We have been in the Black Hills area for the past 4 days. When we arrived the weather was warm, even hot, but by Thursday it is supposed to drop to 16 degrees with a high of 35 and snow showers!

This area of South Dakota is amazing; I recommend it highly. While the badlands look like the surface of the moon with peaked sandstone mountains and grasslands, the black hills are lush with ponderosa pine and wildlife. Custer State Park is a breathtaking area with rock monoliths, canyons, lush forests, lakes and mountains. One of the highlights of Custer State Park are herds of bison, deer, wild turkey, burros and pronghorn.  Mt. Rushmore can be seen from various points throughout the park as can the huge carving of Sitting Bull, which is still under development. If you enjoy camping, biking, and mountain climbing, this is a fantastic area.

Last night we went to a Chuck Wagon dinner, complete with a staged cowboy "shoot-out" and cowboy music. Some of the attractions have already shut down for the season, so if you plan to come here, make it earlier in the summer. We still plan to go to Deadwood to see the haunts of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane, Wind Cave, and the Wooly Mammouth digs in Hot Springs. When we leave on Friday we will head towards Devil's Tower in Wyoming and then on to Montanna.

Badlands

Buffalo herd in Custer State Park

Black Hills

Burro in Black Hills

Badlands

Mt. Rushmore