Under an hourHill City
The heart of the Hills: galleries, wineries and a steam train.
The guidebook
The Black Hills & Custer, from your front door.
Where to go, what to see and how to do it well, from the closest stops to the day trips. Add places to your own itinerary as you go.
Adventure map
Find your way around the Black Hills.
From Spearfish to Hot Springs and out to Rapid City. Tap a pin to see what's there, turn layers on and off, and add places to your itinerary. Our cabin sits in the shaded area south-east of Custer, close to everything.
Show on the map ·
Pinch or double-tap to zoom, drag to move.Use + / − or Ctrl + scroll to zoom, drag to move.Distances are straight-line and approximate; use the links for real directions.
Branch out
The towns of the Black Hills.
Custer is a great home base. These towns make easy half-day and full-day outings.
Under an hour
Under an hourKeystone
Mount Rushmore's gateway town, with old-time attractions.
Under an hourHot Springs
Sandstone downtown, warm springs and an Ice Age fossil dig.
About an hourRapid City
The Hills' biggest city: statues on every corner, museums and the airport.
1½ to 2 hoursDeadwood
A preserved Wild West gold-rush town and National Historic Landmark.
1½ to 2 hoursLead
A hillside mining town beside Deadwood, with a famous gold mine.
About 2 hoursSpearfish
A college town at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon.
1½ to 2 hoursSturgis
Motorcycle capital each August, quiet foothill town the rest of the year.
Times are rough bands from Custer. Summer traffic, road work and the August Sturgis Rally can add a lot.
Every place
The full guidebook.
Grouped by type, and sorted within each group from the closest to the cabin outward.
Icons & memorials2 places, closest first
about 7 mi
about 10 miAbout 25 minutes
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The four presidents, about a 25-minute drive from the cabin.
Scenic drives & views2 places, closest first
about 7 mi
about 8 miOn the way to Mount Rushmore
Iron Mountain Road
Pigtail bridges and tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore.
Wildlife & parks7 places, closest first
about 4 miShort drive
Legion, Stockade & Center Lakes
Quiet water inside Custer State Park for paddling, fishing and picnics.
about 6 miMinutes away
Custer State Park & the Wildlife Loop
Bison, pronghorn and begging burros, minutes from the cabin.
about 7 mi
about 11 miWest of Mount Rushmore
Horsethief Lake
A quiet fishing lake in the pines, minutes from Mount Rushmore.
about 16 miBetween Hill City and Rapid City
Sheridan Lake
Swimming beach, paddling and fishing in the national forest.
about 20 mi
about 23 miHikes & trails4 places, closest first
about 4 miThrough Custer
George S. Mickelson Trail
109 miles of rail-trail through the Hills, passing through Custer.
about 6 miShort drive
Cathedral Spires & Little Devil's Tower
Granite pinnacles you can hike right up to, off the Needles Highway.
about 8 miTrailhead at Sylvan Lake
Black Elk Peak
The highest point in South Dakota, and the peak you can see from the cabin.
about 50 miCaves2 places, closest first
about 14 mi
about 14 miShort drive west
Jewel Cave National Monument
One of the longest caves in the world, lined with sparkling calcite.
History & family fun6 places, closest first
about 13 mi
about 22 miSouth of Rapid City
Reptile Gardens
A huge reptile zoo, giant tortoises and live shows south of Rapid City.
about 22 miHot Springs, south of the Hills
The Mammoth Site
A working Ice Age dig, with mammoths where they fell.
about 24 mi
about 27 mi
about 45 miIn Lead
Sanford Lab & the Homestake Mine
A deep former gold mine turned physics lab, with a visitor center in Lead.
Towns & day trips13 places, closest first
about 2 mi2 miles north
Historic Downtown Custer
Shops, cafés and Black Hills gold-rush history, two miles north.
about 12 mi
about 13 mi
about 23 mi
about 28 mi
about 45 miDay trip
Lead & the Homestake Gold Mine
A hillside gold-mining town with a famous mine and winter skiing.
about 45 mi
about 45 mi
about 50 mi
about 50 mi
about 55 mi
about 65 mi
about 80 miDay trip
Devils Tower National Monument
America's first national monument, just across the line in Wyoming.
Distances are straight-line miles from our cabin area, so real drives are longer. Ratings and reviews come from Google Maps and update automatically. Photos are credited on each page and on the credits page.
Staying with us?
Come home to the hill.
Every adventure ends better with a quiet cabin, a full kitchen and a view of the Needles.