Mount Rushmore:Arguably the most well-known sculpture in America, Mount Rushmore features sixty-foot high sculptures of four presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, from left to right.
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Dinosaur ParkOverlooking Rapid City, five dinosaur sculptures have been watching over Rapid city for more than 90 years. Dinosaur Park is one of the original tourist attractions in the Black Hills area, standing along the very ridge where remains of dinosaurs had been found many years ago.
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The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Lakota Native American reservation, located on the edge of the Badlands in South Dakota, United States. According to the Tribal Government records, there are 38,000 people living on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The reservation is 2.7 million acres.
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Just a few miles outside of Rapid City, the world’s largest collection of reptiles can be found at Reptile Gardens. Founded by Earl Brockelsby, over 200 reptile species and a wide variety of exotic plant life can be found by all who enter this iconic South Dakota attraction.
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Explore the beautiful nature of the Black Hills and visit the old American Wild West along the Mickelson Trail. This path nearly spans across the state from the North to the South, providing plenty of ground for exploring South Dakota.
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The Badlands are a unique geological formation found East of Rapid City, South Dakota. At Badlands National Park, you can expect to find canyons, buttes, and spires that showcase the geology of the area over the last 75 million years.
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Formerly known as Harney Peak, Black Elk Peak is located in Custer State park and is the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. Lying at 7,242 feet above sea level, Black Elk Peak is a great hiking destination, at which great views of the Black Hills can be seen when the peak is reached.
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The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota is a tourist attraction to showcase the mammoths discovered on site and the history, as well as an active dig site to keep discovering more fossils and conducting more research.
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Sheridan Lake is a beautiful lake just a short drive from Rapid City. Visitors here can swim, fish, hike, camp or relax. The lake was originally a mining town, and the remains are still down below the surface of the water.
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The Black Hills gold rush was a period starting in the early 1870s where thousands of miners flocked to the area in the hope of finding gold. The northern Hills were especially rich with the precious metal, and the influx of miners and settlers created drama between the United States and the Native American tribes.
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Just outside of Rapid City, the Cosmos is a fun destination to stop by if you would like to question what you know about physics. You won’t forget what you experience and you will leave scratching your head.
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“M-Hill” holds a lot of history and tradition, but has lately grown a lot of attraction with the trails leading up to the letters and plaques. These trails are kid-accessible and give a panoramic view of Rapid City.
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The Black Hills is known for its rich history in mining for gold and other precious minerals. Spokane was once a town hopeful in the search for these gold and riches, but withered into the ghost town that remains today.
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Hippie Hole is a popular swimming hole in the Black Hills, located a short drive from Highway 40 heading to Keystone from Rapid City. Many people go there to swim or cliff jump, but others make the trip to hike and look at the beautiful scenery.
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Located just outside of Keystone, the Ingersoll Mine is a popular location for hiking, exploring, and searching for precious minerals.
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Poet’s Table was set up in 1969 when a group of adventurers and presumable poets decided to create a well-hidden and secret location where other adventure seekers could rest. At this spot, travelers can write down their feelings and aspirations in provided spiral notebooks.
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Bear Country USA is a drive through Wildlife Park, located In the Black Hills, which offers the largest collection of privately owned black bears in the world.
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In the heart of the Black Hills is Spearfish Canyon which offers many hiking trails, picnic areas, and scenic views.
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Art Alley:Art Alley is a public alley in Downtown Rapid City that is covered in spray paint art. Since 2004 the alley has been painted and repainted by local and non-local artists.
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Lake Sylvan:Lake Sylvan is one of the more famous lakes in South Dakota and is the most popular and well known lake in the Black Hills. It is located in East Custer at the foot of Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills national Forest, south-west from Rapid City.
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Deadwood is a small historic town located in the scenic black hills of South Dakota. Its early days as a boom town can only be described as wild; shootouts, murders, gambling, and prostitutes was the norm. Even its founding was scandalous, built upon Native American land it was not considered a legal town for years after its founding. Nowadays visitors can see many original buildings that recount the short lawless history that defines Deadwood.
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Wall Drug is located in Wall, South Dakota. The name refers to the pharmacy store that has been there since the early 20th century. Wall Drug attracts thousands of people every year with its preserved history of the plains, including Native American history.
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Storybook Island: |
Crazy Horse Memorial: |
Storybook Island is a children’s theme park and theater in Rapid City, South Dakota, established in 1959 by the Rapid City Rotary Club.
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Crazy Horse Memorial, located conveniently close to Mount Rushmore, and only a 40 mile drive southwest of Rapid City through the hills. Crazy Horse Memorial is the largest mountain carving in progress in the world.
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