Rapid City Scenic Byway History Tour

Tour includes: picnic lunch, fees, bottled water & snacks.
Besides sharing Devils Tower, Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon history, your guide will also inform you of the 1800's Indian Wars, the Black Hills Gold Rush and homesteading of the Dakota Territory.

1st Stop - Devils Tower National Monument ~ The First National Monument. Historically, many tribes of the Great Plains and Black Hills regions had connections with the area around Devils Tower. Stories and histories shared by tribal members indicate that the Tower was a sacred site - a place for winter camps, vision quests, and summer ceremonies.
2nd Stop - Spearfish Canyon . . . its older than the Grand Canyon and is rated one of the Nations best scenic byways. We stop at Bridal Veil Falls for photos and Roughlock Falls for a picnic lunch.
3rd Stop - Deadwood - Mt Moriah, #10 Saloon, Old Main Street and more.

You will not be rushed at any of the stops. And there are lots of photo ops and restroom breaks throughout the day.

Meeting Point

Rapid City

Rapid City, SD, USA

Free pickup at any Rapid City lodging.

Wendy's

1911 Haines Ave, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA

Meet in parking lot next to Wendy's.

Subway

2620 Lazelle St, Sturgis, SD 57785, USA

Meet in parking lot.

What's included:

• Local guide
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• National Park fees

What to expect:

Duration: between 7 hours and 8 hours

Devils Tower National Monument

Highway 110, Devils Tower, 82714, Wyoming

Devils Tower sits across the state line in northeast Wyoming. The Tower is a solitary, stump-shaped granite formation that looms 1,267 feet above the tree-lined Belle Fourche River Valley. Once hidden below the earth’s surface, erosion has stripped away the softer rock layers revealing the Tower.
The two-square-mile park surrounding the tower was proclaimed the nation’s first national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The park is covered with pine forests, woodlands, and grasslands. While visiting the park you are bound to see deer, prairie dogs, and other wildlife. The mountain’s markings are the basis for Native American legend. One legend has it that a giant bear clawed the grooves into the mountainside while chasing several young Indian maidens. Known by several northern plains tribes as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site of worship for many American Indians. Devils Tower is also remembered as the movie location for “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

1 hour, 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

US Highway 14A, , Spearfish, South Dakota

Spearfish Canyon offers a trip through the culture, nature and history of the Black Hills. Abundant wildlife watching opportunities are found throughout the canyon. One of the best scenic byways in America.
Older than the Grand Canyon it offers three waterfalls, 1,000 foot limestone/sandstone cliffs, four ecosystems and a flowing mountain stream. We stop at Roughlock Falls to walk the short trails and view the cascading falls. Great photo ops.

1 hour

Deadwood

Deadwood, South Dakota

Original Old West History . . . 1876 Gold Rush . . . and final resting place of infamous Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane in Mt Moriah Cemetery. (tour stop)
Today Deadwood looks much like it did in the 1880's. Cobblestone streets, brick and stone gambling casinos. You will have time to explore on your own many of the famous Saloons and closed 'Hospitality' houses' on Main Street.

1 hour, 30 minutes