The Black Hills of South Dakota are a very popular destination for families. They are very rich in history and have many fun things for children to do and see. The Black Hills are home to beautiful scenery, the majestic carvings of Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, and tourist spots such as Reptile Gardens and Bear Country USA.
The name "Black Hills" is translated from the Lakota "Paha Sapa." The Lakota named it so because with the numerous trees covering the hills, it looks black from a distance. The Lakota viewed it, and still view it, as sacred land.
Nestled within the Black Hills is the town of Deadwood, the resting place of lawman and gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok. In 1876, Hickok was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall in Saloon No. 10 while he was playing poker. The hand that Hickok was holding is now called the dead man's hand--two black aces and two black eights. Other old-west legends connected to the Black Hills include Calamity Jane, Crazy Horse, Lt. Col. George Custer and Sitting Bull.
Mount Rushmore is a carving in the side of a mountain in the Black Hills near the town of Keystone. The carving features the faces of presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson. It was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum. Around 400 carvers worked on the 60-foot sculpture from 1927 to 1941. Behind the heads of the presidents is the Hall of Records. Borglum intended the Hall of Records to house important American documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. People can view Mount Rushmore within it's park every day of the year except Christmas.
The Black Hills are abundant with wildlife. Birds and eagles soar through the skies. The creeks and lakes are rich with a variety of fish, such as trout and catfish. In Custer State Park, a herd of buffalo roam free. Visitors can drive through the park, but are not permitted to approach the buffalo on foot. While they may look cuddly, they are aggressive and will attack when provoked. Also found in the Black Hills are deer, big-horn sheep, prairie dogs and elk.
There are numerous caves in the Black Hills that people can explore. The Black Hills holds the majority--68--of calcite crystal caves in the world. Jewel Cave is the second largest cave in the world with a depth of 150 miles. There are eight caves people can tour, with views of formations such as stalagmites and cave popcorn. But, be sure to bring a jacket, as the average temperature of the caves is 50 degrees.
A gold rush to the Black Hills began in 1874. People from all over the country scrambled and settled in the Black Hills, looking to strike it rich, including Wild Bill. One gold mine, Homestake, was started in 1876 and was closed in 2001. It is now the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake, which hosts a large range of scientific experiments that need to be conducted underground. Now, the Black Hills is noted for its gold jewelry, which is manufactured in the Black Hills and carries a grape-leaf motif.
