Rapid City and Deadwood, SD Loop

This 85 mile trip is a great way to spend the day. Officially it should only take about 4 hours but mots folks make a day of it. There's no particular direction that best to travel but if you enjoy peace and quiet, you'll really enjoy hwy 385. It's an easy going 2 lane road through the Black Hills National Forest.

Deadwood is the highlight for history buffs or fans of the Wild West. Wild Bill Hickock was murdered in Deadwood and is still burried there at Mt. Moriah Cemetary.

Visit Rapid City for some of the creature comforts of home. Visit historic downtown and consider taking a tour of the city on the Rapid City Trolley, it's only a 1 hour ride.

Orange Route Suggested Itinerary

Starting in Rapid City, travel counter clockwise

8:00 am - Depart Rapid City, SD and drive North on I-90w

8:30 am - Visit Sturgis SD, home of the Sturgis Motor Cycle Rally
- During Bike Week (2nd week in Aug) its crazy, the rest of the time it's calm
- Consider a 1 hour detour on the Bear Butte State park PINK route visiting Fort 
Meade and Bear Butte State Park. Bring some hiking shoes to climb to the peak.

9:00 am -Take Hwy 14a (exit 30) west towards Deadwood, SD
- Visit the Adams Museum and House
- Visit Mount Moriah Cemetary, final resting place of Deadwoods famous outlaws
- Take the Deadwood walking tour downtown
- Visit Tatanka Story of the Bison, jut outside of town on Hwy 85
- Consider taking a historical tour with Original Deadwood Tours
- Visit the Saloon #10 for re-enactments of the Murder of Wild Bill Hickock
- Watch out for the street shootouts on Main Street
- Attempt to avoid losing money at the casinos that line Main St., good luck!

12:00 pm - Find a place to eat in Deadwood. There's plenty of choices. We recommend Diamond
Lil's above the Midnight Star Casion. It's owned by Kevin Costner and has lots of
movie memoribilia include costumes, props and movie posters

1:00 pm - Take a short trip up to the town of Lead, SD
- Visit the Open Cut at the Homestake Mine Visitors Center. The Homestake mine was
the largest gold mine in North America until it closed in 2001

2:00 pm - Travel south of Deadwood on Highway 385 towards Rapid City.
- This is just a quiet 2 lane highway through the Black Hills National Forest.
- Visit Rochford, SD. A quaint, small old mining town located right on Rapid Creek and
the Mickelson Trail. Take Rockford road, a gravel road, for about 10-15 minutes and
you'll see some of the most beautiful hidden valley's in the Black Hills. There's a
great old tavern called Moonshine Guldh that makes an awesome picture!
- Great Lakes for fishing like Roubaix Lake, Pactola Lake, and Sheridan Lake
- Great acces to off road trails for ATV's and mountain biking

3:00pm - Take Hwy 44 into Rapid City
- Visit Thunderhead Falls, a underground waterfall
- Black Hills Caverns
- Visit the Chapl in the Hills, an exact replica of the Stavekirk Chapel in Norway

4:00pm - Return to downtown Rapid City for find dining at any of the 6 restaurants in 3 blocks