Denver is a short drive from lots of wonderful mountain towns, but if you are looking for something new to explore without going too far, the Black Hills National Forest is a reasonable six-hour drive northeast. With historic icons like Mount Rushmore as well as endless camping, fishing, hiking and fun activities for kids, the Black Hills is a wonderful vacation choice for Denver families.
If flying is more your speed, you can also hop on an easy, short flight to Rapid City, South Dakota.
On Your Way to Black Hills
One of the more direct driving routes to the Black Hills is going up I-25 through Wyoming before heading east towards South Dakota. Even if you’re not quite ready for a bathroom break, you’ll pass right by Buc-ee’s which is a great option to stock up on road trip munchies. Then, on the way home, it’ll be a welcome sight to hop out and use the immaculate restrooms!
While there is much wide-open space in Wyoming and many think there is nothing to see, if you are interested in history, you will pass by the exit to explore some well-worn ruts from all the covered wagons that traveled the historic Oregon Trail. It can be a nice way to get out and stretch your legs, and it will leave every member of the family in awe of what the pioneers went through while moving west.
Not to be forgotten on a road trip – unique lunch stops instead of just your usual fast food. Chugwater, Wyoming boasts a wonderful, old-fashioned soda shop that makes for a fun stop to break up the trip. The food is tasty and the menu of possible soda fountain drinks and milkshakes is reasonably priced and has something for everyone.
Mom Tip: Chugwater Soda Fountain is closed on Wednesdays.
Things To Do in the Black Hills
Mammoth Site and Caves
As you head east from Denver and approach the Black Hills, one of the first main towns you will come to is Hot Springs, SD. It has some main street shopping and good restaurants, but a fun stop to patron is the Mammoth Site. It is an active excavation site where they have found many mammoth skeletons all in very close proximity to each other. There is a short film to help explain their theory on why this site is so plentiful as well as a walking path throughout all of the bones that scientists are actively working to excavate. Adults and children alike will be mesmerized.
You can also purchase extra tickets to a dig pit where kids can get hands-on experience discovering mammoth bones and making a plaster cast of a bone. It is definitely worth the extra ticket. If you have dinosaur lovers in your family, this would be a great first stop or a final stop on your way home.
While in Hot Springs, if you enjoy exploring caves, Wind Cave National Park is close by and is an impressively expansive cave system to explore. Bonus: it is incredibly cool even on a hot day! Find out more here.
Visiting Mount Rushmore
Likely the most famous aspect of the Black Hills is Mount Rushmore. It is known for the prominent presidential faces carved in a mountain. You often times can spot the faces, especially George Washington’s profile, from the car, but actually paying for parking and touring the grounds is well worth it. You will enter to a long, outdoor corridor of state flags framing their faces. It’s fun to find the state you’re from and grab a photo op. From the observation deck, there is an easy hiking trail that will take you right up to just below the faces for incredible up-close views and photo opportunities. 
Along the way back to the observation deck is a museum of how Mount Rushmore came to be. It is highly informative and interesting and has junior ranger opportunities to engage the kids if your children enjoy that program.
Mom Tip: While I rate the hiking trail easy, and it is very doable for most families, there is a series of steps that some may be incapable of. Staff are very friendly and helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask for details on the number of steps and/or elevation changes if that is a concern in your group.
Hiking and Camping
All throughout the Black Hills you will find campgrounds for both RVs and tents, as well as some that include cabins and a plethora of hikes.
Sylvan Lake is a very popular destination not far from Mount Rushmore. The lake allows fishing and swimming and has many hiking trailheads. They have camping including cabins, a small general store, picnic areas if you are only there for the day as well as a lodge if you prefer hotel-style accommodations. There is an easy to moderate trail that winds its way behind the lake where you can see a waterfall of the lake spilling behind it and many rocks to climb.
One of the most famous Black Hills hikes, Black Elk peak, also has its trailhead at Sylvan Lake. It is a moderate-to-difficult hike but doable for many families as the elevation change happens slowly. Depending on the family, I would allow 3-4 hours for completion. How often you stop, how long you stop and how leisurely you walk, of course, will all factor in to how long it takes your family. The payoff? Some of the most amazing panoramic views in all of the Black Hills as Black Elk peak is the highest point east of the Rockies.
Especially cool is when you are resting at the top you could potentially hear the 1880 train blow its horn below. You can picture in your mind outlaws in the wild west waiting in the hills to hear the train go by. If you enjoy history, and particularly cowboys and outlaws, keep reading for ideas focused on the Wild West.
Center Lake is another great camping destination with a lake for swimming. RVs and tents are both allowed, but it is a first-come first-served campground rather than reservations. Very early on the morning you are considering arriving (like, 6 a.m.!), you will hop on the website for reservations to see what spots are available and snag one. (Read more about the process here.) But if you luck out, you won’t regret it. It is a smaller campground and the refreshing lake is in easy walking distance and has a playground for kids. There is a river running beside the campground with a bridge easy to fish from, too. If you enjoy hiking, there is a trail that runs the circumference of the lake.
Bigger and able to be reserved ahead of time, Pactola Reservoir is a popular destination. You can tent camp or bring your RV. There are some small beaches for swimming and lots of spots for fishing. This is a nice location to camp and spend your days jumping off to the various activities you have planned throughout the hills. Jewel Cave is not far if you would like to explore another cave. This website will help you with booking a camping reservation at Pactola.
Mom Tip: While the Black Hills do not have a fee for entry, much of these lakes and campgrounds are in Custer State Park so you will need to purchase an entry pass at a ranger station at their entrances. You can find out more about it on their website. Some areas outside of Custer also charge small fees but have discounts when buying passes together. You can read about it here.
Wild West Experiences
Just like the Black Hills provide lots of history with Mount Rushmore, there is plenty to send you back in time with cowboys and outlaws, too!
Deadwood is a famous old west town that is like a time capsule. They have preserved the saloon look for all of their casinos and restaurants, and you can even see the famous poker game reenacted where Wild Bill Hickok was killed by another gambler. A shootout then takes place in the street. If you’re interested, you can also then attend the trial of his shooter, Jack McCall. Wild Bill and Calamity Jane’s graves are also visible from the hillside above Deadwood’s main street if you drive around. You can find a schedule of all of Deadwood’s historical, wild west fun here.
Another fun, historical activity beloved by kids is riding the 1880 train. Just as it sounds, this is a very well-preserved steam train that travels between Hill City and Keystone, South Dakota. You can buy tickets beginning in either city and travel one way or round trip. If you are visiting Mount Rushmore and will be spending time eating and shopping in Keystone, you 
could ride over to Hill City and back and nicely pair it with your day. Hill City and Keystone both have lots of fun shopping and good restaurants. You can find schedules and tickets on the 1880 train website. Some Sunday trips during the summer include the train being taken by outlaws and having a shootout; check out their special events!
Trail Rides
If you have horse lovers in your family, a trail ride is a wonderful way to be immersed in the beauty of the Black Hills. There are numerous trail ride companies you can choose from depending on your location, price point, or size of your group. Check out some options here and enjoy the sights, sounds and fresh air on your ride.
Visiting Rapid City
If you fly from Denver, you will use the Rapid City airport. Or, maybe you just prefer staying in a hotel in a city and making day trips into the Black Hills. Whatever your reason, you are likely to spend some time in Rapid City on your trip. While on the outskirts of the hills and not in them, Rapid City has a lot to offer as well. They have a wide variety of delicious restaurants, a splash pad on Main Street to beat the heat, and lots of fun shopping in their downtown.
In addition to food and shopping, they have some fun activities the kids would enjoy. Perched atop a hill in town, you will see a long neck dinosaur (my family affectionately refers to it as Dino) and you can see it from many different locations around town. 
This dinosaur is situated in Dinosaur Park, a small collection of dinosaur statues with great views of the city and distant hills. Kids may climb on the dinosaurs. Most importantly, there is a gift shop with delicious ice cream!
Mom Tip: Walking up and down the hill by either stairs or ramp is required to get to the dinosaurs from the gift shop and parking.
Back down in town, Storybook Island is a hit with younger crowds. Exactly as it sounds, it is a fun park full of scenes set from our beloved childhood storybooks. Kids can run around the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie and his pals, peek inside the three pigs’ homes, or climb aboard a pirate ship. Swings, slides, a carousel and train are fun to ride, too. Storybook Island is free of charge but accepts donations to continue to provide this experience.
If you have dinosaur lovers in your family and you are using Rapid City as a place to stay between the Black Hills and the Badlands, then you must visit the Museum of Geology on the South Dakota School of Mines campus. Their exhibits are informative but easy to understand and a scavenger hunt found at the front desk keeps kids engaged. Always a favorite is the dark room where many rocks and gems are glowing under the UV lights.
Badlands
While not the Black Hills anymore so far east, you would be remiss to go all the way to Rapid City, SD and not visit the Badlands National Park – especially if you love thinking about prehistoric times! Now, it can get HOT in the summer but with plenty of water, lots of driving with A/C, and being smart, it will be a great experience. You could spot big horn sheep, prairie dogs and a variety of other wildlife. The Fossil Exhibit Trail has a boardwalk with examples of dinosaur bones actually found in that very space.
You can find a complete list of possible hikes with their details here. But most notably, you will find the landscape breathtaking. You simply cannot wrap your mind around the pioneers coming upon this back in the days of covered wagons. You can definitely understand why they might have named it the Badlands!
Mom Tip: Don’t forget to get your junior ranger badges!
A popular stop to rehydrate and get some food and souvenirs is Wall Drug in the nearby town of Wall, South Dakota. Coffee is famously only a nickel and food is reasonable. But more importantly, why not take silly pictures on something like a jackalope?!
No matter what kind of activities your family enjoys – rock collecting, hiking, camping, ATV adventuring or touring through history – there is something for everyone in the Black Hills and Badlands. You can enjoy exciting adventure while simultaneously relaxing in the beauty of your surroundings. After your trip, you will realize there is enough to do to come back again and again!
