Things to Do in Rapid City
Top things to do in Rapid City
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The four granite faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln soar 60 feet high above the Black Hills, just 25 miles from Rapid City. Arrive before 9 a.m. or after 3:30 p.m. to beat summer crowds, and stay for the nightly lighting ceremony in summer.
- Badlands National Park. Seventy-five miles east of Rapid City, dramatically eroded buttes and spires rise from a stark prairie that conceals one of the world's richest fossil beds and roaming herds of bison and bighorn sheep. The park is also a Bortle Class 2 dark-sky site where over 7,500 stars are visible on a clear night.
- City of Presidents Walking Tour. Downtown Rapid City's sidewalks are lined with life-size bronze statues of every U.S. president, placed at street corners throughout the historic core. The self-guided tour is free, with a mobile audio tour, dial-in narration, and scavenger hunt available for all ages.
- Crazy Horse Memorial. Nine miles north of Custer and 35 miles from Rapid City, the world's largest mountain carving is still under active construction—the Lakota warrior's face was completed in 1998 and the outstretched arm remains ongoing. Admission covers three museums, an orientation film, and cultural programming.
- Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. Each September, roughly 60 cowboys and cowgirls round up a thundering herd of 1,300 bison on the open grasslands of Custer State Park, an hour's drive from Rapid City. With up to 20,000 spectators, this is one of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles in the American West, paired with a three-day arts festival.
- Iron Mountain Road. This 17-mile stretch of Highway 16A between Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore features 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtail bridges, and 3 single-lane granite tunnels each framing a perfect view of Mount Rushmore. Drive northbound for maximum impact; the 35 mph speed limit encourages lingering.
- Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. This 19-mile designated state byway follows Spearfish Creek through towering limestone walls dotted with waterfalls — including the accessible 60-foot Bridal Veil Falls and the multi-tiered Roughlock Falls — with trout-filled pools, hiking trails, and wildlife sightings of mountain goats and bald eagles. Fall foliage…
- Wind Cave National Park. One of the world's longest and most complex cave systems lies just 60 miles south of Rapid City, and to the Lakota it is 'Maka Oniye' — the place of their emergence from the Spirit World. Ranger-led cave tours wind through boxwork formations found almost nowhere else on Earth; book ahead as popular tours sell out…
Top-rated tours & activities in Rapid City
PREMIER PRIVATE Tour: Mt Rushmore, CrazyHorse & Custer State Park — 5.0★ (213 reviews)
Pinnacle Zipline Tour in Keystone — 4.9★ (463 reviews)
Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Tour with Two Meals and a Music Variety Show — 4.8★ (1,006 reviews)
Cosmos Mystery Area Admission — 4.6★ (228 reviews)
Private Tour of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park — 5.0★ (210 reviews)
Exclusive: Rushmore, Custer State Park & Crazy Horse — 5.0★ (99 reviews)
Badlands After Dark: Sunset Colors and Celestial Views — 4.9★ (48 reviews)- Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills — 4.8★ (422 reviews)