South Dakota Adventure Vacation

The South Dakota trip was an outstanding success!

With the exception of many delayed and cancelled flights to Rapid City we all managed to get to the condos by 1am on Sunday.  There were 14 of us from various states such as: CA, NY, MA, CT, and NH.  Our accommodations at the Terry Peak Chalets were very nice and well equipped for our group.  Each condo included a full kitchen, 2.5 baths, a hot tub, Foos Ball or Shuffle Board Table, 3 living rooms, a grill, a deck, and more.  We stayed together as a large group for most of our big adventures for the week and separated into smaller groups for side trips.

Here is what we did:

Saturday - We arrived and stayed at the condos.

Sunday - We drove to Wyoming to visit Devil's Tower.  Here we hiked a short paved loop around the base than we hiked a longer loop trail.  We returned by Spearfish Canyon where we hiked a short trail to Roughlock Falls.

Monday - We drove to the Badlands where we hiked three short trails through some beautiful sand formations than we hiked a long trail along the side of the Badlands in the Prairie.

Tuesday - We split into two groups.  One group took a long hike up Harney Peak, the highest point in SD.  The other group hiked to the Cathedral Spires.  We all visited Mount Rushmore in the evening.

Wednesday - A small group hiked up Bear Butte near Sturgis, SD.  A few guys drove to ND for state bagging and passed through the geographic center of the USA.  One member traveled the local areas alone to enjoy his birthday.

Thursday - We visited Crazy Horse, Custer State Park where we hiked Lovers Leap, Cathedral Spires, and drove the Needles Highway.

Friday - Some of us hung around the Condos and some went for a short hike in Spearfish Canyon.  There were greater plans for a long hike and for some to visit Nebraska but the only road out from the condos was closed for several hours due to heavy mining equipment.

Saturday - We departed.

Report by WB

We have room for 16 to explore the mountains and national parks of western South Dakota. We'll be staying as a group in condos with full kitchen, hot tub, and centrally located to enjoy the beauty and adventure of western South Dakota. We're planning day trips to the following locations, and you are of course free to set your own agenda during the week: 

Badlands National Park: Don’t miss this eerie national park. We’ll do a day hike to check out the “towering Badlands Wall that dominates the moonscape with a series of eroded ridges and valleys.”

·         The Black Hills: The Black Hills National Forest is home to the Black Hills, America’s oldest mountain range. But don’t let the word “hills” fool you – these are real mountains with real hikes. We’ll explore the trails, lakes, and scenic drives of the Black Hills, culminating with a day hike of South Dakota’s highest peak, Harney Peak, a 7242 ft summit with 60 miles views from the top.  

·         Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse: We’ll visit these national icons carved in granite, including at night when the granite faces are lit. Sounds like a great place for an evening picnic!

·         Devil’s Tower: This spectacular tower in eastern Wyoming is 865 feet high and 1000 feet in diameter.  We’ll do a short hike around this tower, which is America’s first national monument and was made popular via Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

·         Deadwood, South Dakota:  Nearby our home base of Lead is the famous town of Deadwood, South Dakota. This former gold mining mountain town has been transformed into an entertainment destination, with a restored Victorian downtown, casinos, dining, and shopping.

·         National grasslands in Nebraska:  For you “state list sluts" like Chuck (ok, me too), Chuck will be leading a day trip to Nebraska to take in Chadron State Park and the Ogallala National Grasslands. In fact, you can cross three states off your list on this trip: South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska!  This is a big opportunity for those of you who did not grow up in “the flyover zone."