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Black Hills Nature & adventure

Our most recommended Black Hills Nature & adventure

Rapid City: Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Full-Day Tour

1. Rapid City: Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Full-Day Tour

Head out on an 8-hour, all-inclusive tour of the Black Hills of South Dakota. On this tour, you will depart from Rapid City and travel to Custer State Park, while exploring the top attractions along the way. As you make your way through the Black Hills, your driver/guide will provide interesting commentary, answer questions and provide you with information of what to do and see at your attraction stops. Your first destination will be Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Explore the world-famous memorial depicting four of the most prominent presidents of the first 150 years of the United States – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson. Next, you will discover the 8th wonder of the world at Crazy Horse Memorial. It is the world’s largest mountain carving and is a memorial to all Native American tribes.  Lastly, travel into Custer State Park. It is known for its bison herds and other wildlife. Take in the scenery and marvel at the beauty of the Iron Mountain Road, which climbs 17 miles to the entrance of Mount Rushmore. You will wind over unique wooden bridges known as the pigtails. 

Custer: Black Hills Hot Air Balloon Flight at Sunrise

2. Custer: Black Hills Hot Air Balloon Flight at Sunrise

Go on a hot air balloon tour of the Black Hills and treat yourself to an experience of a lifetime. Admire the beautiful Black Hills and witness historic, wild landscapes and abundant wildlife from a hot air balloon. Soar above the southern Black Hills, and world-renowned Custer State Park with extraordinary 360-degree views of mountains, rock formations, valleys, lakes, and prairies.  Look out for wildlife such as elk, antelope, whitetail deer, buffalo, mule deer, or even a mountain lion. Fly just miles away from Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave National Park, and the South Dakota Badlands. Certified pilots will navigate the flight with your safety and enjoyment in mind. During your 1-hour ride, your pilot will answer any questions that you might have and identify local points of interest.  Upon landing, enjoy a celebratory champagne toast, light snacks, and a story about the origin of hot air ballooning.

Badlands National Park Private Tour

3. Badlands National Park Private Tour

Enjoy a private tour for a unique glimpse into the unique beauty of the Badlands National Park. Learn about the history of the area and spend the day discovering the rare geology of the Badlands. After being picked up, take a short drive to the quaint town of Wall to explore and uncover why Wall Drug is so legendary throughout the world. Next, travel into the Badlands National Park to admire some of the rarest and most incredible geological formations in South Dakota. Enjoy a few moderate hikes around the Badlands and with some luck see some local wildlife up close. Lastly, visit the town of Scenic, a ghost town with a great history, which your guide will tell you all about. On your way there, see the Minuteman Missile Site.

Buffalo Jeep Safari & Mammoth Site Tour

4. Buffalo Jeep Safari & Mammoth Site Tour

Get up close and personal with roaming buffalo, deer, and feed the wild donkeys at Custer State Park. Once in the park, board an open-air Jeep and explore the beauty the park has to offer with your guide. Make sure to bring healthy snacks for the wild donkeys and you will have them eating out of the palm of your hands. Next, travel to Hot Springs to get a behind-the-scenes VIP tour of the Mammoth Site. While at this active Paleontological dig site, view fossils from the ice age. Enjoy an interactive learning experience that includes a botany and geological walkway.

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What people are saying about Black Hills

We had a delightful day with Christine, our private driver, photographer and guide. She had all the insight required to educate us on all aspects of the Badlands in SD. We found prairie dogs, Buffalo, Little Bighorn sheep and antelope. We stopped for many breathtaking views of Badlands. We visited famous Wall drug store. The van was super comfortable and clean with plenty of water and snacks. We had lunch at Red Rock restaurant (included). Christine customized our experience based on our level of fitness and our interest. She allowed us to skip a view of the military missile silos in order to see Sturgis. Pick up and drop off from your Hotel. Highly recommended tour with Christine!!

Mike was awesome. He made us laugh multiple times. Highly recommend if you are thinking about doing this. Definitely worth the money and experience! My husband was super nervous but at the end he wanted to stay up longer! 10/10

This was on my bucket list!! I am not a liver of heights, but Damian and his whole crew made my first ballooning a wonderful experience!! Gentle, smoothe, beautiful, perfect!!

Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse were the highlights...driver was great...enough time at each stop...well worth the price!!!

Bruce our driver was very friendly and provided a lot of information in which made the trip more enjoyable.