Frequently Asked Questions

    Black Hills Tour Company FAQ

    Planning your visit

    We generally recommend 3 (minimum) to 5 days to experience the Black Hills comfortably – and more if you have the time. This allows time to visit Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, and several smaller attractions without feeling rushed.

    The Black Hills are beautiful year-round, but most visitors choose May through October. Summer offers warm weather and full attraction access, while September and early October bring beautiful fall colors, and things move to a slower pace once mid October hits. 

    Many first-time visitors stay in Rapid City because it’s centrally located and close to the airport.
    For a more scenic mountain-town experience, consider Custer, Hill City, or Deadwood. These towns are a wonderful base, but that can mean longer driving days if you are hopping around the Black Hills. 

    We always suggest a downtown Rapid city hotels as a good base – then you’re in walking distance to great restaurants, boutiques and centrally located for your touring days. 

    This depends, attractions are spread out across the region, and public transportation is non existent. 
    If you plan to spend your days on guided tours, fly into Rapid City and stay downtown, then you can get away without a car. 
    Otherwise, if you want to get off the beaten track a little and move around the area a car is needed. 

    Rapid City regional airport is the most accessed airport in the area. 
    There are year round direct flights and some seasonal direct flights. See the RAP website for more details. 
    https://rapairport.com/

    Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Badlands National Park, and historic Deadwood are among the region’s most popular highlights.

    Absolutely. We are happy to share recommendations for restaurants, attractions, lodging, scenic drives, and activities throughout the Black Hills.

    We highly suggest you give yourself a little more time, but if one day is all you have – then check out our Premier Southern Hills Tour. This covers a really good amount in one day – and you will get a feel for the area; its history, culture and see some of the best sights in the region. 

    Questions about our private tours

    No. Our tours are private, meaning your group will have the vehicle and guide to yourselves.

    We specialize in private experiences. Every tour is tailored to your group, allowing flexibility for additional stops, wildlife sightings, scenic viewpoints, and personalized recommendations.

    We are local, as are all our guides, and have been operating in the area for over a decade. We know the best local spots, how to avoid crowds – and we love showing off our backyard!

    Yes. Most of our tours can be adjusted to match your interests, schedule, and mobility needs.

    Speak to us directly about what you’re looking for – any limitations or must-see items and we can help create a great itinerary for you. 

    No. Our tours are private, meaning your group will have the vehicle and guide to yourselves

    This is up to you – if you book a biking tour, or hiking tour – then you can expect to move around! 

    However, most of our more sightseeing based tours can involve light walks to overlooks, visitors centers and attractions. We can often adjust itineraries to accommodate guest on either end of the activity spectrum!

    Mount Rushmore Questions

    For most visitors, yes. Mount Rushmore is one of America’s most recognizable landmarks and a symbol of the nation’s history. Seeing the massive granite carvings in person is often far more impressive than photos can capture. The memorial also features walking trails, exhibits, a museum, and ranger programs that provide insight into the monument’s construction and the people it represents.

    If you enjoy history, iconic landmarks, photography, or experiencing places you’ve seen throughout your life in books and media, Mount Rushmore is usually a highlight of a Black Hills vacation.

    Even for travelers who are not particularly interested in presidential history, Mount Rushmore is often worth a visit because of its scenic setting in the Black Hills and its proximity to other popular attractions such as Iron Mountain Road, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial. Many guests combine several attractions into the same day, making it an easy and worthwhile stop.

    Ultimately, whether Mount Rushmore is a must-see depends on your interests, but most visitors are glad they took the time to experience one of America’s most famous landmarks while exploring the Black Hills.

    Most visitors spend between one and two hours exploring the memorial, walking the Presidential Trail, visiting exhibits, and enjoying the viewpoints.

    Yes. These attractions are located relatively close together and are commonly combined with Custer State Park and scenic drives.

    You can see both and Custer State Park on our full day, Premier Southern Black Hills Tour. 

    No. Visitors cannot climb Mount Rushmore, and the public does not have access to the secret chamber, officially known as the Hall of Records, located behind Abraham Lincoln’s head. While the Hall of Records was partially completed as part of sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s vision for the memorial, it is not open to visitors. Guests can enjoy Mount Rushmore from several viewing areas, walking trails, and interpretive exhibits throughout the memorial.

    Badlands National Park Questions

    Absolutely! The Badlands are one of South Dakota’s most iconic destinations and a must-see for many visitors to the region. Known for their dramatic rock formations, colorful layered landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rich fossil history, Badlands National Park offers a completely different experience from the forests and granite peaks of the Black Hills.

    We offer a range of tours to the Badlands so you can experience them at their best – see our Badlands Day Tours, Badlands Bike tours, sunset tours and or team up with an aerial flight to see the Badlands for the most amazing viewpoint. 

    The Badlands are approximately one hour east of Rapid City, making them an easy day trip.

    Consider if you are staying elsewhere in the Black Hills, it might make for a longer trip. 

    We don’t recommend this – however, it is possible with a lot of time in the car. Most visitors prefer to dedicate separate days to fully appreciate each destination.

    Transportation and Logistics

    Yes. We provide pickup and drop-off from many accommodations throughout the Black Hills region.

    Our tours typically include complimentary pick up within the Rapid City area – speak to us if you are staying elsehwere and we can either arrange a meeting point, or look at what a pick up fee may look like depending on the tour you are taking. 

    Most tours begin at your hotel, vacation rental, or another agreed-upon location.

    Airport transfers and custom transportation arrangements may be available depending on your schedule.

    We recommend comfortable clothing, walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, a camera, and a reusable water bottle.

    Weather in the Black Hills can change quickly. Our guides monitor conditions and adjust the day as needed to provide the best possible experience.

    Bike Tour Questions

    We recommend using gravel bikes.
    A road bikes tires will be too thin on the packed gravel. We wouldn’t recommend any narrower than 32mm tires. 
    Mountain Bikes work really well too, but can be a little slower on the trail. 

    This bike ride is along the shoulder of the main tourist road in the National Park. There are no bike trails within the park. 
    It is a very slow and lightly trafficked road, even riders who are not used to sharing the road, typically find this ride very accessible. We do not recommend this ride for riders under 12. 

    While it is possible to ride up to the monument, we typically only recommend it to very experienced and conditioned road riders. 
    The hill to Mt Rushmore is very steep, long, and typically there is quite a lot of traffic. 

    We think the best riding months in the area are June and September. That being said, May can be a great time to ride – the weather is just a little more hit or miss. July and August are also wonderful times to visit, the weather can just be slightly warmer. 

    We aim to accommodate our riders where we can. If you are going to be renting a bike for multiple days we can absolutely help you ensure your bike is is comfortable as possible. 

    We do not. We are not aware of any Mountain Bike rentals in the area. 

    Yes! 
    See our Self-Guided Mickelson Trail tour, or chat to us about arranging custom multi-day trips (private). 

    Yes, we do. However, we are predominantly a tour company, so bike rentals need to be pre-arranged. 

    Your rentals will need to be picked up and dropped off at our Rapid City office location.