The town closest to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, tiny Keystone, South Dakota, bustles with tourists all summer. Keystone's location in the midst of the Black Hills region of the state ensures a wide range of outdoor recreation activities, from hiking Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakota, to exploring deep area caves. Nearby 71,000-acre Custer State Park offers many hiking, biking and other outdoor recreational activities.
Historic Walking Tour
Mining for gold and other precious metals created a boomtown out of Keystone in the late 1800s, and the community has seen its share of booms and busts in subsequent years. The Keystone Area Historical Society publishes a map with the location of signs that describe notable landmarks in the town's history.
Included is the site of the "Holy Terror" Gold Mine, named after the mine owner's wife. The Keystone Historical Museum includes exhibits chronicling the life of Carrie Ingalls, the younger sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the "Little House on the Prairie" books. Carrie came to Keystone to run a newspaper in 1911 and lived there until her death in 1946.
Hiking
The Black Hills National Forest, the Black Elk Wilderness Area and Custer State Park offer hiking trails rated from easy to strenuous, but all with striking views of the surrounding Black Hills granite outcroppings. Hike the strenuous, 7-mile-round-trip trail to the top of 7,242-feet Harney Peak starting from Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. At this trailhead, you will find a convenience store, bathrooms, a ranger station and a swimming beach for a refreshing dip after your trek.
For an easy and educational hike, take the Presidential Trail at the base of Mount Rushmore. This 1-mile loop gives you a bug's eye view of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. The hike takes you past the Sculptor's Studio, which opens in the summer months to display tools used to carve the mountain as well as photos and informational displays.
View Wildlife
At only 18 miles long, the Wildlife Driving Loop in Custer State Park can take hours to complete when you account stopping at scenic overlooks or to let lumbering buffalo cross your path. The best time to drive the loop is at dawn or dusk, when animals are most active. Bring binoculars and look for pronghorn antelope, white-tail and mule deer, mountain goats, elk and bighorn sheep. The park's 1,300 free roaming buffalo often frequent the area.
Mountain Biking
Mountain bikers share many of the trails at Custer State Park with hikers. The popular Lovers Leap trail is also one of the most challenging. The 3-mile loop ascends through a ponderosa forest to a rocky outcrop where local legend claims two Native American lovers leaped to their death. The paved Creekside Trail follows scenic Grace Coolidge Creek and offers an easy 2-mile bike trip.
Cave Exploring
Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument are within 30 miles of Keystone, and both offer exploration of their unique subterranean formations. Wind Cave features outstanding displays of boxwork, or calcite formations that resemble honeycombs. Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world, and its calcite crystals give the cave its name. Both caves, and other smaller caves in the area, offer tours to the public.
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