Black Hills off the beaten path

Been to the Black Hills 3 times... wife is from South Dakota :) It's a beautiful area with lots to do. Here are a few suggestions off the top of my head that haven't been made so far:

Devil's Tower in eastern Wyoming (about an hour drive from the hills) - Get off the interstate as soon as you enter Wyoming and take the back roads to the tower over through Hulett. Awesome scenery!

The geographical center of the US which is north of Belle Fourche, SD (there is a monument at the Belle Fourche Visitor's Center but you have to drive north of town to the actual center which sits in a field -ask for directions)

Also, just wanted to suggest that you go to Mt. Rushmore at night... the rangers put on a very nice presentation and, IMHO, it looks more majestic lit up at night.

If you are coming from the east through Nebraska, check out Ashfall Fossil Beds in Eastern Nebraska (near Norfolk). Great collection of dinosaur fossils that is still being excavated.

http://www.mammothsite.com/ Near Hot Springs, SD

Lots of info here:

Black Hills Nat'l Forest Information

Fred

IIRC Deerfield Lake is out by itself west of Hill City. Very quiet place and i think it had some nice trails down to the lake. The area can be quiet if you know where to look!

We really enjoyed the candlelight ranger led tour at Wind Cave. You need a reservation for that. Missle tour is another interesting sidelight. Take your bikes and ride the Mickleson trail - small fee - hike up Harney's Peak. Consider camping in Custer State Park. We used Game Lodge - e only - but good bath house, laundry, and dump station. Have a great trip

Just outside Deadwood is Lead where the Homestake Gold Mine was located. They have a visitor center and a tour. This was the oldest, deepest and largest gold mine in the Western Hemisphere until it closed in 2002. It would probably be interesting to you if you are into gold mining, etc.

We drove from Deadwood to Spearfish through the Spearfish Canyon a couple of years ago. The drive goes through spectacular jagged rock cliffs and a nice view of Bridal Veil Falls. We didn't go for a hike but there may some hiking trails along that route. There wasn't much traffic or very many people.

The Badlands have many places to hike that do not get a lot of traffic but are very interesting and few people bother to hike around. Also the D-1 missile site near Wall is worth a visit, they only do a morning and afternoon tour and its limited space so need to majke a reservation.

In the western hills there are huge tracts of fs land accessible by dirt road only. Also out near Deerfield Reservior there are some remote feel campgrounds Link

We found that pretty much anywhere beyond 1 mile from a paved road or trail could place you in complete isolation in the blackhills. Most have only a few days to visit so they stick to the easy to reach touristy stuff.

On the way up we went thru Nebraska as you too can and stopped at Valentine Falls and you have a short hike back to the falls. I never believed Nebraska had a water fall (70') but, we enjoyed it and they have a primitive camoing area for rvs and tents. Then on farther we stopped at wounded knee (actual site) and the local native American historian young men were a wealth of knowledge on the attack. At the Black hills we stayed Custers Gultch and it was a great place with very friendly staff and super clean. Just call ahead for reservations as it is popular in the summer.