fishing, golfing, hiking, mountain climbing and so much more.  Take a tour of the area. Visit a petting zoo. Slide in Water parks. Visit an Native American art gallery, an historic landmark or a museum.  See wildlife. Eat Buffalo meat at a local restaurant.  Visit Reptile gardens, Black Hills caverns and other caves. Tour a gold mine and pan for gold. There are over 800 miles of streams here to fish. You can catch trout, walleye, bass, catfish, northern pike, bluegill, bullhead and crappy. In the winter you can go snowmobiling, skiing, dog sledding and ice fishing. In the Northern Black Hills you can play the slots at 2 casinos in Deadwood.

The Black Hills border northeast Wyoming.

This is a good place for antique shopping, buying Indian made goods, gold jewelry and unique shopping.

Highlights

Mt. Rushmore is located near Keystone. The four presidents carved into the mountain are: , George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson. Herds of Buffalo can be seen nearby in Custer State Park. Crazy Horse Memorial is 17 miles away from Mt. Rushmore.

Belle Fourche is in the northern Black Hills. The town is the antique capital of South Dakota. It is also the geographic center of the nation. Visit a museum. The Black Hills round up rodeo is held here on July 4 with a carnival and fireworks. The All Cars rally is held here the second week of June.  You can go hiking, fishing, hunting, picnicking, biking and camping. There's a lake nearby where many go for water skiing and boating.

Custer is close to Mount Rushmore. It is near the Black Hills National Forest, Harney Peak and Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument. There are lakes and buffalo here. Flintstones Bedrock City theme park is also in the area.

Custer State Park has over 71000 acres. There are trails, buffalo herds, prairie dogs, chuck wagon cookout, horseback riding, mountain lakes and streams here. Go biking, hiking, fly fishing, mountain climbing, boating, camping and more outdoor adventure.

Crazy Horse memorial is a tribute to the Native American warrior Crazy Horse. His image riding on a horse is being carved into the mountain. The face of Crazy Horse is 88 feet high. The face of the horse will be 219 ft high. Crazy Horse is most remembered for the battle of Little Big Horn where General Custer and the 7th Calvary were massacred on June 6, 1876.

Deadwood has 2 casinos and an amusement park. You can ride go carts, bumper boats and play the arcade. Play miniature golf and picnic. Go on a hike. Visit a museum or historic landmark. Camp.  In the area is Spearfish Canyon, Ft. Hays, waterfalls and scenic highways.

Hot Springs is famous for its rejuvenating mineral springs. Here you will find Evans Plunge, the world's largest warm water indoor swimming pool built in 1890. Its built over a thermal spring of mineral water. Take a tour of Mammoth Site, a dig site that have found over 105 tusks of mammoths that lived about 26,000 years ago. Southwest of Hot Springs is the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. There's a museum here. You can also golf here.

Rushmore Waterslide is located on hwy. 16 better known as Mt. Rushmore Rd. in Rapid City SD. There are 9 water slides here and miniature golf as well.

Attractions at a glance

Parks and Recreation Areas

Historic note: the Lakota Sioux has never given up their rights to the Black Hills.