Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, the Black Hills get their name from the Lakota Sioux words Paha Sapa. Though not actually black, the dense pine and spruce forests make the hillsides appear so from a distance. Stretching more than 1.2 million acres, The Black Hills National Forest is home to Harney Peak. At 7,242 feet it is South Dakota’s tallest mountain and the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains.
Put on the map in 1874 after George Armstrong Custer declared the discovery of gold on French Creek, Deadwood soon became a hardscrabble gambling town whose notable residents were Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock. Twice in its history-1879 and 1959- Deadwood was devastated by fire, yet survived and is now flourishing as a gaming destination with 80 historic gambling venues. In 1961, the entire town was designated a National Historic Landmark.
Deadwood, once part of the Dakota Territory, has a gambling history dating to 1876. In fact, it was in Deadwood where Wild Bill Hickok was gunned down while playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10, reportedly holding a pair of eights and a pair of aces, all black. Today gamblers can try their luck in more than 80 establishments with games ranging from nickel slots to $100 bet limits.
The genius of sculptor Gutzon Borglum, the monumental granite sculpture features the faces of four early American presidents. Visitors see 60-foot tall carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Begun in 1927 and completed in 1941, the project originated as a way to boost tourism to South Dakota's Black Hills. Today the memorial, listed in 1966 on the National Register of Historic Places, draws more than two million people every year.
Standing 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, Devils Tower was declared by President Theodore Roosevelt as America's first National Monument in 1906. Located in Wyoming’s Black Hills, the geologic monolith is known as Mato Tipila or "Bear Lodge" by the Lakota Sioux. It is a sacred site for the Lakota, Arapaho, Shoshone, Kiowa, Cheyenne and Kiowa tribes. The tower and its 1,347-acre park draw more than 400,000 people annually.
Among the largest protected mixed-grass prairies in America, Badlands National Park spans nearly 244,000 acres in southwestern South Dakota. Called "Mako Sica" or "bad land" by the Lakota Sioux, the desolate landscape was shaped by millions of years of erosion, wind and water. Defined by deep canyons, towering spires and jagged buttes, the national park is known for its fossilized bones and Red Shirt Table, which at 3,340 feet is the highest point in the park.
Begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, the Crazy Horse Memorial was inspired by a letter sent to Ziolkowski by Chief Henry Standing Bear. The letter stated, "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, too." The monument, when completed, will stand 563 feet high and 641 feet long. Though Ziolkowski died in 1982, the hope of his family is to realize the sculptor's dream.
Weinreis’s Hat Creek Ranch, part of a 35,000-acre working cattle ranch in South Dakota, has over 15 miles of creek bottom habitat along Hat Creek. Over the years its reputation as one of the premier destinations for trophy mule and whitetail deer hunting, and South Dakota turkey hunting has grown. Located 22 miles south of Hot Springs, South Dakota, Hat Creek Ranch is also a wonderful setting for families to enjoy a true cowboy experience.
Known as the "Gateway to the Black Hills" Rapid City was founded in 1876, shortly after gold was discovered in nearby Deadwood, South Dakota. Named for Rapid Creek, which flows through it, the city today has two historic districts, one downtown and West Boulevard Historic District just west of downtown. Visitors admire preserved examples of Rapid City's late 19th century and early 20th century structures, including the 1914 First National Bank and the restored Elks Theatre.
With an average annual snowfall of 200 inches, the Black Hills is one of America’s best snowmobiling destinations. A groomed trail system snakes more than 300 miles, crisscrossing between South Dakota and Wyoming, including 40 miles of trails in and around the Black Hills National Forest on the Wyoming side. During a season that typically runs December through March, riders benefit from not only grooming, but also great signage, support services and mapping.
There are two places you and your family can ski and board just 45 minutes from Wyoming Club-Terry Peak and Mystic Miner Ski Resort at Deer Mountain. Terry Peak has more than 30 trails served by six chair lifts as well as five fun boxes and three rails for snowboarders. Mystic Miner Ski Resort at Deer Mountain has 25 trails served by a chair lift and two Poma lifts, plus a snowboard park.
Swimming within Wyoming's many rivers, lakes, mountain streams and reservoirs are numerous species of fish, including seven species of trout. Beyond trout you’ll also find pan-sized Bass, Rock Bass, Yellow Bass, Walleye and Kokanee Salmon. Not far from Wyoming Club are Helen Dixon Number 2 Reservoir, Field F S 9-207-1 Reservoir and West Fork Fiddler Creek. The Wyoming Club's concierge can arrange for a local outfitter to make your outing a success.
Fort Meade, established in 1878 as a U.S. Calvary outpost, was at the time under the command of Colonel Samuel D. Sturgis. When the town was founded in 1888, it was only fitting to name it after the fort's commander. Nearly 125 years later, Sturgis, a pastoral place most of the year, is visited by over 400,000 motorcycle enthusiasts who attend the now famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally during two weeks in August.
