South Dakota's Landmarks: A Journey Through History and Nature

1. The 8 Greats - Iconic Landmarks of South Dakota for Your Travel Map! There are a ton of incredible sights and places to visit in landmark in south dakota . The Great 8 Iconic Landmarks in South Dakota should be marked on your travel map, listed from east to west. Mount Rushmore. Our state motto, "Great Faces, Great Places," is not without purpose. It's likely that Gutzom Borglum had no idea the impact his carving would have on the world at  large when he stood before the craggy granite piece he finally decided to make into Mount Ru shmore. Millions travel to the Midwest each year to see the stone likenesses of Presidents Lincoln, Ro osevelt, Washington, and Je?erson.

2. As you walk along the Avenue of Flags toward Mount Rushmore, it's hard to avoid feeling the As you walk along the Avenue of Flags toward Mount Rushmore, it's hard to avoid feeling the  weight of the monument's history. The self-guided Sculptor's Studio tour allows you to travel through time and learn about the incredible engineering that went into creating the monument. It is well worth the e?ort to schedule your visit for the evening in order to see the Evening Lighting Show if you are in the area from mid-May through mid-September. Make sure to stop by Carver's Café for some snacks or a hand-scooped ice cream cone before you leave! The Badlands. O? to your left, you'll start to notice some incredible natural formations rising from the prairie as you travel down I-90 to your Rapid City hotel. Having formed over 75 million years ago, the Badlands of South Dakota are home to some of the world's richest fossil deposits. Badlands National Park has everything you could possibly want, whether you're a photographer hoping to capture the iconic Badlands sunrise or sunset, a family with young children interested in all things natural, an avid mountain biker seeking a challenge, or a couple taking a romantic cruise. Numerous outdoor activities, a fossil preparation lab, two visitor centers, three stunning wildlife loops for driving, camping, and an abundance of wildlife to discover, The Badlands are a continuous experience. The majority of the interactive and family-friendly events last an hour, and any of the beautiful drives should take you around three hours. Crazy Horse Memorial. Standing 563 feet tall in the center of the Black Hills, Chief Crazy Horse's majestic profile reaches 29 feet out to gesture toward Paha Sapa. Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear appointed sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski as project manager and chose the site as a tribute to his cousin Crazy Horse. Standing Bear hoped that his own people would be forever honored and remembered with a monument as magnificent as Gutzom Borglum's Mount Rushmore. When Ziolkowski started carving in 1948, the Crazy Horse Memorial as it is known today was created. In addition to seeing the statue, you can get some delectable Tatanka Stew from the Laughing Water Restaurant, peruse the gift shop for regional Native American artwork, Explore the Native American Educational and Cultural Center and the Indian Museum of North America, or participate in one of the many interactive exhibits. Historic Deadwood. Deadwood was well-known for its gunslingers and its gold long before it was for gambling. Who hasn't heard the well-known tale of Wild Bill Hickock and his lethal card game? Who hasn't heard of Poker Alice or Calamity Jane? Many of these well-known individuals who played major roles in the turbulent history of the Midwest can be found in their final resting places at Boot Hill, also known as Mt. Moriah Cemetery.) Do not be alarmed if cemeteries are not your thing! The historic mining town o?ers a plethora of activities. It's always worthwhile to take a trolley ride up Main Street to see the stores and casinos that you can visit during your tour.

3. Custer State Park. Encompassing over 71,000 acres in the center of the beautiful Black Hills, Custer State Park o?ers nine campgrounds, one horse camp, Blue Bell Lodge, the Game Lodge, cabins, lakes, bu?alo, burros, and likely a partridge in a pear tree. If you want to catch everything available, you should plan to stay for several days. The three most popular scenic drives are through Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and The Wildlife Loop. Jewel Cave. While prospecting on their land in Custer, South Dakota, in 1900, brothers Frank and Albert Michaud discovered a small hole in the ground that was releasing blasts of cold air. When they went back with dynamite to blow out the hole, they found a huge cavern below ground filled with crystals of calcite. Under the lamps' light, the crystals gleamed like jewels, and on Halloween of 1900, they filed a mining claim for the "Jewel Tunnel Lode."The land was transferred several times before the National Park Service assumed responsibility for its upkeep in 1933.Local interest in the cavern increased as park rangers continued to lead tours of the small cave; in the late 1960s, a few cave explorers found an additional fifteen miles of passageways. Wind Cave National Park. Being the first national park to safeguard a cave, Wind Cave is truly unique. Explorators and spelunkers have been searching for the cave's end since the 1890s, but nobody has been successful in doing so. Wind Cave, which is in Hot Springs, South Dakota, is home to unique boxwork, frostwork, and popcorn formations that are uncommon in most other caves. It is regarded as the world's longest and most intricate cave system and has a rich and varied history involving both Native Americans and homesteaders from South Dakota. Hiking trails, expert spelunking, handicap accessible tours, and interactive events are all available at di?erent levels. Find out more about Wind Cave National Park's activities here. The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs Being the first national park to safeguard a cave, Wind Cave is truly unique. Explorators and spelunkers have been searching for the cave's end since the 1890s, but nobody has been successful in doing so. Wind Cave, which is in Hot Springs, South Dakota, is home to unique boxwork, frostwork, and popcorn formations that are uncommon in most other caves. It is regarded as the world's longest and most intricate cave system and has a rich and varied history involving both Native Americans and homesteaders from South Dakota. Hiking trails, expert spelunking, handicap accessible tours, and interactive events are all available at di?erent levels. Find out more about Wind Cave National Park's activities here. What to know when you go:

4. The Mammoth Site hours vary throughout the year due to the summer/winter tourism industry, so be sure to call ahead for open tour hours. It's only about a 50-minute drive from your Rapid City hotel, and you can always stop in Hermosa for a quick snack or to look for Fairburn agates! Here is a link to the Mammoth Site FAQ.