Part 2: Exploring Other South Dakota Attractions
Being right next door, I’ve visited South Dakota with my parents many times. South Dakota’s treasures are undeniable. There’s so much to explore that I’ve split this blog into two posts: National Parks and Other South Dakota Attractions.
CUSTER STATE PARK & NEEDLES HIGHWAY
Custer State Park is a must-visit if you’re looking for spectacular scenery and up-close wildlife encounters.
You can drive the Wildlife Loop, but we saw plenty before getting there, including two herds of bison, pronghorns, mule deer, and wild burros. One bison herd was grazing right next to the road, just twenty feet from us! They were calm, snorting and rolling in the dirt, nursing their young—the quintessential South Dakota experience.
The wild donkeys, however, are the real attention-seekers, leisurely strolling down the middle of the road and poking their heads into car windows, looking for treats.
I petted a few burros who were more interested in snacks than us, and though we brought apples, we didn’t feed them since it’s not allowed. Others did, and the burros swarmed their cars—it was hard not to wish we’d joined in the fun!
Custer’s loop could be a mass of confusion with cars stopped every which way, people, bison, and donkeys all over. But, again, fun.
If you’re up for an adventure and can handle narrow, winding roads, try the Needles Scenic Highway, which connects to the park’s Wildlife Loop.
This route boasts some of the most breathtaking views and hair-raising drives with tight 180-degree switchbacks and steep climbs through the Black Hills.
The road winds through stunning rock formations resembling needles and features three narrow, one-lane tunnels that add to the excitement.
The scenic overlooks, especially for the Cathedral Spires and Needle’s Eye—a rock spire with an opening that looks like a needle’s eye—were chaotic with too many cars and too little space, but the views were absolutely worth it!
MAMMOTH SITE
The Mammoth Site turned out to be a fascinating attraction. Thousands of years ago, a sinkhole formed here and filled with warm water, luring mammoths and other animals seeking a drink or a bath. Sadly, once they entered, they couldn’t escape due to the slippery slate walls. This continued for about 300 to 700 years until sediment eventually filled the hole, allowing animals to cross it safely.
Excavation has been ongoing for about forty years, with archaeologists digging down roughly twenty-seven feet so far—there’s still an estimated forty feet to go!
We saw mammoth jawbones, tusks, leg bones, skulls, and even footprints during the guided tour. It was surprising to see how lifelike everything looked, with two nearly intact mammoths among the finds. One other mammoth appeared to have died despite having almost climbed to freedom. I felt for that poor beast.
In the exhibit hall and lab, volunteers work with artifacts and are available to answer questions. However, they seemed a bit preoccupied when we visited and ignored us. The sinkhole itself was smaller than expected, considering the size of the mammoths, but it’s still worth a visit for a small fee.
BLACK HILLS WILD HORSE SANCTUARY
After visiting the Mammoth Site, we drove about twelve miles south to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. The scenic drive through rolling hills felt like stepping into a South Dakota movie set—no surprise since films like Hidalgo and Crazy Horse were shot in this area.
Along the way, we spotted a group of palominos and even passed a quiet cemetery. The sanctuary is home to 500 wild horses spread across 13,000 acres, and the only way to truly experience it is on a two-hour guided tour in an air-conditioned bus—a must when it’s 95 degrees outside!
Though the tour was pricey (which my dad wasn’t thrilled about), we still managed to catch glimpses of the wild horses from the road, but my dad still complained for the rest of the trip that we didn’t take the tour!
CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL
The Crazy Horse Memorial has been a monumental project for over 50 years. The face of Crazy Horse is completed, and work has begun on the horse’s head. Though the original sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, passed away many years ago, his widow and most of his children continue his work. The memorial complex includes exhibits, restaurants, gift shops, a water veranda, the sculptor’s workshop, an education center, and the widow’s home.
Our visit began with a video detailing the construction process, which primarily involved a lot of dynamite! However, the complex is about a mile from the monument, offering only a profile view of Crazy Horse. Eager to get a closer look, I decided to take a shuttle bus into the construction zone with my dad. The driver provided additional insights beyond the video, and we were thrilled to see the monument up close and get a full-frontal view of Crazy Horse’s face. We even spotted a mountain sheep and her baby during the trip.
Here’s what I learned about the monument and its sculptor: Ziolkowski was approached by Standing Bear, a Lakota chief and the only person with the authority to commission a memorial to Crazy Horse due to his blood relation. Despite initially ignoring the request, Ziolkowski eventually visited Standing Bear and other Lakota chiefs on the reservation, finding their vision compelling. He liked the reference to Native Americans having their heroes.
He accepted the commission, funded entirely by donations, not federal grants. Interestingly, Ziolkowski had previously worked as a foreman on Mount Rushmore but was fired—an old letter about his dismissal is part of the Crazy Horse exhibition. He initially lived in a tent for the first seven months of the project, with mountain sheep often climbing his ladder to join him.
Ziolkowski married a woman eighteen years his junior, and they had ten children—five boys and five girls—most of whom are still involved in the project. One daughter is an accomplished artist, another became a priest, and the oldest son is “retired,” though the bus driver humorously noted he never seemed to do anything to retire from.
A plaster model of the completed memorial, showing Crazy Horse on his horse pointing to his land, is part of the complex. Crazy Horse, on his horse, pointing to his land where his people are buried.
There’s also an impressive bronze sculpture by Ziolkowski depicting two fighting horses, which reminded me of Bernini’s sculptures in Italy.
During our visit, we enjoyed performances by young Native American dancers, including an exceptionally talented dancer who does competitions.
We also took home a free rock from the Crazy Horse Memorial and explored the gift shop, which featured excellent craftwork. We easily spent a few hours immersed in this fascinating project.
Fun fact: The Crazy Horse Memorial will be the largest sculpture in the world when completed, with Crazy Horse’s head alone being about 87 feet tall.
BEAR COUNTRY USA
Bear Country USA is a drive-through wildlife park where you can view the animals up close. We were greeted by reindeer, an arctic wolf casually strolling beside our car, and a sheep with her lamb before reaching the main attraction—Bear Country.
The drive was quite congested, with cars bumper-to-bumper, and as soon as we entered the bear area, we quickly rolled up our windows.
Bears were everywhere—there had to be at least a hundred! They wandered alongside the cars, crossed the road, lounged in ponds, strolled through the fields, and rested on artificial logs.
One guide on an ATV seemed to be stirring up the bears for a bit of action on that hot day. Some bears appeared ragged from molting, while others looked like playful yearlings. Seeing so many bears in one place was impressive, but I wondered where they all came from.
After the bears, we saw mountain lions and buffalo before reaching Babyland. This section was a delightful treat with frolicking wolf cubs, playful baby bears, and other young animals like foxes, bobcats, skunks, and beavers. The baby bears were especially adorable—the smallest one kept playfully nibbling on its sibling’s ear.
However, as someone accustomed to seeing bears in the wild, I couldn’t shake a sense of sadness. Seeing so many bears confined in a relatively small space, without their natural environment to roam, climb, or forage, felt disheartening. Bears are solitary creatures with expansive territories, and observing them without the natural elements they need to thrive was a poignant reminder of their true habitat needs.
Fun fact: Bear Country USA is home to a wide variety of bears, including species such as black bears and grizzly bears, and it aims to provide educational experiences about wildlife while promoting conservation.
DEADWOOD
We continued to Deadwood, which was nothing like I remembered from my childhood. The town, once known for its Wild West roots, now felt more like a tourist trap than an authentic Old West experience. After my parents struggled to find parking, we ended up at the far end of town and walked in.
Unfortunately, the iconic No. 10 Saloon, where Wild Bill Hickok was famously shot during a poker game on August 2, 1876, was closed due to a family dispute among the owner’s heirs.
We grabbed lunch at the Stockade, a restaurant with a very “Western” vibe, complete with a one-man band my mom swore looked and sounded just like Willie Nelson.
Afterward, my mom and I explored a few shops while my dad checked out a casino in search of a Texas Hold ‘Em game, though he quickly returned, disappointed that no one was playing. My mom and I bought a vial of genuine Black Hills Gold.
To avoid the steep climb up to Mount Moriah Cemetery, my dad found us a tour bus with Alkali Ike Tours, run by a chatty veteran named Ike. For the next hour, we listened to Ike’s endless tales as we made our way up the hill. Ike claimed to be friends with Kevin Costner, who once owned a restaurant called Jake’s and a casino named the Midnight Star in Deadwood. Both were named in honor of his first film, “Silverado.” Ike had managed Jake’s during that time and had plenty of stories to tell about the actor’s connection to the town.
Unfortunately, we spent minimal time at the cemetery itself, only stopping briefly to see the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. I remembered from a previous visit that there was a children’s section, but we didn’t see it this time.
We also drove past the Potter’s Cemetery and the Chinese Cemetery, which now only has two remaining graves, as most of the original burials were exhumed and sent back to China a decade after death, in keeping with Chinese customs. One interesting tidbit about Mount Moriah Cemetery is that many of the graves, only about eighteen inches deep, began to emerge from the ground due to the hill’s erosion. Thanks to Deadwood’s gambling revenues, the town could construct cement walls to secure the graves.
Most of what we learned on the tour, however, centered around Wild Bill and Calamity Jane:
Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane arrived in Deadwood on the same stagecoach in 1876, though they hadn’t met before. Just six weeks later, Wild Bill was famously shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall while playing poker. Ironically, it was the only time Bill sat with his back to the door. At the time of his death, he was holding what is now known as the “Dead Man’s Hand”—black aces and black eights. Contrary to popular belief, Bill was never the sheriff or marshal of Deadwood; he spent most of his time playing poker. Before his time in Deadwood, Bill served as a scout for General Custer, who had been killed just months before Bill’s demise.
After initially being acquitted by a miner’s jury in Deadwood, McCall was later rearrested, tried, convicted, and hanged in Yankton after boasting about his crime. In Deadwood, there’s a bronze sculpture of Wild Bill, created by the son of the sculptor behind Mount Rushmore and the daughter of the sculptor of the Crazy Horse Memorial. The town’s sheriff at the time, Seth Bullock, was a towering 6’6″ figure who famously governed without a gun; there’s even a haunted hotel in town named after him.
Calamity Jane was a tall, homely woman who often dressed in men’s clothing, performed men’s work, and was frequently mistaken for a man. Known for her vulgarity—spitting, swearing, and occasionally hooking—she was also admired for her heart of gold. During the smallpox epidemic of 1879, she nursed the sick back to health (she survived smallpox as a child), and remarkably, none of her patients died.
When Jane passed away, she requested to be buried next to Wild Bill, a wish honored by Deadwood’s wealthiest resident, John Fitzgerald, who funded her burial. Jane had cared for Fitzgerald’s son during the smallpox outbreak, and the boy survived.
Fun fact: Deadwood’s Mount Moriah Cemetery is not only the final resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane but also holds the remains of other notable figures from the Black Hills gold rush era, including early pioneers and notorious outlaws.
MOUNT RUSHMORE
After our tour of Deadwood, we decided on a spontaneous detour to Mount Rushmore. What a transformation from my childhood memories! The area surrounding the monument has been upgraded significantly. Gone are the days of being distanced from the iconic sculpture. Now, there’s convenient parking, a well-designed entrance with restrooms and multimedia exhibits, and a bustling area with food vendors and gift shops.
As you stroll along the Avenue of Flags, you’ll see all fifty state flags proudly displayed, each with the date of its admission to the Union. The highlight, of course, is the Grand View Terrace, offering a stunning, head-on view of the monumental faces.
We even spotted a mountain goat grazing on the rocks near the Avenue of Flags, trying to mooch some food. It turned out to be a delightful surprise and a reminder of the charm and grandeur of Mount Rushmore.
Fun fact: The Mount Rushmore National Memorial was completed over fourteen years, from 1927 to 1941, and involved the work of 400 skilled craftsmen and laborers.
DEVIL’S GULCH
We made our way to Devil’s Gulch in Garretson. Legend has it that in 1876, the infamous outlaw Jesse James made a daring escape by leaping his horse across the eighteen-foot-wide gorge after the Northfield Bank Robbery.
Today, a sturdy bridge spans the gulch where James is said to have made his legendary jump, allowing you to cross and soak in the dramatic scenery. There are also scenic walking trails that let you explore the area and imagine the thrilling chase from over a century ago. The spot adds a touch of wild west adventure to your visit, making it a must-see for history buffs and thrill-seekers alike.
Fun fact: Devil’s Gulch is not just famous for its Jesse James legend but also for its striking natural beauty, with rugged rock formations and vibrant wildlife adding to the area’s charm.
If You Want to Go:
Crazy Horse Memorial https://crazyhorsememorial.org/
Mammoth Site https://mammothsite.org/
Bear Country USA https://bearcountryusa.com/
Deadwood https://www.deadwood.com/
Mount Rushmore National Memorial https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm
Devil’s Gulch https://visitgarretsonsd.com/directory/devils-gulch/
Custer State Park https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/
Needles Highway https://gfp.sd.gov/csp-scenic-drives/