GET THERE: The Black Hills of South Dakota are a relatively easy drive from Denver, about 375 miles that will take about six to seven hours. Take Interstate 25 north to Orin, Wyo. (Exit 126), then follow U.S. 18 east into South Dakota. Take South Dakota 89 north (it joins U.S. 385 north) to Custer. The best-kept secret to driving there, though, is that it doesn’t take much longer, really, to drive across the scenic Nebraska panhandle and avoid Wyoming’s well-traveled U.S. 1 8/85, with its frequent construction delays. Take Interstate 25 north to Interstate 76 east to Colorado 71, which then turns into Nebraska 71 and then South Dakota 71. Follow that into Hot Springs, S.D., and then take U.S. 385 north to your Black Hills destination. At 420 miles, it takes about an hour longer; Scottsbluff, Neb., makes a good stopping point for a bite to eat.
Or you can fly into Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), 10 miles from downtown Rapid City, on Delta, Frontier and United from Denver International Airport (DEN). Summer rates start at about $179 round-trip. The drive to Deadwood from there, via South Dakota 79, is 45 miles and takes about an hour.
Be aware that you’ll pay a bit more to rent a car in Rapid City than most places because there’s an extra charge for unlimited mileage — anywhere from $5 to $20 a day. They expect you to drive around a lot.
STAY
The Lodge at Palmer Gulch and Mount Rushmore/Hill City KOA (12620 Highway 244, Hill City, 800-562-8503, ). This appealing complex (see Page 2T) is well-laid-out, is packed with amenities and offers a variety of lodging options, from tent and RV sites to small, rustic cabins to huge, fully loaded “executive” cabins to rooms in the main lodge. For kids, there’s a Splash Park, two heated pools, miniature golf, a water slide and more. They also rent banana-seat bicycles for tykes and full-size minivans for adults who don’t want to negotiate the Black Hills in a 29-foot Winnebago. Harney Peak is a hop-skip away, and Hill City and Custer are easy drives. The on-site restaurant does three meals a day, and sing-alongs, chuckwagon dinner rides and other Western-themed activities also are offered. Rates start at $80/one-room cabin; $114-$142/lodge room; $448/executive cabin; $60/pull-through RV site; $40 tent site.
Shady Rest Motel (238 Gordon St., Custer, 605-673-4478, 800-567-8259, ~shadyrst/). Tucked away from the noise of the main drag two blocks away and offering one of the best deals around, Shady Rest’s cutie cottages have kitchenettes with toasters, coffeepots and microwaves, and the front porches are a nice place to sit after a day of touring. The new, big cabin with full kitchen and wrap-around deck sleeps 10, and there’s a hot tub on the premises; guests also have privileges at the YMCA pool three blocks away. The Mickelson Trail is one block away, and owners Joel and Kari Tucker go above and beyond to make your stay a good one. Rates start at $58 for two and $175 a night for the large cabin off-season and $70/$240 in-season.
Sunrise Ranch (27772 Elbow Canyon Road, Edgemont, 605-662-6275, sunriseguestranch ). In spring and fall, you can go on an authentic cattle drive at this lush property, which sits about 6 miles from Edgemont at the end of the Mickelson Trail (the ranch will shuttle you to the Edgemont trailhead). They’ll also overnight your horses for $10 (you provide the feed). Your own hearty breakfast is included, with a side of stunning views clear into Wyoming and Nebraska. The knotty pine lodge offers queen or double beds. Rates are $75 per night.
DINE
Sage Creek Grille (611 Mount Rushmore Road, Custer, 605-673-2424, wildsagegrille ). By offering specials and staying open year-round, the Sage has earned locals’ loyalty. Sit at a highboy table in the front to people-watch and have a glass of wine from the astoundingly well-priced roster (most cost around $28 a bottle) and a few starters (when available, the mussels and clams in pesto broth is a bread-dipping delight) or dig into locally produced bison burgers and walleye prepared “Caesar-style.” The excellent, and large, desserts are all made in-house.
Dakota Cowboy Inn Restaurant (208 W. Mount Rushmore Road, Custer, 605-673-4613). This casual, family-friendly spot has gifts and souvenirs galore, which gives you something to look at while you wait for your food, which includes hearty, reasonably priced breakfasts, soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch and dinners that include a tasty prime rib.
Baker’s Bakery & Cafe (541 Mount Rushmore Road, Custer, 605-673-2253). Give up from the start on trying to decide between a large, fresh-baked doughnut (the maple-glazed has perfect icing, not too sweet) and a full-on breakfast — just get them both. A platter half-covered with golden-brown hash browns, spot-on over-easies, house-baked sourdough toast and two thick-cut slices of crispy bacon will set you back just $6.39, and it’s impossible to walk out without a cinnamon-spiced apple fritter for the road. Good diner coffee flows freely, and the service is about as nice as can be.
Botticelli Ristorante Italiano (523 Main St., Rapid City, 605-348-0089). Red sauce and northern Italian specialties in a casual setting, with a good wine list, fresh-baked focaccia and fresh seafood. The salads of the day are a good bet. Efficient and friendly service.
Pheasant Dining Room at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park (U.S. 16A, Custer, 605-255-4541, . Famous for the fact that Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower have eaten there, the place should also be well-known for its amazing food, from superb game meats to savvy sides and incredible, elaborate desserts. Superb service to boot.
Mangy Moose Saloon (240 Main St., Hill City, 605-574-9502). The antique, cherry-wood back bar and quite a collection of mounted wildlife — deer, bison and elk heads, whole birds, bobcat and beaver, and of course, a “mangy moose” — give this inviting hangout plenty of Old West charm to mix with the newfound pastimes of rock music and karaoke. Good Mexican food.
PLAY
Custer State Park is one of the best places in the country to see bison roaming around, about 1,500 of them, sometimes right up to your car. You also will likely see plenty of pronghorn, mule deer, a few wild burros, coyotes and mountain goats. The park also offers fishing, hiking, boating and swimming at several lakes, and snowmobiling and ice fishing in winter. There are four lodges to stay and dine in, and there are a dozen campgrounds. Visit . or call 605-255-4515.
Harney Peak is a source of local pride as the highest point (7,244 feet) in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and the summit reward is a panoramic view of the Black Hills from an abandoned fire watchtower. The extremely popular trail (read: crowded on weekends in summer) is wide and well-worn, is about 6 miles round-trip from Sylvan Lake and slightly longer from the Horse Thief Lake side, and gains 1,100 feet in elevation. Sylvan Lake is in Custer State Park; entrance fee is $6 per person or $15 per vehicle for seven days.
1880 Train (222 Railroad Ave., Hill City, 605-574-2222, .) chugs round- trip starting at either end between Hill City and Keystone, a tiny, perpetually blinking tourist town that serves as the gateway to Mount Rushmore, which takes a little more than two hours. Foamers will, of course, be in a lather over the restored steam locomotives and Drovers Waycar and other coach cars, and those looking for a relaxed way to see the Black Hills will not be disappointed. Adults $18-$22; kids ages 3 to 12, $10-$12; children under 3 ride free.
Bear Country U.S.A., 13820 S. U.S. 16, Rapid City, 605-343-2290, . Drive through the first part of this 250-acre, mostly open-habitat attraction, which houses dozens of black bear, as well as a couple of grizzlies, timber and arctic wolves, mountain lions, reindeer, bighorn and Dall sheep, elk and bison. The last part is the big draw, though: the raucous bear cubs, who seem to play nonstop. There are other babies, too, all born here. Open May-November: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; June-August, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.. Admission is $15 adults, $8 kids 5-12. Save $1 per person or $5 per car by booking ahead online.
Crazy Horse Memorial, U.S. 1 6/385, 605-673-4681, . Open year- round: 7 a.m. until sundown in the summer, 8 a.m. until sundown in the winter. Admission: $10 adults, children younger than 6 free or $27 per car, whichever is cheaper. If you walk up or are on a bicycle, it’s $5.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota 244, Keystone, 605-574-2523, . Open 24 hours a day except Christmas Day (Lincoln Borglum Museum is open daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m. summer, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. winter). There is no entrance fee; however, there is a $10 parking fee per vehicle regardless of size, good for one year. The national parks pass will not cover this fee.
Reptile Gardens, U.S. 16, Rapid City, 800-335-0275, reptile-gardens.com. Since 1937, this fascinating (for lovers of snakes, lizards and other creatures) spot has been charming visitors, especially with the Sky Dome and Safari Room, an open space where you can walk around with reptiles roaming free (hint: Look on the branches). The giant tortoises out back are pretty cool, too. Open daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Apr. 1-May 21; 8 a.m.-7 p.m. May 22-Labor Day; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Labor Day-Oct. 21. Admission prices vary according to season; summer rates are $14 adults, $9 kids 5-12.
Murder and Trial of Jack McCall, Old Style Saloon No. 10, 657 Main St., Masonic Temple, 715 Main St., Deadwood, 605-578-3346. A free re-enactment of the murder of Wild Bill Hickok by Jack McCall in the saloon daily at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. Kids are welcome until 8:30 p.m., but note that it can be a bit smoky. Your best bet — considering that this is also a gaming establishment — is to try for a space on the patio.
Kyle Wagner
George S. Mickelson Trail details
The George S. Mickelson Trail, Edgemont to Deadwood, is 114 miles (5 miles were recently added as the Fantail Loop near Deadwood).
You need a trail pass if you are older than 12, unless you are within the city limits of the towns along the trail route. It costs just $3 per day or $15 for an annual pass. We did meet up with one of the Game, Fish and Park rangers who said his days are spent riding up and down the trail checking passes. There are self-service stations along the route, or you can buy them online at /northernhills/mickelsontrail/index.htm.
Be aware that there is water at cisterns at all of the trailheads except for Mystic, but only seasonally (usually starting about mid-May and into the fall); check the website for details. Also into May and beginning again in September, there can be snow on the trail, and temperatures and the weather fluctuate dramatically; be prepared for all conditions. Sept. 18-20 is the 12th Annual Mickelson Trail Trek; entry fee is $170. Visit the website or call 605-584-3896.
Dakota Bike Tours (605-359-5672, dakota ) is run by Jim and Glenna Books, who string together rides on the Mickelson Trail, in Spearfish Canyon or at Devils Tower or Badland National Monument, along with meals and stays in charming Black Hills lodgings and other fun stuff in the area. Bike rentals, plenty of insider info and just general peace of mind about logistics are included.
Bike rentals are available at Rabbit Bike in Hill City (125 Walnut Ave., 605-574-4302, rabbit ), which sits a few feet off the Mickelson, across from the train. Owners Ed and Joey Bonds do repairs and sell accessories, and their rentals run $50/first day, $40 subsequent days for a full-suspension bike, or $200 for a week, or $30 a day for a hard-tail. They also will shuttle you starting at $50 to the Redfern trailhead for up to 6 people.
Here’s how we rode the Mickelson the first time:
DAY 1 Rochford to Deadwood as a 52-mile out-and-back (2,600 feet of climbing). Then we drove to Custer and stayed at the Shady Rest. The climb up to Deadwood was probably one of the toughest of the whole trail (still only 4 percent grade), but the spectacular scenery was a favorite.
DAY 2 We hired a shuttle to Rochford and rode to Custer (38 miles, 1,600 feet of climbing). One of the longest sections of sustained uphill riding has at its conclusion a view of the Crazy Horse Memorial. We paused briefly at the top to gaze at the rendering of the Oglala Lakota warrior, accepted that it probably will never be finished, and thoroughly enjoyed the subsequent downhill reward.
DAY 3 We rode from Custer to Edgemont (45 miles, 250 feet of climbing), which includes a section of prairie dog towns, ponderosa pines, an old windmill and homestead, and an abundance of foliage, all fed by the constant flow of water drainage. It rained on us a bit, but then the sun came out. Alternating rain, snow and sun is a possibility in the Black Hills anytime except maybe July.
Kyle Wagner
