visiting Keystone area (Rapid City, Spearfish, Hot Springs: motel, homes, movies)

[floridafolks]

We are staying at Bufalo rock B&B in June and would like suggestions for lodging for one more night. We want to visit Mt Rushmore and Custer State Park. We are arriving through Spearhead and then driving south. What are places to see and visit? Thanks

[Jammie]

Hi Floridafolks, welcome to So. Dak. There are other members here who are much more familiar with the area, but I would like to mention a few suggestions. When you're in Keystone, you're quite near the new Crazy Horse monument. It isn't finished yet, but since Ziolkowski has passed on, his family is continuing dynamiting the mountain and some day it will be finished. It's worth seeing as it's being created. It's being created in much the same way that Mt. Rushmore was (although in a more modern way, I'm sure with no horse teams and wagons, etc.) and it's nice to see history being made. Keystone itself is very tiny, but is so cute and they have a lot of shops to browse in. You may want to take a trip over to the Deadwood/Lead area. Lead is where the Homestake gold mine was and where gold had been mined for many years. Deadwood is the town that the HBO show "Deadwood" is about and it's very historic. Be sure to check out the Deadwood website because they often have car shows or outdoor rock n roll concerts or something going on there. If you mean that you'll be coming to SD entering Spearfish, you'd love to check out the Spearfish Canyon. It will be beautiful in June and the town also has an aquarium. Before you go south to Keystone, you'll be near Rapid City and they have the Reptile Gardens (YUCK) and nice parks for children to see. Hot Springs isn't too far and has Evans Plunge, a pool that's made from mountain spring water and it's warm. It's considered to be "Healing waters". They also have the 1880 train that runs from Hill City to Custer, I believe and you can see beautiful countryside. It's off to work for me, but if I remember anything else, I'll repost to you.

[uncleharley]

If you are interested in wildlife, the wildlife loop in Custer State Park is a must see. You can pick up a map of the park at any motel or at the gate to the park. You will see Buffalo, mule deer, & white tail deer roaming the hills. You also might spot mountain goats and/or elk, but these are rarer.
If you get down to Hot Springs, there is a wild horse santuary a few miles south of town. There have been a number of movies shot there and the horses are beautiful.

[Jammie]

UncleHarley, tell me about the wild horse sanctuary. I've never been there. If one is in Hot Springs, do they have signs going to it or would everyone know where it is? (in restaurants or motels)

[uncleharley]

Here is the addy to their website http://www.gwtc.net/~iram/
Be sure to take their virtual tour. The website can tell you more than I can, but the sanctuary is located 10 to 15 miles southeast of Hot Springs. I believe it is on highway 72, but I don't have my maps in front of me so I might be wrong on the highway number. There are some signs pointing the way, however everyone knows where it is if you get turned around. The drive is very picturesqe thru the rocky southern hills with expansive valleys just over each ridge. The sancuary itself is a cattle ranch that dates back to the 1800's. It is located in Hells canyon. It looked like they still raised cattle there as well as a few hundred head of wild horses. Bus tours are available as well as 4wd guided tours. The scenary alone is worth the trip, but watching the horses roam and run thru the hills was breathtaking for me.

[Jammie]

Uncle Harley, that is beautiful there. I can't believe we've never seen it. We'll probably be out in the Hills this summer some time. I've always wanted to go to Mt. Rushmore for the July 4th celebration, but we've never gone. And just in case we don't make it then, we HAVE to go to Deadwood's Kool Summer Nights.