What NOT to do in Deadwood & The Black Hills of South Dakota

Hey there fellow travelers, whether you are heading to Sturgis for bike week, wanting to visit Mount Rushmore or Crazy Horse or learn about the history of the gold rush and the wild west in Deadwood there are a lot of tourist things to see and do in Deadwood and in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Here we tell you what not to do and what to do so you can have a great visit to the western part of South Dakota.
Filmed in Deadwood, South Dakota
Copyright Mark Wolters 2020

#visitsouthdakota #southdakota #blackhills

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[johnsteele]

Something I would add is don’t touch any ribbons placed by natives. They’re especially present at devils tower, bear butte, and black elk peak.

[Tiffinysue]

i live in deadwood, i totally drove by you filming this one morning. haha!

[roedhunt]

I grew up in Rapid City and I can tell you that it is so busy during Sturgis Rally that the Rapid City residents literally rent out their back yard for bikers. That's how busy and packed it is!

[foxyroxy]

Local here! One thing I’d say is you made it sound like there’s only steaks and bar food in the hills. There’s phenomenal food all around the Black Hills. Alpine Inn in Hill City has authentic German cuisine and it’s amazing. There’s an Indian food restaurant in downtown Rapid City. Crab leg buffet in Deadwood. Trust me there’s much more than steaks! And the steaks that we do have are great too! :)

[jegnur]

Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway are a MUST

[onegirlarmy]

As a mom, I highly recommend that families do the Mammoth Dig Site, Reptile Gardens, Journey Museum, and 1880's Town. They're all near Rapid City!

[cookwithsarah]

We went to the Black Hills for vacation this past Labor Day, and it was one of the best vacations I've ever had. We stayed at a hotel in Rapid City, so we were close to everything. All the people are very nice and patriotic.

At Deadwood, we took a tour of the new Brothel museum, checked out the shops, saw Mount Moriah Cemetery, the saloon where Wild Bill was shot, and saw the play of The Trial of Jack McCall. Also took a stagecoach ride around town that talked about the history of the area.

The second day, we checked out Mount Rushmore and drove the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. For dinner, we went to the Chuckwagon Supper Show where you can see the set of Dances with Wolves.

Third day, we went to Keystone and rode the 1886 Train. We checked out the National Presidential Wax Museum and did some shopping along the main street.

Fourth day, we toured Rapid City. We went to one of the wineries and checked out the Sioux Trading Post as well as some other shops. For dinner, we went to a steakhouse called Delmonico Grill.

On the drive home, we stopped at Wall Drug and got the slices of pie with 5-cent coffee. Wall Drug has everything from clothing, to home goods, to Western clothing, to pharmacy, and so much more. Plus, they have a scenic backyard. Also stopped at Sioux Falls during the drive home to get macarons from CH Patisserie (best macarons in the world!).

I recommend the Black Hills to everyone. Even with 4 days of vacation, there was still a lot left to be explored. I can't wait to go back!

[keithsogge]

I wish you had mentioned the wood carving scenes in the Adams Museum. They were made by my Dad. You can see a glimpse of their cases at time stamp 3:02 in the upper left.

[jerryprice]

I've been visiting the Black Hills since I was a kid (1957) and your advice is dead on. The only things I can add is that you forgot to mention Custer State Park and the wildlife loop. Also, you are so right about the food. However, speaking for myself as long as I get my buffalo burger I'm a happy camper. Once again, excellent advice.

[lowercherty]

Don't forget Custer State Park wildlife loop or Needles Highway.

I was in Custer for work during Bike Week. Even at the opposite end of the Black Hills from Sturgis the taffic was unbelievable.

[jamesmiddleton]

DONT skip the lighting ceremony at Mt Rushmore. It is so awesome and patriotic. Tells the story of all 4 presidents that were chosen. Simply wonderful. Oh, and dont forget to bring a jacket or sweater to it. Cools off quickly when the sun goes down.

[Maryjobeug]

Local here- There's also over 450 miles of trails you can hike. Many allow biking or horseback riding too. Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park both have buffalo herds and other wildlife to spot. Late June is the best time to see wildflowers on the canyon drives. Especially Vanocker Canyon which isn't as known as Spearfish Canyon.

[wolfmaster]

Local here! I was born and raised here! He is right! It may be beautiful here but remember to pack warm clothes cause the weather here is kind of iffy!

[christinasohl]

thank you for this video! every 5 years I go to the Black Hills with my parents for their anniversary, and I love helping plan for places to go!

[jamesrc]

Nicely done, sir! I was skeptical as a lifetime resident. You are well informed and provided some great advice. Good suggestion on Crazy Horse. You’ll be blown away on how much unique history and collections in the museum. The Needles Highway is a treasure.

[halfassranch]

A big don't you forgot, DO NOT PET THE FLUFFY COWS aka Buffalo.
They will hurt or kill you....

[ARandomDonut]

Fun Fact: if you go to Rushmore early enough (5 or 6AM) you won't have to pay for parking because there is no one to enforce it at those hours. I think the first parking people show up at 7 or 8AM. The monument is open 24 hours so if you go between midnight and 6AM, you can get in completely free.

[lottiewright]

South Dakota is Beautiful! There are plenty of places to go I must admit Crazy Horse is mt absolute favorite! There is so much more to the Black Hills, as my sister used to live there . and is now buried there I had the advantage to see many things!!R.I.P sis I'm ready for a road trip!!! Your headstone coming soon

[tocsin]

What a great video! Thanks so much for the information. My wife and I are riding over there from Idaho in July (outside of the rally.) First time in SD, and looking forward to it!

[bmetoxen]

Regular, routine driver/visitor to this area twice per year. Everything you said was right on the mark, nice work. Bob & Susan