Granite faces, cave tours, bison loops and a rail-trail in the southern Black Hills, all within about an hour of Keystone.
This page was renamed from "Old Baldy Frontside" (the slug stays the same) and now covers the southern Black Hills around Keystone, South Dakota. Keystone sits a few miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where climbing the sculpture itself is prohibited but other parts of the memorial and the adjacent national forest (Wrinkled Rock, reached from Highway 244) have granite climbing. From there the area fans out to the caves of Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument, Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop, the southern end of the George S. Mickelson Trail, the spring-fed town of Hot Springs with its Mammoth Site, and paddling on Pactola Reservoir. The Needles, Sylvan Lake and Hill City are covered on the separate Black Hills Needles & Hill City page.
The places you can't miss in Keystone, Mount Rushmore & the Southern Black Hills, best rated first.
Climbing the sculpture is prohibited, but NPS has listed climbing areas elsewhere in the memorial (South Seas, Chopping Block, Olton's Shoulder, Monster, Middle Marker, Emancipation) in 2012. NPS has been reviewing climbing access, so check the current rules first.
Granite formations on national forest land in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, reached from Highway 244 beside the west boundary of Mount Rushmore.
The carved sculpture and its viewing area and trails, a few miles from Keystone.
Scenic drive through Custer State Park, open year round and included in the park entrance licence; the park is known for bison and other wildlife.
Cave tours (Natural Entrance, Fairgrounds, Candlelight, Accessibility) at a constant 54 F, plus surface trails; entry to the park is free but tours cost extra.
Scenic, Discovery, Historic Lantern and Wild Caving tours; tickets are sold in advance on recreation.gov and there is no entrance fee.
Working Ice Age fossil dig and museum, open year round.
Creek valley in the south of Custer State Park; trail details need a source.
A car is essential: the sights are spread over roughly 60 miles from Keystone to Hot Springs and Jewel Cave, and there is no public transit between them. Custer State Park charges a per-vehicle entrance licence that also covers the Wildlife Loop. The Mickelson Trail can be ridden between its trailheads on a bike.
Commercial airport serving the Black Hills; carriers and routes change, so check before booking. Rental cars are available (not verified on a source page).
| City | Distance | Drive to Keystone, Mount Rushmore & the Southern Black Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | about 25 mi (estimate) | about 40 min (estimate) |
| Denver, CO | about 400 mi (estimate) | about 6h 30m (estimate) |
| Billings, MT | about 380 mi (estimate) | about 5h 45m (estimate) |
| Minneapolis, MN | about 600 mi (estimate) | about 9h (estimate) |
| Omaha, NE | about 560 mi (estimate) | about 8h 30m (estimate) |
What a trip to Keystone, Mount Rushmore & the Southern Black Hills costs, what to sort out ahead of time, and how to stay safe.
Custer State Park: entrance licence ($20 per vehicle for 1-7 days on the 2024 schedule, $36 annual). Wind Cave and Jewel Cave: tours are ticketed (Wind Cave from 120 days ahead, Jewel Cave on recreation.gov), federal passes do not cover Wind Cave tours. Mount Rushmore climbing: follow the NPS Superintendent's Compendium; the sculpture itself is closed to climbing. Mickelson Trail pass: $5 per person per day or $20 per person per year.
Standard US entry rules apply.
Carry water for hikes and rides; summer afternoon thunderstorms are common, so plan to be off exposed granite early. Bring a layer for the caves, which stay at 54 F.
Tourist town with Mount Rushmore, Lakota history and a strong road-trip culture; English spoken.
Check the NPS Superintendent's Compendium before climbing at Mount Rushmore.
Keep clear of bison on the Wildlife Loop.
Tour tickets can sell out, so book ahead.
A strong family region: cave tours, wildlife drives, a fossil dig and a swimming plunge, plus a rail-trail with gentle grades. The score is a judgement call.
Family-friendliness is scored from real web evidence across multiple sources — trail difficulty, access, and how families describe each spot — not a single opinion.
Ranger-led cave tours include an Accessibility Tour, and the cave is a cool 54 F all year. Tours often sell out, so book ahead (NPS).
Kids can see real Ice Age fossils where they were found; ages 3 and under are free and ages 4 to 12 are $13.
A drive-through loop where families can watch bison and other wildlife from the car; the park entrance licence covers it.
The Discovery tour is the cheapest option and the visitor center and trails are free; tickets are sold in advance on recreation.gov.
A warm spring-fed swimming pool with slides in Hot Springs; check current prices with the Plunge.
A former railway with gentle grades that suits family bike rides on its southern sections near Hot Springs and Custer.
| Sport | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climbing | — | — | — | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | — |
| Mountain Biking | — | — | — | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | — |
| Hiking | — | — | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | — |
| Kayaking | — | — | — | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | — | — |
| Running | — | — | ~ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | — |
Open caves, full tour schedules and Pactola paddling; summer is also the busiest and hottest period, with afternoon thunderstorms (judgement from the sources' seasonal notes).
Cooler for climbing and riding the Mickelson Trail; some seasonal services (for example Pactola Marina, listed May to September) may be closed.
Winter is cold and several attractions run reduced schedules (Jewel Cave winter tours are on a shorter schedule per one listing).
Tourist strip of motels, shops and attractions a few miles from Mount Rushmore; busy in summer (character is a judgement call).
Stay here if: You want to be minutes from Mount Rushmore and Highway 244 climbing access.
Small town on the Mickelson Trail near Custer State Park and the Wildlife Loop (judgement call).
Stay here if: You plan to spend days in Custer State Park and want a quieter base with shops and restaurants.
Sandstone-built spa town in the southern hills near Wind Cave, the Mammoth Site and Evans Plunge (judgement call).
Stay here if: Your plans centre on the caves, the southern Mickelson Trail and a swim at the Plunge.
Campgrounds such as Pactola Reservoir Campground and Wrinkled Rock Campground put you at the lake or the climbing (details not fully verified).
Stay here if: You are on a budget and want to be on the water or rock at first light.
Hill City shop kept from the earlier page; check current hours and stock.
Custer outdoor store kept from the earlier page; verify before relying on it.
A blog reports $30 for two hours of kayak rental, May to September; prices may have changed.
Guide service kept from the earlier page; check current offerings.
Guide service kept from the earlier page; check current offerings.
Wind Cave and Jewel Cave tours are NPS-run, with Wild Caving tours at Jewel Cave.
Custer, kept from the earlier page; verify hours.
Custer, kept from the earlier page; verify hours.
Custer, kept from the earlier page; verify hours.
You've got the field notes. Time to put it on the calendar.