Raised in the wilds of Montana, Tia spends as much time as she can in Rapid City, South Dakota. A lover of wide-open spaces, wild places, good food and American Indian history, Tia loves exploring all Rapid City has to offer, from downtown's restaurant scene to the Black Hills and everything in between.
Established in 2019, merging the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development organizations, Elevate Rapid City leads the economic development and small business efforts in the Black Hills region.
Emily moved to the Black Hills six years ago after growing up in Vermont. She loves the geography and geology of the area and the variety of outdoor activities to pursue. Always fascinated with science and the natural world, Emily has found a passionate for STEM education and outreach and works to make quality STEM experiences accessible to all communities in South Dakota.
Accessible Black Hills (ABH) is a community focused organization with goals for people with disabilities to have equal access to travel, businesses, and public spaces. Accessible Black Hills serves as an online directory hub for accessibility information on businesses and spaces in the Black Hills in addition to providing consulting and disability awareness to local businesses and stakeholders.
Jakob is a Custer local and a life-long climber. Above all, he appreciates wild spaces and adventures that lead to new experiences. He can frequently be found exploring the labyrinth of Southern Hills Granite with his partner and his dog.
Krystal is a writer exploring family photography, food and travel. As a new resident of western South Dakota, she loves the local music scene and brings a fresh perspective to marketing Rapid City as a worthwhile destination in any weather. Krystal is first in line on Independent Bookstore Day and last to leave the disc golf course.
Hi my name is Mason Moir, I am a photographer born and raised in Rapid City, SD. I’ve always been passionate about being outdoors, traveling, and capturing the world around me. I love the beautiful Black Hills and feel grateful to call this place home.
Hi I am Shayla, the author behind the lifestyle blog Mind Over Midwest. A North Dakota native living with my husband Adam, and one year old son Coleson. A love for traveling new cities and locations.
An Illinois native, Wade made his first trip to the Black Hills during his honeymoon in 2015. That first visit was all that it took to get him hooked, and he's happy to be a permanent resident of the hills now. You can find him most often on the trail with his wife Clarissa and their dog Inkling. Wade runs IntrepidDaily.com, a website devoted to helping people lead more adventurous lives exploring the world of outdoor recreation!
John currently works in the Department of Community Development for the City of Rapid City as a Land Use Planner. In his spare time, John enjoys being outside and exploring the Black Hills with his fiancée, Stephanie, and their two dogs.
Stephanie Kroeze is a local attorney and the owner of the lifestyle blog. In her free time, Stephanie likes to shop local and explore downtown Rapid City with her teacup poodle, Bailey, and her fiancé John.
Tyson is an All American boy born and raised in small town South Dakota. With a love for life and quotes, Tyson’s favorite motto’s are, “rise above” and “live with passion”. Tyson’s zest for life and passion towards his job as Director of Convention Sales at Visit Rapid City shines through any time he talks about the area he calls home. Taking meetings and conventions in Rapid City, SD, from ordinary to extraordinary is what Tyson does best.
After 25 magnificent years in Rapid City, Anne traded the Black Hills for some of the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains. While she loves high altitude living she misses all the must see's, hidden gems, and food back home. Together with her dogs Honey and Nora, she tries to travel as much as possible and explore the hidden wonders where ever she is.
Chris grew up in eastern South Dakota in the small town of Highmore. Rapid City (his favorite city in the world) has been his home for the past 39 years. He’s a local downtown business owner, a Real Estate agent, a State Representative in the South Dakota Legislature, past Chair of Visit Rapid City, and host of Amplify Rapid City, his weekly podcast.
With coffee in one hand, a camera in the other and her four-legged sidekick, Taz by her side, Shiloh loves getting out and exploring Rapid City. Her favorite things about Rapid City include the great dining scene, coffee shops and ease of access to the hiking trails within the city and the Black Hills.
The Black Hills Knowledge Network is an online community information service that connects people to local information and ideas within the Black Hills region. We work with librarians and community organizations to aggregate and organize local news, resources, data and historical archives from a variety of sources.
Kris, a South Dakota native, regularly travels from coast to coast in pursuit of the next creative endeavor but always returns to the Black Hills to enjoy the solitude and beauty that is hardly rivaled by other areas of the country.
Michaela Mader Tully likes to consider herself something of an expert on the Black Hills and her hometown, Rapid City. She has lived across the west, but loves calling the hills home. You can often find her on an adventure- running the trails with her Alaskan Malamute, Kaya, cycling one of our winding highways, or camped out under a night sky with camera in tow.
Adrian was born and raised in the small town of Hill City located 26 miles southwest of Rapid City. Growing up in the Hills, he's always been passionate about outdoors. Some of his favorite activities include hiking, fishing, skateboarding, and traveling with his beautiful fiancé, Zoe. Just over a year ago he found his passion for photography and it has been an incredible journey of teaching himself how to use a camera and finding his own unique style.
“It’s Hitchcock, like Alfred.”
That’s likely the response you’ll get if you ask Amanda Hitchcock for her name. We still don’t know if she’s actually related to the horror-film legend, but if she inherited anything from her namesake, it’d be a fierce determination— and a knack for storytelling.
Travel? Why yes she does. From Abu Dhabi to San Diego, Lisa comes from an eclectic family whose personalities will inspire future comedic films. She’ll do close to anything that will give her an adrenaline rush. It fuels her love to absolutely live life and pursue creativity on an entirely new level. She hopes to pass on that same energy in her writings and inspire others to add a little adventure to their travels.
If the question involves adventure, his answer is always "Yes"! Kevin is an elementary school teacher by day, a visual artist by night, and a travel vlogger with his family during the in between times; they spend their weekends and summer breaks jamming every moment full of fun and travel. Whether it's reviewing the new local park with his silly four-year-old, or road tripping across America with his while crew, Kevin can be trusted to infuse those moments with a contagious excitement!
Liz Beatty is a mom of four small children who enjoys sharing their adventures as family. They enjoy being outdoors and discovering new places. Liz hopes that by sharing their travels and tips that other families might have a more enjoyable, well-informed, and stress free vacation. When they aren't traveling, the family enjoys going on nightly walks, doing crafts, homeschooling, and just enjoying life. Join their family in trying new things and going new places!
Amy Karras and her husband, Jake, write an adventure blog, Unnamed Adventures! They have lived in Rapid City for the last two years with their two dogs and love hiking, backpacking, skiing, and photography! Being adventurers at heart, they have always enjoyed traveling, meeting new people and seeing new sights! They live their lives for the next dream fulfilled! Their life motto is to “Find Your Unknown”!
My names Stephanie! I'm a mama to three little girls (Olive + Pearl + Maple)! My husband Austin and I live in Colorado near the base of the mountains and love every minute of it. We try and get outside everyday to adventure no matter the weather but also love a good nap and dinner around the table. Our lives are a little bit on the go with 3 babes under 3 but we love it!
Always looking for their next adventure, Allie loves to travel with her husband of 6 years, Bert and their (almost 2-year old) daughter, Parker. Day to day, she runs the operations for a digital marketing agency, Wilderness Culture where she works with outdoor brands and adventure enthusiasts alike.
Always on the lookout for enriching creative and heritage experiences, Ginny counts Rapid City and the Black Hills as one of her favorite destinations. A southern girl with a yen for open spaces with powerful stories, she loves nothing more than helping people discover the places that make their own stories richer.
Dani has lived in Rapid City for the majority of her life with a passion for sharing the sweet secrets of South Dakota with visitors. She has done her fair share of traveling to bucket list sites around the world, but the wide open spaces, rolling pines, and genuine hospitality of the Black Hills have always felt like home.
Despite only living in Rapid City for 12 years, this adventurer is glad to call the Black Hills his home. Actually seeing him is rare as he is usually huddled behind his camera trying to capture anything and everything that catches his eye.
Raised in Rapid City and lucky to call it home, this outdoor enthusiast loves to explore the Black Hills with her husband and two dogs. When she’s not at work you’ll find her out hiking, at a local ice cream shop, or perhaps home taking a nap.
