Beyond Mount Rushmore: The Black Hills Region
By Jonathan Berohn
Visiting Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota seems to be a rite of passage for nearly every American that owns an RV...and most of the rest of us as well. What many of these single-minded visitors miss, though, is the wonderful diversity of other treasures that the area has to offer.
The Black Hills
Certainly, if you are visiting the Black Hills, SD area you ought to take in Mt. Rushmore. It is an incredible-if slightly underwhelming-place. Just don't plan to stay there too long. There's really not a whole to do. You walk up out of the parking garage, see the carving, and that's it. You can hike a little bit there, but I'd save that for the less crowded venues. Your best bet is to look and around then hit the road.
If you really like carved mountains, the in-progress Crazy Horse memorial is also worth a look, but I wouldn't fork over the admission. You can get a very good glimpse of it from the road, and that's really all you need. Use the time you've saved to visit the two caves in the area-Wind Cave and Jewel Cave. Of the two, Jewel Cave has the more spectacular mineral formations, but both caves offer great tours that can accommodate anyone from kids to the adventure-seeking adults. Wind Cave-being an actual national park-also boasts a great little campground and plenty of good hiking-all amazingly devoid of crowds considering the proximity to Mt. Rushmore.
The Badlands
The Badlands (also a national park) are also refreshingly under visited for a spot so close to Mt. Rushmore (it's about 100 miles east on I-90). The Badlands offers some of the most unique and beautiful landscapes anywhere in the country. You can also hike anywhere in the park and camp for free in the primitive campground (there's also a pay option with water and traditional camp sites). It can get a bit windy there, but I've never camped anywhere else where a buffalo grazed right through my tent site.
When you are visiting the Badlands, make sure to also check out Wall Drug. Wall Drug started life as a simple drug store, but now it's everything from a Western emporium and restaurant to camping supply store and game room. Wall Drug is certainly kitschy, but its classic Americana that is worth a stop-if only to find out what the hundreds of billboards you will pass are talking about.