What comes to mind when you think of South Dakota? For me, it was endless farmland, Mount Rushmore, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Really, that’s all I thought South Dakota had. I was quite mistaken.
In the summer of 2021, my partner, his mom, myself, and our dogs, Frasier and Mossy piled into a car for a two-week adventure out west. Most of our trip was spent in Montana, but we also spent a few days in the Dakotas. After visiting these states, I have a strong desire to return.
What is it about South Dakota that has me wanting to go back? The Black Hills, the unique rock formations, and the places I have yet to explore. Even though we only spent one day here, we packed a lot into our short visit.
From tranquil flute music to a challenging hike that sparked conversation, our day was quite eventful. These experiences are shared in this post, as well as accessibility information of the two places we visited.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Our first stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial. Even though we were unable to take the bus to the memorial’s base due to our furry travel companions, we still had a wonderful time exploring the visitor center, The Indian Museum of North America, and listening to live music.
This memorial, the largest mountain carving in the world, commemorates the Lakota leader, Crazy Horse, who led his men to victory at the Battle of Little Big Horn and put the needs of his people before his own. Once complete, the memorial will show Crazy Horse riding his horse with his left hand pointing forward.
Crazy Horse Memorial began in the 1940s. Chief Henry Standing Bear, a cousin of Crazy Horse, wanted to honor him by carving his image into a mountain of the sacred Black Hills. He seeked a skilled sculptor to carve the memorial.
Chief Standing Bear wrote to Korczak Ziolkowski, who worked on Mount Rushmore and won first prize at the 1939 World Fair, asking if he’d be interested in pursuing the endeavor. For over 30 years, Korczak dedicated himself to carving the memorial. Today, the memorial continues to be carved and is funded through donations and admission fees.
Crazy Horse Memorial provides various educational opportunities, including bus tours, museum exhibits, and programs. After some time in the museum, we enjoyed flute music and storytelling by a man from the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. This was the highlight of the day. I loved hearing the different flutes and stories.
Accessibility
Crazy Horse Memorial is a very accessible place, from my initial experience. Wide, paved paths, ramps, and curb cuts with truncated domes were just a few features I noticed. I later connected with an employee via email, and they informed me on more ways the memorial is accessible to people with disabilities.
There are accessible buses and vans for wheelchair users. The buses take visitors to the base of the mountain, while vans take visitors up the mountain, closer to the memorial.
Transcripts of presentations are available at the Information Desk at the Welcome Center. Also at the Information Desk, is a small model of the memorial. For those who are blind or visually impaired, you’re able to feel this model as staff explain the memorial and what it’ll look like once complete. If you decide to take a bus or van tour, you can take this model along with you.
Crazy Horse is a must visit when in South Dakota. I hope to return to take a tour, feel the model, and learn more about the Lakota and other Native American cultures represented in the museum and through programs.
Please visit their website to learn more about the history, upcoming events, and facilities.
Custer State Park
After a few hours at Crazy Horse, we were off to our next destination. A half hour drive later, we arrived at South Dakota’s largest state park.
Custer State Park is home to rolling prairies, unique rock formations, stunning views of the Black Hills, and a variety of wildlife – including bison! The park offers an array of activities, including hiking, camping, fishing, and boating.
With wildfire smoke lingering in the air and the heat of the day beginning to set in, we decided to do the Cathedral Spires Trail, a 1.6-mile, mostly shaded trail. Even though it was described as moderate, for the three of us “flat-landers,” this trail was not moderate, but difficult. It was narrow, steep, and involved climbing up large rocks.
Halfway up the trail, I was exhausted, mentally and physically. I was using my white cane to find upcoming obstacles, while also holding onto Frasier’s leash. Frasier didn’t have his guide dog harness on, but still somewhat guided me along the trail. He would often stop and wait for me at natural steps, but other times, he’d keep going. Because he wasn’t wearing his harness, I wasn’t expecting him to guide me effortlessly on this hike, but little things he did helped a lot. I mostly relied on my white cane and verbal descriptions from my hiking partners.
As we trekked on, my mind raced. If this is what South Dakota is like, how is Montana going to be?! Am I slowing us down? What are other hikers thinking? Are our dogs okay?
Too much was happening. I was caught up in my thoughts and didn’t pay attention to the feedback of my cane. I wasn’t listening to what Wendy or Jason were saying. I started to struggle more with my footing and my confidence.
So, we took a break. We had a conversation. I collected my thoughts. I took in our beautiful surroundings for the first time.
We were close to the end of the trail, but between us and the end, were more steep steps and boulders to climb. We had a view of the park below, as well as the towering rock pillars the trail is named after. Even though we didn’t make it to the end, all of us were content with the views and the hike itself.
Our descent was much easier, and I was able to enjoy the hike a bit more. We took a few more breaks to check in with each other, hydrate, and take in the beauty.
We did a bit of sightseeing at a few overlooks, before finishing our short visit to Custer State Park with a drive around the park. Eventually, we were on the road back to our Airbnb.
There is so much of this park we didn’t get to see, and I would love to go back one day. The rock formations are one-of-a-kind, and the views of the Black Hills are astounding.
Accessibility
If you’re looking to visit Custer State Park, please note that it is unfortunately, not too accessible…
Though guided tours are available, in order to explore most of the park, you need a car. There are several scenic drives through the park that take you through its unique landscapes and offer chances to see wildlife.
The 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road for example, weaves through grasslands and hills most of the park’s wildlife live in. Bison, elk, prairie dogs, hawks, and eagles are just a few of the wild critters who can be spotted on this drive.
More information about scenic drives is linked below:
Guided tours are also a great way to explore the park. A link to the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour is linked below.
Due to the park’s jagged terrain, there aren’t too many paved trails to the best of my knowledge. Below,
I’ve linked a page from Accessible Nature highlighting the two paved trails in the park.
A screen reader cannot read their PDF trail guide. I was able to read this document by using the Read Aloud feature of Adobe Reader.
On their website, they list ADA accessible facilities, including visitor centers, cabins, restrooms, and campsites.
Summing up South Dakota
One day is not enough! I’m so thankful for the experiences at Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park. Crazy Horse Memorial connected us deeper to Native American cultures and the stolen Lakota land we recreated on. Custer State Park presented challenges that when overcome, showed the capability of all of us.
If you’ve visited South Dakota, I’d love to hear your highlights in the comments below!
Photo Descriptions
Featured Photo: An image overlooking the forests and rolling Black Hills. Wildfire smoke covers the distant hills on a sunny day. Black text says A Day in South Dakota in handwritten font.
Photo 1: Crazy Horse Memorial as of July 2021. Crazy Horse’s head, arm, and index figure pointing forward are fully carved out of the mountain. Layers of rock beneath have yet to be carved. A lone cloud lingers behind the mountain. Green trees border the bottom of the mountain.
Photo 2: Cathedral Spires Trail on a sunny day. A narrow footpath with rocky cliffs on each side. Several coniferous trees line the trail. A large fallen tree lays on the left of the path.
Photo 3: Shannon stands next to the Cathedral Spires Trailhead sign. The sign shows a map of the trail. Shannon smiles and holds her white cane, and her dog Frasier, sits by her feet. Frasier, a black lab/golden retriever mix, looks off to the side, panting.
Photo 4: The Needles, jagged rock formations, shine clay red in the afternoon sun. Several of these large, granite pillars are pictured. The tip of each pillar ends in a sharp point.