Scenic, South Dakota
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Top Spots in and near Scenic
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Hermosa, South Dakota
Stargaze at Spokane Ghost Town
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...Read more -
Hermosa, South Dakota
Explore the Spokane Ghost Town
1 mi / 4521 ft gainSpokane 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...Read more -
Custer, South Dakota
Hike Grace Coolidge Walk-In Area
6 mi / 150 ft gainGrace 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...Read more -
Keystone, South Dakota
Hike Iron Creek Trail #15
2.4 mi / 200 ft gainThe 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...Read more -
Rapid City, South Dakota
Hike to Falling Rock Overlook
0.5 mi / 50 ft gainThe beautiful hike is a tremendous spot to get out of town and enjoy the scenery and a great view of Rapid Creek down in the canyon below. Parking is right off Falling Rock Rd. then the trail is a very well marked path through the trees, easy to follow, and leads you right to the edge of limesto...Read more -
Keystone, South Dakota
Hike to Ingersoll Abandoned Mine
2.50.5 mi / 4990 ft gainDrive 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...Read more -
Keystone, South Dakota
Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore
4.70.71 mi / 137 ft gainThe 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...Read more -
Keystone, South Dakota
Mt. Rushmore Profile View
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...Read more -
Rapid City, South Dakota
Spring Creek to Sheridan Lake Overview
2.7 mi / 345 ft gainThis 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...Read more -
Keystone, South Dakota
Rock Climb at 1880 Wall
0.1 mi / 150 ft gainThere 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...Read more -
Custer, South Dakota
Fly Fish French Creek
0.5 mi / 15 ft gainThe creek has two main sections, there is Upper French Creek and Lower French creek, the upper/lower refer to the section of creek above or below Stockade Lake. The better fishing is below Stockade Lake. There you can find numerous sections of the creek that are on public land and easily accessib...Read more -
Keystone, South Dakota
Horse Thief Lake Trail
4.05.27 mi / 1132 ft gainHorse Thief Lake Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Keystone, South Dakota.Read more -
Rapid City, South Dakota
Dakota Point at Sheridan Lake via the North Trail
2.2 mi / 200 ft gainThere 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...Read more -
Custer, South Dakota
Hike the Stockade Lake Trail
1.2 mi / 500 ft gainThe trail starts near the East side of Stockade Lake just outside Custer, South Dakota. The trail is a 1.2 mile loop, and climbs up to 5,650 feet above sea level. The trail is easy to follow and is well worn. Also the trees have blue diamonds nailed to them for even easier route finding. Once you...Read more -
Custer, South Dakota
Hike the Lookout Point Loop at Wind Cave National Park
3.54.5 miThe Lookout Point Loop actually combines parts of three trails to bring you through some of Wind Cave's best prairieland. Begin at the trailhead for Centennial and Lookout Point off of Hwy 87 and take Lookout Point trail east to Beaver Creek. At Beaver Creek, you'll catch the Highland Creek Trail...Read more -
Hot Springs, South Dakota
Tour Wind Cave
4.80.67 mi / 6 ft gainEstablished in 1903, Wind Cave National Park is home to over 140 miles of mapped cave passages. The cave features 95% of the world's known boxwork calcite formations and got its name from the sound of rushing wind created at its few small openings.A guided tour is the only way to see the cave sys...Read more
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Go Great Places in South Dakota
In the Mount Rushmore state, travels to South Dakota are full of one-of-a-kind adventure with wide-open spaces as endless as the horizons. Between legendary landscapes and scenic drives, you can always find space that shifts life into park. When you’re ready, go great places.
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