The Black Hills of Dakota

Two days later, and the kids earned Junior Ranger Badges at four of the South Dakota parks, as well as visiting the Crazy Horse monument. We thought Crazy Horse was a bit of a tourist trap. It has been under construction for decades and won’t be finished for decades more.

But enjoyed seeing Mt Rushmore. This monument to the American spirit, featuring the Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt, took over a decade to carve out of a South Dakota hillside. It is located in the heart of the Black Hills of western South Dakota, an area which is surprising lush with green pine trees, not the grassy hills I was expecting.

Unfortunately we got to Jewel Cave too late in the day to do a cave tour, but we checked out the visitor center and finished the Junior Ranger program. 

Last night, we drove through nearby Custer State Park to Wind Cave National Park. We camped at Elk Meadow, where we attended a ranger campfire talk on Elk, and then went on a cave tour this morning.  

In the afternoon we drove through the Badlands. We watched a video about the Badlands at the headquarters of the Buffalo Prairie Grasslands in Wall, South Dakota (the main visitor center at the Badlands was being remodeled).