Bison, caves and Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills
Black Hills, SD
If you were considering Pigeon Forge, this is a different kind of trip.
- Who it suits
- Families with little kids, families with teens and couples
- How long
- 5, 7 or 10 days
- Getting there
- Fly
- Seasons
- Summer, Fall
Why it works
- The Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park passes the park's free-roaming buffalo herd, prairie dogs and a band of feral burros.
- Wind Cave National Park has bison and elk on its prairie and, beneath it, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world.
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial shows the figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hills.
- Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres with camping, hiking, biking, swimming and fishing.
Watch out for
- Wind Cave tours often sell out from March through October and on holiday weekends in winter; the Garden of Eden, Natural Entrance and Fairgrounds tours can be booked ahead on Recreation.gov, and same-day tickets are first come, first served at the visitor center.
- Park rules say to stay in your vehicle or at least 100 yards from bison, elk and other animals.
Sources
- The Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park passes the park's free-roaming buffalo herd, prairie dogs and a band of feral burros. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Wind Cave National Park has bison and elk on its prairie and, beneath it, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial shows the figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hills. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres with camping, hiking, biking, swimming and fishing. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Wind Cave tours often sell out from March through October and on holiday weekends in winter; the Garden of Eden, Natural Entrance and Fairgrounds tours can be booked ahead on Recreation.gov, and same-day tickets are first come, first served at the visitor center. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- Park rules say to stay in your vehicle or at least 100 yards from bison, elk and other animals. source (checked 2026-11-13)
- seasons: Needles Highway closes to vehicles with the first snow and does not reopen until April 1 or later source (checked 2026-11-13)