Hill City is a Black Hills town about a 20-minute drive from Mount Rushmore, and it’s one of the easiest places to browse on foot. Its downtown has galleries, gift shops, and rock and mineral stops, and the 1880 Train leaves from a depot a short walk from downtown.
The 1880 Train
The 1880 Train is a narrated 20-mile round trip between Hill City and Keystone, about an hour each way with a 15-minute layover. Its regular trips start in May, and from November 25 through January 2 the only train is the one-hour Holiday Express from Hill City. The Hill City depot at 222 Railroad Avenue is the main place to board. The depot has public parking, and the South Dakota State Railroad Museum is there too. The train passes north of Mount Rushmore and you can’t see the monument from it, so plan the memorial as its own stop. Our 1880 Train guide has more about the ride.
Shops, galleries and local beer
Downtown is easy to walk, and our guide to dining and shopping in the Black Hills covers where to eat and browse. If you’d like a local beer, Lost Cabin Beer Co. runs a year-round beer garden at 150 Poplar Street, right next to the 1880 Train and the Mickelson Trail. Sick N Twisted Brewery and The Prairie Dog Taproom are both on US Highway 385, and our breweries guide has the rest.
The Mickelson Trail
The George S. Mickelson Trail runs 109 miles from Edgemont to Deadwood on a crushed limestone surface. It crosses more than 100 converted railroad bridges and passes through 4 rock tunnels. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks says cell coverage on the trail is poor to nonexistent and there’s no water along it, so carry what you need.
Planning your trip
To see Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills with your own guide, look at our private Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Scenic Tour, or call My XO Adventures at (605) 252-9100.
