Black Hills

Black Hills

The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming. Black Elk Peak, which rises to 7,244 feet (2,208 m), is the range's highest summit.

Native Americans have a long history in the Black Hills. After conquering the Cheyenne in 1776, the Lakota took over the territory of the Black Hills, which became central to their culture. In 1868, the U.S. government signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, establishing the Great Sioux Reservation west of the Missouri River, and exempting the Black Hills from all white settlement forever.

However, when settlers discovered gold there in 1874, as a result of George Armstrong Custer's Black Hills Expedition, miners swept into the area in a gold rush.

The US government took back the Black Hills and in 1889 reassigned the Lakota, against their wishes, to five smaller reservations in western South Dakota, selling off 9 million acres of their former land.

Unlike most of South Dakota, the Black Hills were settled by European Americans primarily from population centers to the west and south of the region, as miners flocked there from earlier gold boom locations in Colorado and Montana.

Location

Black Hills
South Dakota
USA

Getting There

The Black Hills region of South Dakota is a large area, so the specific transportation options will depend on where in the Black Hills you are looking to visit. However, there are several options for getting to the area:

Flying: The Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is the largest airport in the Black Hills region and is served by several major airlines. Once you arrive, you can rent a car or take a shuttle to your final destination.

Driving: Many visitors to the Black Hills choose to drive there. Major highways that serve the region include Interstate 90 and U.S. Highways 16, 385, and 14A.

Bus: Greyhound offers bus service to Rapid City, the largest city in the Black Hills region. Once you arrive, you can rent a car or take a shuttle to your final destination.

Train: Amtrak's Empire Builder train stops in several cities in the region, including Rapid City, and provides connections to other destinations throughout the country. Once you arrive, you can rent a car or take a shuttle to your final destination.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in South Dakota that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.