Road To 50 Part 20: South Dakota  

The Midwestern state contains natural and man-made wonders unique to the region.

In Part 20, I am going to get right into it about South Dakota, a state that I drove through Wyoming to visit. Again, visiting South Dakota was part of a massive summer 2016 trip that included trips to Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah and New Mexico. South Dakota is in the Upper Midwest and experiences frigid winters, but it offers terrific scenery such as: rock formations, hills, and the famous Mount Rushmore. My family spent one day exploring western South Dakota, which included a stay in the state’s second largest city, Rapid City.

Black Hills

The Black Hills are what the name describes, gorgeous hills in a shade I had never witnessed. The hills are expansive, as a matter of fact, the Black Hills are part forest, part mountain range. Not all the hills were fully covered with forests, and the bare parts looked like sharp rocks. My family drove through this dense, hilly area to reach the famous Mount Rushmore. The drive was up close and personal, looking above and there were pointed needle-like rocks.

Mount Rushmore

A piece of art showcasing man’s ability to create magnificence, this national memorial is a jaw-dropping rock carving of the faces of four presidents: Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. It’s located in the heart of the Black Hills, and seeing it for the first time from a distance was breathtaking. At the entrance, there were giant rock pillars that served as a gate inside, followed by a walkway with the U.S. state flags hanging on top of gravel pillars. Finally, there was Mount Rushmore. At such an incline, visitors had to look up to see the faces. The carvings were neat and detailed, right below were tons of rocks followed by trees. Putting our faces at the top of a peak is reflective of human’s capability to accomplish anything.

Below the viewing area was an amphitheater with seating with a clear view of the hills. Mount Rushmore is a welcoming attraction that is beautifully structured with walkways and viewing areas. I bought a souvenir license plate to commemorate my visit.

Rapid City Region

In addition to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, there’s also Custer State Park centered around needle rock formations, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Spearfish Canyon. My family and I also explored Crazy Horse Memorial, another carving still in the works located on an even higher cliff than Mount Rushmore. It was hard to see the carving clearly due to how far up the memorial was. Regardless, it still appeared majestic.

Rapid City is the gateway town to the Black Hills region, with many attractions being a 30-60 minute drive away. Although only parts of the town are commercialized, Rapid City was booming in July packed with hotels, restaurants, shops and plenty of amenities for travelers.

Perhaps the most striking attraction in this region is Badlands National Park situated in a remote place, but full of elegant rock formations that will leave anyone speechless. Once can perceive the amazement of nature and Earth with various colored rocks, some so perfectly structured and placed together. In my opinion, this western region of South Dakota is the Midwest’s most beautiful and scenic region.

Rishi Patel

Contributor

Rishi Patel's passion for writing is almost as great as his passion for traveling. Traveling remains the utmost favorite hobby and pastime for Rishi, which has led him to visit 47 of the 50 U.S. States and he cannot contain his excitement as he tries to reach the milestone of visiting all 50.