Hill City Things to Do

The 1880 Train operates between Hill City and Keystone. You can get tickets and board from either location. The trip between the two cities takes about an hour one way. The layover at Hill City for those arriving from Keystone is about an hour.

A narrator will explain the sites along the way. The sites include Harney Peak (the highest point in the Black Mountains), the Holy Terror Mine, and the Kennedy House (a building of local historical significance). Wildlife, like deer, can be seen from time to time. The train struggles up a 6 percent grade outside of Hill City en route to Keystone.

A fair portion of the journey is along a roadside. The county road was built along the railway as the path was already cut through the hills. Other portions of the trip take you well enough away from the road where you can image what the trip would have been like back in 1880.

1880 Train refers to the route more than the actual vehicles. The steam engine that pulled us along the way was from the early part of the 20th Century. The passenger cars are beautifully restored.

It's a bit of a hike from Hill City, but this is definitely worth the trip. You'll want to get out and see the barren landscape of this park. There are a few opportunities to spot some wildlife. There are also a couple of choice hikes you can take. A fairly quick trip to see most everything in the park will probably take you 4-5 hours. I don't think you will be sorry if you take the time to see it!

This is a bit longer of a trip, but if you're going out to see the Badlands, take a stop at Wall Drug to see what all those signs are about. Basically, this is just a huge souvenier store, but if you're in the area, you really should stop and see it and snag your free ice water.

Between Spearfish and Deadwood on Route 14, you have the opportunity to pull off the road and see a couple of waterfalls. While there were many people moseying around Bridal Veil Falls, a few miles south you can see Roughlock Falls, which was flowing with a little more force. If you like waterfalls, be sure to stop off here to get a snapshot.

By far, one of the most exciting parts of our trip was to Custer State Park. You get a great mix of natural formations and wonderful wildlife viewing opportunities. Be sure to keep your eyes on the road, because there will be points where traffic just stops because folks are taking picture of the bison, rams, donkeys, or other creatures in the park. Another great place to stop is Sylvan Lake. There are some hiking trails along this beautiful lake. You'll easily spend several hours here - don't miss the Wildlife Loop Road.

South of Custer State Park lies Wind Cave. Great on hot summer days to take a cave tour and get out of the sun. We took the Natural Entrance Cave Tour, and while somewhat informative, we found it to be less so than other tours we've taken. The formations in this cave aren't as exciting as others, the main point of attraction is "boxwork" formations. Plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities above ground, including prarie dogs, bison, and even a coyote.

If you're in Deadwood, you might as well make a quick stop at the Mt. Moriah Cemetery, where some of it's famous citizens ar buried. The first stop is Wild Bill himself. For a couple of bucks, you can get in and receive a map of the various points of interest. Watch out for tour buses! If they're in the cemetery, you may have too large of crowds to see what you want without jockeying for position!

I'm a sucker for gambling towns, so we definitely took the trip up to Deadwood. It has that old mountain town feel to it, and there are plenty of casinos and places to eat. We stopped at a buffet in the Four Aces casino, and while not up to Vegas quality, it was a fairly inexpensive lunch. We stopped at the #10 Saloon to watch a re-enactment of Will Bill's untimely demise. If you're up for some shopping or gambling, you'll find plenty to do here.