Jacob Moon Hiking In Custer State Park

The Rapid City area is made for adventuring. Surrounded by 1.2 million acres of national forest and surreal national parks, state parks, memorials, monuments and more, there’s a lot of ground to cover during your vacation. So, let a local expert be your guide!

Visitors panning at Black Hills Caverns outside of Rapid City, SD

The stops in this itinerary will have you discovering remains of mines and flumes, panning for gold, exploring the underground, and understanding how the Black Hills Gold Rush affected the people of the Sioux nation who lived and owned this land in the Dakota territory. 

Telescopes pointed toward the sky at the Badlands Observatory observing deck

Badlands Observatory

Visit Badlands Observatory during the day or at night for guided experiential tours of the sky. Learn about telescope making and astrophotography, explore the galleries and dome area inside, and take in extraordinary views of the sun, moon, stars and more from the observing deck.