Hippie Hole, South Dakota

While making your way to the parking area, you'll keep right for the most part. You'll also need a high clearance vehicle or the patience to drive very slowly. The dirt road to the trailhead is full of dips, holes, rocks, and essentially could be a close relative of off roading. If you do not hav...

Great all year long but, especially stunning when the galactic center of the Milky Way is visible from Spring to Fall, Spokane Ghost Town is a local favorite and a hidden gem. Set up your camera, and light paint some old buildings! The ghost town was originally a mine founded in the late 1800's w...

Spokane will always be one of my favorite locations in the hills. The town was founded in 1890 and features 3 intact structures from that time. The most intact structure is the manager's house which you can find up on a hill behind the other buildings. A few years ago the old school house finally...

The trail is accessible from 2 different spots, both give you the opportunity for a scenic drive to get there. The approach from the Northeast side is on Iron Mountain road a beautiful scenic Black Hills highway, and you will be very near Lakota Lake.  The Southwest trail head is a more rugged dr...

Drive into Keystone, take a right on Old Hill City Road, drive for a little over two miles, you'll pass both Kemp's Kamp and the K Bar S Lodge, and look for Echo Valley Dr. on your left. As soon as you pass Echo Valley Dr, keep your eyes out for a pull off on the right. Once you get to the trailh...

The closest possible access to Mount Rushmore National Monument is achieved by walking the Presidential Trail, which takes you to the bottom of the rock pile below the carving. This loop trail is just shy of 1 mile and offers a unique perspective with a chance to view some wildlife. Expect ther...

Cool little pull off area to get a shot of Washington’s face from the side between the mountains. There is a pull off on both sides of the road and a popular spot to stop and photograph this unique perspective of Mt. Rushmore.  For the loop trail to see more of the sites of Mt. Rushmore, check o...

The winding trail to the Stratobowl is a gradual and easy hike, which is perfect for the whole family or for a quick excursion if you don't have a lot of time. It is roughly a mile to the Rim overlook, where there is a plaque commemorating the November 11th, 1935 balloon flight that launched 72,3...

There are 2 walls named the 1880 Wall, one is the East Wall and the other is the West Wall. To get there you will need to follow Old Hill City Road, either from Hill City or from Keystone. If coming from Keystone it is about 3.8 miles heading west. There is a pullout right off the road and next t...

Horse Thief Lake Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Keystone, South Dakota.

This hike cuts the popular Spring Trail Flume Trail Loop in half, making a beeline for the overlook of Sheridan Lake. It guides you alongside and over the gorgeous clear creek waters via a series of footbridges. Crossing the creek by way of rock hopping for the more adventurous hiker makes this t...

There are 2 ways to get to Dakota Point, one from the north that is more common which I will talk about (or one from the south). The trail that starts on the north side of the lake is a nice easy trail to follow, it is wide and well-worn mostly in forested areas. Keep your eyes out for wildlife...

Grace Coolidge Walk-In area is a fantastic place to go for a hike and do some fly fishing! There are 6 dams built along the 3 mile trail. You can start on either from Center Lake off of Playhouse Rd. or you can start at the southern trailhead near Highway 16A, that is not too far west from the St...

The trailhead is located at the Willow Creek Horse Camp. This trail doesn't allow motorized vehicles but you may share it with some horses depending on when you venture onto the trail. The trail itself is pretty easy, it will take about 1.5-2 hours depending on your pace and is shaded for about h...

This is a moderate hike with a huge payout in the form of some of the Black Hills' most beautiful features — tall granite spires rising hundreds of feet above the surrounding terrain, reaching a maximum height of 6,860 feet. Starting from the Cathedral Spires Trailhead --where you may be treated...

The Custer State Park Wildlife Loop runs for 18 miles across beautiful grasslands and pine-speckled slopes that are home to much of the park's wildlife. Bison, pronghorn, whitetail, mule deer, elk, coyotes, burros, prairie dogs, eagles, hawks, and a variety of other birds may be spotted along the...