- Home
- Tours
Black Hills Native American Experience
Enjoy the Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial.
Black Hills Native American Experience Overview
PLEASE NOTE: Black Hills Native American Experience is Not Operating in 2025
Your private tour starts with a personal pickup directly from your accommodations. Once on board, your adventure begins!
As we drive out to the Six Grandfathers, we learn about the Black Hills. The origin story of the Lakota People starts in this land.
We’ll stop for photos. You can see the faces of the American Presidents on our approach. When reaching Mount Rushmore, we’ll walk up the Avenue of the Flags and stop at the Grandview Terrace.
Next, you’ll be guided down to the amphitheater, where the storytelling begins.
Our drive along Iron Mountain Road, one of the most sought-after drives where wildlife of the Black Hills can be seen along the way.
After lunch, we continue on to another spectacular road – The Needles Highway. We’ll stop for photos along the way and end at Sylvan Lake one of the prettiest in the Black Hills.
Finally we make our way to Crazy Horse Memorial.
While we head home, any questions you have will be answered while you kick back and relax for the journey back to your accommodations. Your Black Hills Tour and Native American Experience comes to an end.
- Duration: 8-9 Hours (approx.)
Key Highlights
- Six Grandfathers / Mount Rushmore
- Iron Mountain Road
- Custer State Park & The Wildlife Loop Road
- Coolidge Lookout Tower
- Blue Bell Lodge
- Needles Highway
- Needles Eye Tunnel
- Sylvan Lake
- Cathedral Spires
- Crazy Horse Memorial with Ride to the Base
Tour Inclusions
- Fully Customizable
- Quality Lunch
- Leisurely Pace, No Rushing
- Discounts for 3 or more persons
- All Guides CPR/AED Certified
- Native American Representative
- Expert Guide of the Black Hills
- Snacks & Goodies
- Bottled Water
- Pick up & Drop off at your accommodations
- Photos Taken By The Guide
- Private Tour Exclusive to Your Group
- All Admissions and Entry Fees
PAYMENT OPTIONS
We are happy to offer our customers convenient payment plan options.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We recommend you never Travel without Insurance and Travel Protection.
Q&A'S
You may have questions when traveling to someplace new and exciting.
Explore
Six Grandfathers
& Mount Rushmore
As we approach the Six Grandfathers, we’ll stop for photos. You can see the faces of the American Presidents on our approach. When reaching Mount Rushmore, we’ll walk up the Avenue of the Flags and stop at the Grandview Terrace for an overview of the monument.
After photos, you’ll be guided down to the amphitheater where the storytelling begins. Learn what the mountain represents to the Lakota People, how it came about, and what most visitors think of it today. You’ll have a chance to see Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center or walk the Presidential Trail.
Iron Mountain Road
Iron Mountain Road is lined with Ponderosa Pine, Aspens, and amazing wildlife of the Black Hills. Keep an eye out for deer, marmots, chipmunks, and more!
Everything we see along the way is symbolic, even the road. It was opened in 1933 and is considered one of the most incredible roads in America. Mother Nature showcases scenery along the way. You’ll be able to stop at a few locations like Norbeck Overlook and the Iron Mountain Road Visitors Center.
Iron Mountain Road is 17 miles long and takes us from the Six Grandfathers to Custer State Park. Along the way, we’ll go through three tunnels cut through the granite. We’ll quickly stop at the visitor center before continuing to Wildlife Loop Road. If you’re wondering where the Buffalo come in on this tour, it’s here. While the Buffalo is the largest mammal you’ll see, there are many vital others.
Custer State Park and the Wildlife Loop Road
We now reach Custer State Park. Your first stop at the visitor center is an excellent introduction to Wildlife Loop Road, a well-known spot in South Dakota. On the drive, Wildlife Loop Road is the best chance to view various birds, bison, elk, deer, prairie dogs, and pronghorn. Along with wildlife, the geology is also prominent, with red sandstone and yellow limestone seen in the Black Hills. Be prepared for bison approaching our vehicle – and stay inside!
The loop takes us through the park and to our lunch location. We’ll enjoy a picnic if the weather is great. If not, stopping at a restaurant in Custer would do us nicely.
Sylvan Lake and the Needles Highway
After lunch, we continue on to another spectacular road – The Needles Highway. Part of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway winds up the mountains and through three tunnels. The most famous is Needles Eye Tunnel. We’ll stop for photos along the way and end at Sylvan Lake.
Sylvan Lake is one of the prettiest in the Black Hills. The movie National Treasure II was filmed here, and you’ll see why. The mighty granite rises from the waters, casting shadows on the mostly still lake. If we’re lucky, Sylvan Lake is a mirror reflecting the formations above to the clear waters below.
Crazy Horse Memorial
After our unbelievable drive, we make our way to Crazy Horse Memorial. You’ll learn about the carver, Korczak Ziolkowski and Crazy Horse. There’s a good reason Crazy Horse was chosen, but the story doesn’t go without controversy. We’ll cover all this before entering the museum.
Once finished, Crazy Horse will be the largest sculpture in the world. Its most important role is keeping the Lakota Story alive for all. We have about an hour at Crazy Horse Memorial, so enjoy. Often times there are cultural presentations and an artist in residency. Let’s see who they are and what culture they’re presenting today.
Don't just take our word for it.
See what our clients have to say.
My XO Adventures | Offering the Best Badlands National Park Tours
Explore The Most Visited Destinations in South Dakota
Choose Your Favorite Destination
About Black Hills Native American Experience
My XO Adventures offers Badlands Tours throughout the year. Our Badlands at Sunset and Blue Hour in the Badlands is one of my favorites. It includes a Night Tour in the Badlands as well. Badlands National Park Sunset Tours are one of our specialties. Day or Night, Badlands Photography is highly sought after. Photos of Badlands South Dakota are found for sale throughout South Dakota and the Nation.
If visiting the Stronghold Unit of the Badlands, stop by the White River Badlands Visitor Center for more information. Although this area can have a rough road, some say it is the best sunset Badlands National Park offers. For current Badlands National Park Weather, see the below forecast.