Lifestyle and Community
Living in the Black Hills is like being on a permanent mountain vacation. The area has the largest concentration of national and state parks, monuments, scenic drives and attractions such as the Mickelson Trail (pictured, courtesy of SD Dept. of Tourism) of anywhere in the country. You'll enjoy waterfalls, abundant wildlife, acclaimed recreational trails and spectacular trout fishing in many of our spring-fed mountain streams. Thousands of people visit world-famous
Mount Rushmore and the area's many diverse attractions every year. Historic Deadwood has become a national destination for entertainment and gaming and is the area's alpine skiing and winter sports headquarters.
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracts hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts every August. Mountain carving continues near Custer on the sculpture of the Lakota Chief
Crazy Horse, expected to be the world's largest sculpture when completed. The natural charms of Spearfish attract shoppers, artists and sightseers as the gateway to the beautiful
Spearfish Canyon National Scenic Byway.
Besides the scenery & national parks, you will find a surprising number of attractions that the whole family can enjoy together. Large herds of buffalo, wild mustangs and burros still roam Custer State Park.
Reptile Gardens boasts the world's largest collection of reptiles. In Hot Springs, paleontologists continue to unearth prehistoric
mammoths and dinosaurs. The Black Hills are dotted with awe-inspiring caves, Old West gold mines, and dozens of other family-oriented attractions. Some have likened it to having an amusement park in their back yard. There is something different to see and experience every season of the year.