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Keystone, South Dakota: Where Fun and Adventure Collide – The Best Places to Visit and Things to Do!

Keystone is a former gold mining town in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and it exists now because Mount Rushmore is just up the road. The scale is the point: 60-foot faces here, a 563-foot sculpture in progress at Crazy Horse. Everything else in town is built around that.

Keystone, South Dakota sits in the heart of the Black Hills and does not try to compete with what surrounds it. This unpolished gem of the Midwest is a former gold mining town that kept its history, its adventure and its natural beauty intact. This article covers the best and most fun things to do and places to visit in Keystone, South Dakota.

Chasing Presidents: Mount Rushmore National Memorial is the reason most people come to Keystone. Four of America’s greatest presidents carved into a granite cliff face is a strange thing to stand under, and the scale does not translate through photographs. The park also runs hiking trails, ranger-led programs and a nightly lighting ceremony, and Keystone itself holds several museums and monuments covering the region’s history.

The Call of the Wild: Black Hills and Custer State Park is the other half of a Keystone trip. The park holds bison, elk and pronghorn, and you can cover it on foot, by car or on horseback. The scenic drives are the draw in their own right, particularly the Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road.

Key Takeaways

• Keystone, South Dakota offers a unique blend of history, adventure, and natural beauty.
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Custer State Park are two must-visit attractions in Keystone.
• Whether you’re a history buff, an adrenaline junkie, or a nature lover, there’s something for everyone in Keystone.

Keystone: The Unpolished Gem of South Dakota

Keystone is a small town next to a very large monument, and it knows it. This is a historic gold mining town that kept its history and culture rather than paving over them, and South Dakota has few places where the two sit this close together.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a short drive from Keystone and is obviously worth the trip. The town itself is more than a staging post for it: the main street carries local shops and restaurants running from souvenirs through handmade crafts to somewhere decent to eat.

The Keystone Historical Museum covers the town’s own history, with artifacts from the gold rush era. A guided tour of the Big Thunder Gold Mine shows what the work actually involved for the miners who did it.

Keystone is not only history. A scenic drive through the Black Hills National Forest or a hike on one of the trails fills a morning, and there is horseback riding, fishing and gold panning for anyone who wants to do rather than look.

So, if you’re looking for a unique and fun experience in South Dakota, look no further than Keystone. This unpolished gem may not be as shiny as some of its neighbors, but it has a charm and character all its own.

Chasing Presidents: Mount Rushmore National Memorial

You cannot visit Keystone, South Dakota and skip Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It is like going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower. The landmark carries the faces of four of America’s greatest presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

You’ll feel like you’re chasing presidents as you make your way to the Memorial. Don’t worry, they won’t run away from you, they’re carved into the mountain. But you might have to do a little chasing to get the perfect photo or selfie with them.

The museum at Mount Rushmore is where the monument stops being scenery and becomes a construction project. It covers the history of the work and the sculptor who ran it, Gutzon Borglum, and the Rushmore Borglum Story is a short film explaining how the thing was actually made.

The Presidential Trail runs along the base of the mountain and gets you nearer the faces than the viewing terrace does. The angle changes what you are looking at, which is the argument for walking it.

The evening lighting ceremony is worth staying for. The monument lit against a night sky reads completely differently from the same rock in daylight, and it is the version of this American landmark most photographs miss.

The Call of the Wild: Black Hills and Custer State Park

You are in Keystone, South Dakota, and the ground around it does most of the work. The Black Hills and Custer State Park are where to start.

The Black Hills are best taken slowly, on foot or by bike. The trails run through country that changes character every few miles, and the air at this elevation is part of the experience.

Custer State Park holds some of the more reliable wildlife watching in the country. Bison and bighorn sheep turn up along the drive through the park, often without warning. Camping is possible, and food needs locking away properly unless you want company after dark.

Experienced or not, the Black Hills and Custer State Park will fill as much of a day as you give them.

A Crazy Horse and a Gold Mine: Unusual Attractions

For something off the main route, Keystone has a couple of attractions that stay with people longer than the monument does.

The Crazy Horse Memorial has been under construction since 1948, and it is a different proposition from Mount Rushmore. The plan is a 563-foot-tall statue of Crazy Horse, a Lakota warrior who fought the US government in the late 1800s. Mount Rushmore’s faces are only 60 feet tall, which puts the ambition in perspective. Well, it is a big project, and even incomplete the memorial is impressive to behold, by bus tour or from afar.

Big Thunder Gold Mine is the Wild West end of things here. The mine dates to 1892, and the tours take you underground past the original equipment while explaining the gold rush that brought people to this area in the first place. Gold panning comes at the end, and the friendly staff teach the technique, so arriving with no idea what you are doing is the normal way to do it.

The Crazy Horse Memorial and Big Thunder Gold Mine are what give the area its shape beyond the monument.

The town works as a base rather than a destination. Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial handle the monuments, Custer State Park and the Black Hills take the wildlife and the driving, and Big Thunder Gold Mine covers where the town came from. Rush Mountain Adventure Park and Rushmore Cave fill the afternoons. Iron Mountain Road and the Needles Highway are worth driving for their own sake.

Art and History: Museums and Monuments

You’re not just a pretty face, you’re also interested in art and history. Luckily, Keystone has plenty of museums and monuments to satisfy your curiosity.

The National Presidential Wax Museum holds lifelike wax figures of the U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Joe Biden. It is exactly as odd as it sounds and better executed than you would expect.

The Carrie Ingalls Exhibit covers the sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the Little House on the Prairie books, and through her the history of Keystone itself. The artifacts do more work than the connection does.

The Harvey Dunn museum holds a large collection of paintings and sketches by an American artist who specialised in the American West, alongside other exhibitions. Seeing the West painted by someone who lived in it lands differently after a day of looking at it.

And you cannot visit Keystone without seeing the famous Mount Rushmore National Monument. Four U.S. presidents carved into the side of a mountain is as much an engineering achievement as an artistic one, which is the part the museum makes clear and the postcard does not. Just do not stand directly under George Washington’s nose.

So whether you’re into wax presidents or Western art, Keystone has plenty to offer in the way of museums and monuments. Get ready to be amazed and educated.

Adrenaline Junkies Unite: Adventure Activities

Keystone, South Dakota looks unassuming and is not. The adventure list here is longer than the size of the town suggests.

Rush Mountain Adventure Park runs the Mountain Coaster, a gravity-driven ride winding through the Black Hills at up to 30 mph, and a Zip Line covering 1,300 feet over the forest canopy.

Rushmore Cave goes the other direction, with guided tours through narrow passageways and past rock formations. The Wild Cave Tour is a long one through unlit passages and tight squeezes, and it is not the one to pick casually.

Rushmore Tramway Adventures takes the chairlift to the top of the mountain for views across the Black Hills. The Alpine Slide is the way back down, and it is faster than it looks from the bottom.

No matter what adventure you choose, Keystone has something to offer every adrenaline junkie. So buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life.

Food and Souvenirs: Keystone’s Best Shops and Restaurants

You’ve been exploring Keystone all day and now you’re feeling hungry. Luckily, Keystone has some fantastic restaurants that will satisfy your cravings.

Keystone’s own Pizza Works handles the straightforward evening, with a wide topping list, a crust worth mentioning and beers on draft.

The Alpine Inn has been running since 1986 and is the upscale option, built on steaks and German-inspired dishes with a long wine list behind them.

Now that you’ve satisfied your hunger, it’s time to do some shopping. Keystone has plenty of souvenir shops to choose from, but some stand out from the rest.

The Rock Shed is the shop worth the detour, stocking rocks, gems and minerals alongside jewelry made from them. In a former mining town it is the souvenir that actually connects to the place.

The Keystone Leather and Silver Company carries belts, wallets and accessories for anyone wanting western flair that will outlast the trip.

The Keystone Candy Company does the taffy the town is known for, in a long list of flavours, plus other candies and chocolates.

Finally, if you’re looking for some fun and unique souvenirs, check out the Mirror Maze. This attraction has a gift shop filled with funhouse mirrors and other wacky items that are sure to make you laugh.

With so many great shops and restaurants to choose from, you’re sure to find something that suits your taste in Keystone.

Beyond Keystone: Nearby Attractions

So, you’ve had your fill of Keystone and you’re itching for more adventure? Fear not, there are plenty of nearby attractions to satisfy your wanderlust.

Badlands National Park is a drive from Keystone and repays it. The landscape is genuinely unlike anywhere else, with colourful rock formations and wildlife throughout. Take water and sunscreen, because there is no shade to speak of.

Hill City is the closer option, a small town of art galleries, antique shops and restaurants. It suits an afternoon with nothing planned.

Iron Mountain Road is the drive to do if you only do one, winding through tunnels and over bridges with the Black Hills opening up around you. The pigtail bridges are the engineering everyone stops to photograph.

The 1880 Train runs through the Black Hills with commentary on the area’s history, which makes it the rare attraction that works for both the children and the adults on board.

And finally, if you’re looking for a unique way to see the sights, hop on a train ride. There are several options to choose from, including the Black Hills Central Railroad and the 1880 Train, both of which offer scenic rides through the beautiful countryside.

So there you have it, plenty of nearby attractions to keep you busy during your stay in Keystone. Happy exploring.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to spend a winter day in Keystone, SD?

Winter in Keystone, South Dakota changes the place completely. Snow on the mountains and a fire in a lodge is most of the appeal, alongside a scenic drive through the Black Hills, skiing or snowboarding near Mount Rushmore, and snowmobiling or ice fishing for anyone who wants to be outside in it.

What are some can’t-miss events happening in Keystone, South Dakota?

Keystone, South Dakota has a busy calendar for a town this size. The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August brings thousands of riders onto the roads of the Black Hills. The Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony runs through the season, and the Black Hills Powwow in October is where the region’s own culture is on display on its own terms.

Looking for fun in the sun? What are the top things to do near Keystone, CO in the summer?

Summer in Keystone, Colorado is all about the great outdoors. Take a scenic hike through the mountains, go whitewater rafting on the Colorado River, or hit the links at one of the area’s many golf courses. You can also explore the Keystone Bike Park, which features over 100 miles of trails for mountain biking enthusiasts of all levels.

Where can I find the tastiest eats in Keystone, South Dakota?

Keystone, South Dakota eats better than a town this size should. The Ruby House Restaurant does the Wild West version, with a bison burger and hearty chili. The Keystone Cafe covers Italian, pizza and pasta. The Holy Terror Mini Golf and Ice Cream handles the homemade ice cream and, as the name promises, the mini golf.

South Dakota has so much to offer – what are the top things to do in the area?

South Dakota carries more than its share of natural and historic sites. Badlands National Park has the rock formations, with bison and bighorn sheep among them. The Crazy Horse Memorial is still under construction and impressive regardless. And Mount Rushmore is the one nobody leaves the state without seeing.

Is Keystone, South Dakota worth a visit? Let’s weigh the pros and cons!

Yes. Keystone, South Dakota is small, and its advantages are concrete: the Black Hills on the doorstep, Mount Rushmore up the road, and a town that has stayed a town rather than becoming a resort. The drawback is the same fact in reverse, since the place fills in summer and empties out of it.

Frequently asked questions about Keystone, South Dakota

How big is the Crazy Horse Memorial, and is it near the Big Thunder Gold Mine?

Much bigger than Mount Rushmore, and not finished. The plan is a 563-foot-tall statue of Crazy Horse, set against faces at Mount Rushmore that stand 60 feet tall, and work has been under way since 1948. Both sit within easy reach of Keystone, as does the gold mine.

What is there to do in Custer State Park and the Black Hills besides Mount Rushmore?

More than the monument suggests. Custer State Park carries bison, bighorn sheep and pronghorn, with scenic drives on the Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. Big Thunder Gold Mine runs underground tours. Rushmore Cave goes further still.

Can you pan for gold in Keystone, South Dakota?

Yes, at Big Thunder Gold Mine. The mine dates to 1892 and the tours go underground past the original equipment, finishing with gold panning that the staff will teach you from scratch.

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