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Rapid City Attractions & ActivitiesParks
Looking for some peace and quiet? An idyllic spot to relax and unwind? You've made it to the right category. Here, we list some of the most beautiful and functional parks in the city. Many provide jogging and cycling trails, picnic sites, and large, open areas for throwing a Frisbee or walking your dog.
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 25216 Ben Reifel Rd, 51 miles east of town, Interior, SD 57750
Sprawling across some 244,000 acres, this national park preserves some of the country's most inhospitable terrain. Native Americans and early explorers alike knew of its perils, bestowing on it the name "bad." Even so, the area's beauty is unmistakeable, as the rugged landscape, expansive plains, and multi-hued rock formations prove. The region is...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 2600 Cavern Rd, 4 miles west of town, Rapid City, SD 57702
When these caverns were discovered by prospectors in the late 19th century, a whole world of underground spectacle was opened – and a tourism industry as well. Cloaked in calcite crystals, the caverns also feature a variety of stalactites and stalagmites. A half-hour tour showcases the crystals and discusses how they were created, while an...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 803 Soo San Dr, Rapid City, SD
This ancient chain of rugged granite peaks, swathed in evergreens, does indeed appear black from a distance, which is why the Lakota Sioux called it "paha sapa," or "black hills." Extending across a million acres, the national forest also stretches into eastern Wyoming. The terrain's natural beauty is rife with meadows, lakes, streams, and caves,...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 7770 Nameless Cave Rd, 2 miles west of town, Rapid City, SD 57702
Although known to Native Americans for centuries, this cavern only uncovered its beauty to white men in the last hundred years or so. Crystal formations sheathe the walls, and other mineral deposits are still being created. Visitors marvel at the beauty of the caverns and also experience a shudder when they glimpse the bones of an explorer who...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: US Hwy 16A, Custer, SD
Best known for its resident herds of roaming bison, this 73,000-acre park offers not only gorgeous scenery but planned activities to boot. Plains and mountains are available to hike and explore, and scenic drives provide an easy way to observe the park's wild beauty. Resorts and campsites cater to visitors with varying needs, and rangers direct...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: Rte 1, Box 60 AA, Custer, SD 57730
Discovered in 1900 and named a national monument in 1908, this intricate cave boasts a wealth of delicately colored calcite crystals. These, along with other geological formations, mesmerize visitors who descend into the earth for a glimpse of nature's handiwork. Currently, 129 miles of the cave have been mapped, and speculation suggests that...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 13745 S Hwy 16, 9 miles south of town, Rapid City, SD 57701
This cavern, like many in the region, was formed under water, which explains its wealth of crystals. Access to the formation is via family-owned lands, which were opened to the public in the 1930s. Knowledgeable guides direct visitors through a variety of rooms, whose walls and ceilings are inundated by innumerable crystals. The waters of Diamond...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 10829 Stagebarn Rd, Piedmont, SD 57769
Located in Stagebarn Canyon, this cavern was first opened to tourism in 1935. Its entrance rests amid limestone cliffs in an area where a stagecoach barn served a local transportation route in the state's early days. Guided tours of the cavern run a half-mile and bring to light the region's exquisite crystal displays – Stage Barn's are reputed to...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: 10940 W Hwy 44, 10 miles west of town, Rapid City, SD 57702
In a region where geology constantly brings new surprises, this waterfall was an unexpected revelation to early settlers. While mining for gold, prospectors unleashed what's now known as Thunderhead Falls, somewhat thwarting their treasure-seeking. The formation lies 600 feet inside a mountain and spills some thirty vertical feet. It also flows at...
Category: Parks - Rapid City Attractions & Activities
Address: Rte 1, Box 190, Hot Springs, SD 57747
You'll find no shortage of beauty at this park, either above ground or below. Up top, forest and prairies cover 28,000+ acres of terrain and play home to everything from prairie dogs to bison and coyotes. Miles of well-maintained hiking trails are also available. Down under, extensive caverns tempt visitors to stare in awe at rock and mineral...
