Fishing and Hiking in the Black Hills of South Dakota
I’d been dreaming of going to South Dakota since 2020. I followed Travel South Dakota religiously on Instagram, obsessing over shots of bison, jagged granite peaks, and sunsets over rolling prairies. I even ordered their travel guide and then... never went.
My boyfriend (now fiancé, plot twist) surprised me with a flight to Rapid City as a gift. Cue excitement. Cue packing. Cue catching a cold halfway through the trip, but honestly, I still wouldn’t change a thing.
If you’re planning a Black Hills South Dakota trip, here’s everything we ate, hiked, fished, and explored.
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is South Dakota’s first state park and one of the largest in the U.S., covering 71,000 acres of lakes, granite spires, and open grassland. Honestly, it feels national park–level.
From the Sylvan Lake parking area, we hopped on the Sunday Gulch Trail, a ~5 mile loop featuring:
Creek crossings
Black Hills views
Steel handrails down boulders (felt like a rugged obstacle course)
After one section of the trail, we set up our camera for a photo, and that’s when Austin proposed on top of a boulder beside a creek with no one else around. It was perfect.
Immediately after, we both caught a brook trout in that same creek on our Tenkara rods (post-engagement luck?). The rest of this hike was challenging but so worth the views at the top of the hill. You could see the spires and the rolling hills in the distance going for miles.
After our hike, we drove into town to celebrate with good food at The Custer Wolf and walked into some of the souvenir shops and grabbed some sweet treats at Custer Candy Company.
Before leaving the Black Hills, near the end of our trip, we returned to Custer State Park for more fishing near Grace Coolidge Creek and drove the iconic Wildlife Loop Road, where a bison casually walked past our truck (insane)!
Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park is known for its unique boxwork formations and is the sixth-longest cave in the world. After our group gathered outside for the tour, we set off to hear the Native American origin story of the cave before beginning our journey through the cave system.
We learned how it was mapped, the different formations, and even how the first tours were conducted. People were once allowed to scrape boxwork from the ceiling! I was shocked to hear that there isn’t a single living organism inside the cave.
Above ground, miles of hiking trails stretch across the surface, and if you arrive early enough, you might spot wildlife like bison, pronghorn, and prairie dogs.
Guided Fishing at Deerfield Lake
On day four of our trip, we booked a guided outing with Black Hills Fishing Guide, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our entire stay. Growing up, I went on a lot of saltwater fishing trips like this, and I had always wanted to experience it in freshwater, and to no surprise, it was just as exciting.
Our guide, Dean, took us out on Deerfield Lake, set up our rods, helped us land giant rainbow trout, and even cleaned the fish for us so we could cook them later.
If you are looking for a fishing guide in the Black Hills, I could not recommend Dean and his service more. I mean, just look at those fish!
Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial was incredibly moving. The on-site Indian Museum of North America is the largest in the U.S., and walking through the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s workshop added so much depth to the story. I was completely enthralled by the space and the sight of Crazy Horse in the mountain. I hope to be back when the inscription is added and the full sculpture of the horse is complete.
Inscription that will be on the mountain
Mount Rushmore
Walking down the flag-lined entryway toward the mountain felt surreal after seeing it in textbooks my whole life. There are short trails, a visitor center, and a gift shop. A quick stop, but worth seeing in person. There’s a parking fee, but the pass is valid for a full year.
Horse Thief Lake
Near Rushmore, there’s a hidden lake you can spot from the road on the way to Custer: Horse Thief Lake. We noticed it on our first day while driving to Custer, and I immediately saved it on Google Maps so we could come back later. When I see a good fishing spot, I act on it!
Austin and I stopped by one evening after it rained and walked along the edge of the lake until we found one of the many fishing piers. After losing a few fish, a little boy came up to my fiancé and me and said he had lost a few too. He wished us good luck, and boom, we both landed big ol’ trout right after. Shoutout to that kid!
This spot is absolutely worth pulling over for, and there are even campgrounds if you want to extend your stay.
Largest fish I’ve caught on tenkara
Badlands National Park
After fueling up at Black Hills Bagels, we made the 1.5-hour drive to Badlands National Park.
From the Door Trail
We stopped at the visitor center for a passport stamp in our national park book and trail recs from a ranger. It was already heating up by 10 a.m., so we stuck to shorter trails like:
One of the coolest things about Badlands is the Open Hike Policy. You can climb, scramble, wander, and feel like you’re on another planet. Even though I was under the weather, I loved finally stepping foot in this park after seeing endless photos of it online. It’s so unique and really makes you pause when you think about how it used to be an ocean known as the Western Interior Seaway. Do not miss the chance to see this place in your lifetime, it’s truly special.
Afterward, we stopped by the Minuteman Missile Museum and strolled around Wall Drug Store, a South Dakota rite of passage.
Rapid City: Favorite Food & Shop Finds
Rapid City full of charm and has a lot to offer those who want to shop and enjoy some good meals. Here were our favorite spots:
One of the best chocolate croissant I’ve ever had in my life
Is a Black Hills South Dakota Trip Worth It?
Whenever I told people that South Dakota was one of my top travel bucket list destinations, I’d always get the same confused look.
I’d spend the time telling them it’s worth it.
Now I can say with full confidence: it truly is.
The Black Hills are breathtaking, the Native American history is powerful and ever-present, and the landscapes are unlike anywhere else in the U.S.
If you love the outdoors, hiking, fishing, wildlife, and wide open views, I cannot recommend a South Dakota trip enough.
