For about 11,000 years human beings have lived on the Badlands prairie. First paleo-Indians, then Arikara Indians, and later the Oglala Sioux (or Lakota) populated the area. Once French fur trappers penetrated the area, several groups of settlers followed. Cattle ranchers and homesteaders, backed by the U.S. Army, contested the Sioux for the land, eventually driving the Native Americans out or onto reservations. During the conservation movement of the early twentieth century, the Badlands' prairie, wildlife, and fossil beds were seen as worthy of preservation. In 1939, President Roosevelt established the Badlands National Monument; in 1976, 133,300 acres of the Pine Ridge Reservation were added, to be administered by the Park Service and the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Designated a national park in 1978, the 244,300-acre area preserves the sweep of prairie and the sublimity of massive rock formations.

What to see and do. This park can be divided into three main areas: the popular eastern finger of the North Unit, the Sage Creek Wilderness Area, and the Pine Ridge Reservation section, or Stronghold Unit. If you'd like a driving tour of the park, start at the Northeast Entrance. Before you get to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, you'll have the chance to walk several short nature trails. They range in length from three-quarters to one-and-one-half miles, and in difficulty from easy and paved to tough going. Pick up a self-guiding tour booklet at the trailhead for a solid introduction to Badlands geography. At the visitor center, which is open year-round except for major holidays, rangers conduct summer programs and you can watch a movie and walk through exhibits, all designed to acquaint you with the park's unique attractions. Cedar Pass campground lies close by. During the summer, campers can participate in guided nature walks and other ranger programs. The campground is first-come, first-served and usually has open spots. Once you head out onto the Badlands Loop Road (Hwy 240), don't miss the Fossil Exhibit Trail. Along this quarter-mile paved trail, you'll examine firsthand the fossil evidence of Badlands life millions of years ago. Follow the road, stopping at 13 scenic overlooks to fully appreciate the landscape. Look for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep or the occasional golden eagle.

Before you turn north and head out of the park, consider taking the unpaved Sage Creek Rim road into the 64,250-acre wilderness area. Keep vehicles on designated roads to preserve the backcountry terrain. At the end of the road, you'll find the Sage Creek campground, but be prepared for minimal conditions. The wilderness area is just that--wilderness--and campers and hikers should expect to be on their own: no trails and no designated camp sites. For the adventurous who enjoy a less-traveled landscape, the Stronghold Unit provides more opportunity for exploration. Roads are scarce and usually unpaved, so you should check with a ranger at the White River Visitor Center (open in summertime) about possible washouts before you start. Be sure to see the exhibits detailing Oglala Sioux culture. One highlight of the Stronghold section is the Sheep Mountain Table. From this overlook, a splendid view of rock spires spreads before you. The cultural centerpiece of this section is the Stronghold Table, where the Oglala Sioux danced the Ghost Dance for the last time in 1890. To reach this place, you'll need to drive with a topographic map over rutted dirt roads.

Hikers and bikers are welcome in the park. If you bring your bike, you must stay on designated roads, just as cars do, in order not to disturb the backcountry. Enough dirt and gravel roads snake through the park to afford some demanding and lengthy loops; check with the visitor centers for directions. Hikers will perhaps enjoy the park's resources best. Prairie dogs, wrens, and sometimes wildflowers surround you as you slowly make your way across wind-swept landscapes. Bring water at all times, for it can be hot and dry, but also bring raingear for protection against sudden summer storms. Keep in mind that no open fires are allowed in the park.

Winters in the Badlands see some skiing but no snowmobiling. Usually the snow blows thin across the land, not leaving much cover for winter sports. Year-round, the Badlands are often considered a good stop on the way to another area, such as the Black Hills or even further to Yellowstone.


Wind Cave National Park
RR 1, PO Box 190
Hot Springs, SD 57747-9430
Phone: 605-745-4600
Fax: 605-745-4207

Overview. According to Sioux legend, a cave in the Black Hills was the source of buffalo herds that once roamed the plains in great numbers. A steady, constant wind from the inner reaches of the cave is said to have blown the herds out from under the earth to feed the Lakota people. That cave may have been Wind Cave.
The charms of the cave's 104 miles of explored passages are its colorful array of geological features, including the world's most impressive display of "boxwork," a calcite formation resembling uneven honeycomb cells. It also features "popcorn" and "frostwork" formations, but due to the relatively dry atmosphere, you won't find the familiar stalactites or stalagmites that are typical of other caves.
Considered to be the fourth-longest cave in the U.S. and sixth-longest in the world, Wind Cave's known passages represent only five percent of its total size.
The national park's other feature, 28,295 acres of preserved prairie, ravines, pine forests, and hills is home to elk and bison herds and prairie dog communities. Its characteristics are typical of several regions: southwestern yucca and cactus exist side-by-side with eastern burr oak and elm. Nuthatches and wild turkeys can be found here, as well as meadowlarks and prairie falcons.
What to see and do. All cave tours begin at the visitor center, located 11 miles north of Hot Springs on US 385. Interpretive exhibits and a brief slide presentation provide orientation and background information.
Three different ranger-led tours are available for a fee. Two of these, the Natural Entrance and Fairgrounds tours, are a half-mile in length, require you to climb 450 stairs, and last almost one and a half hours. Along the way, you'll explore underground "rooms" with descriptive names like the Post Office (so-named for boxwork that covers much of the walls), Blue Grotto, and Devil's Lookout. The one-hour Garden of Eden Tour is recommended for people with physical or time restrictions. It includes about 150 stairs.
During the summer season, two special tours are offered with the more adventurous caver in mind. The Candlelight Tour takes you through a mile of passageways with light provided only by handheld candle lanterns. For two hours, you'll get to experience the inside of the cave in the same way as 19th-century pioneers. This tour requires stair-climbing, bending, and stooping.
The second special tour is only for the physically fit who want to experience a 3,000-foot passage of Wind Cave crawling on hands and knees through narrow passageways and openings. The tour lasts about four hours; the experience can give you a real flavor of what it's like to be a cave explorer. Call to reserve space on the specialty tours. No more than one-month advance notice is required for both of these tours. You should contact the National Park Service for information on restrictions and proper gear and clothing.
Above ground, scenic roadways make their way from the Black Hills to Wind Cave. Three routes in particular provide lookout points with excellent views of the open grasslands. Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, and Wildlife Loop Road take you through meadows, mountains, pine and spruce forests. Bicycling is only permitted on park roadways.
Pick up a trail booklet at the visitor center to orient yourself to the park's nature trails. Elk Mountain Trail is a somewhat strenuous walk that is a mile long and makes a loop around the campground. Rankin Ridge Trail, which is a little over a mile, leads to the highest point in the park on top of Rankin Ridge and offers a panoramic view of the area. Hikers can take advantage of 30 miles of hiking trails or travel cross-country.
Elk Mountain Campground, the only one at the park, is open from April to October. A fee is charged, and sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis only. No hookups are provided.
Note: The park is open year-round. The period from late September to June is considered the off-season, and cave tours and other services are limited during these months. No entrance fee is charged for day-use of the park.


Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Building 31, Ste. 13 1300 Hwy 244
Keystone, SD 57751-0268
Phone: 605-574-2523 or 605-574-3171
Fax: 605-574-2307

Overview. "There is not a monument in this country as big as a snuff box" as far as sculptor Gutzon Borglum was concerned, and he was determined to give the U.S. the memorial it deserved. In 1927, he began carving the heads of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt into an outcropping of granite atop Mount Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills. By the time his son, Lincoln, completed the sculpture in 1941, each 60-foot-high face was complete with a 20-foot-long nose, eyes that reached 11 feet across, and an 18-foot-long mouth. Borglum would have to agree: this massive memorial is much, much larger than a snuff box.

One of the most recognizable sculptures on earth, Mount Rushmore's "Shrine to Democracy" honors both the vision of its subjects, who shaped a nation, and the determination of Gutzon Borglum, who never lived to see his colossal effort completed. Although entrance to the memorial is free, there is an $8 parking fee.

What to see and do. Stop by the information center to acquaint yourself with opportunities at the memorial and other activities found throughout the Black Hills. Visit the Lincoln Borglum Museum directly below the Grand View Terrace where exhibits tell the story of how and why the memorial was carved. A 13-minute film, Mount Rushmore – The Shrine, is shown in twin 125-seat theaters throughout the day. Take a stroll on the one-half mile Presidential Trail that takes visitors directly below the sculpted heads.

In summer, Gutzon Borglum's sculpture studio, with its exhibits of tools and scale models, is open to the public. Each summer evening at 9 PM from Mother's Day through September 30th, you can attend an evening lighting program. The program includes the film "Freedom--America's Lasting Legacy," followed by the playing of the national anthem and the dramatic illumination of the faces. Ranger-led walks and special programs are scheduled throughout the summer. Independence Day is celebrated with bands and speeches.

The memorial is open every day of the year. The information center and the Lincoln Borglum Museum are open in summer from 8 AM to 10 PM, and in winter to 5 PM; both are closed on Christmas. There are no picnic facilities at the memorial, but there is a restaurant and gift shop.

The Mount Rushmore History Association operates bookstores in the Lincoln Borglum Museum and at the Information Center. There are no camping facilities at Mount Rushmore, but there are many opportunities for such activities close by the memorial. In addition to many private attractions, National Park areas such as Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, and the Badlands are all within an easy drive of Mount Rushmore.


Jewel Cave National Monument
RR 1, 60AA
Custer, SD 57730
Phone: 605-673-2288
Fax: 605-673-3294

Overview. Located on the western edge of South Dakota and spilling over into Wyoming, the Black Hills National Forest rests atop the Jewel Cave. Only discovered late in the nineteenth century, at least 122 underground miles have now been explored, with the possibility of more every day. The third-longest cave in the world, its caverns boast beautiful, intricate, crystal formations of various types, like dogtooth spar, nailhead and scintillite. Though much of the cave is closed to the public for research purposes, three splendid tours enthrall visitors.
What to see and do. At the visitor center, sign up for one of the tours (a nominal fee is charged). The Scenic Tour (limit 30), though still strenuous, is the easiest of the three. For 75 to 80 minutes you'll follow a half-mile of paved paths through gorgeous caverns and climb more than 700 stairs.
The 20-person Historic Tour requires you to do some steep stair-climbing while holding an old-fashioned candle lantern. Wear old clothes on this trip lasting one and three-quarter hours. Children under six years aren't allowed due to safety regulations.
For the most intrepid adventurers, the Spelunking Tour offers a taste of real caving. You'll want to reserve a spot in this popular five-person tour. Call 800-967-228 to make advance reservations, for which you must pay at the time of booking. After you qualify for the tour by crawling through a tunnel 8.5 inches high and 24 inches wide, lace up your ankle-length boots, don your hard hat and headlamp (supplied by the park), and head underground for a four-hour tour of undeveloped portions of the cave. Kids under 16 are not allowed, and 16- and 17-year olds must bring written parental permission.
Expect a damp 49 degrees Fahrenheit in the cave. Wear adequate clothing and sensible shoes suitable for slippery footing and stair climbing.
While you're waiting for your tour, take advantage of the park's surface attractions. Check with rangers about hiking trails, and keep an eye out for wildlife and wildflowers. Picnic in designated areas only and keep pets on leash.


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