At Black Hills Tour Company, we believe the best way to experience South Dakota is through relaxed, personalized travel. Our private tours combine iconic landmarks, scenic backroads, wildlife viewing, local history, and hidden gems – all led by passionate local guides.

We joined CNN anchor Laura Coates to explore one of the most fascinating aspects of the Badlands – it’s incredible prehistoric fossil beds. During filming, we discover a rare fossil skull estimated to be around 33 million years old!
Black Hills Tour Company was founded in 2014 by husband-and-wife team Kevin and Melina, brought together by a shared love of travel, adventure, and the incredible landscapes of western South Dakota.
As a local to the Black Hills, Kevin grew up exploring the backroads, scenic canyons, historic towns, and hidden spots that many visitors never get to experience. After moving from Australia, Melina quickly fell in love with the region and saw just how special the Black Hills are beyond the famous landmarks.
From the beginning, our goal was to create tours that went beyond simply checking off Mount Rushmore. We wanted guests to experience the quieter moments too, winding scenic drives, wildlife encounters, local stories, hidden gems, and the places that truly make this area unforgettable.
What started as a small local business has grown into one of the region’s leading private tour companies, but our approach remains the same today: relaxed, personal experiences that help visitors connect with the REAL Black Hills.
We feel incredibly fortunate to share this special part of the country with travelers from around the world and love helping guests create lasting memories along the way.
Unlike large group bus tours, our experiences are fully private and tailored to your group’s interests, pace, and travel style.


The Black Hills region is filled with incredible landscapes, wildlife, history, and adventure. From granite peaks and winding scenic byways to prairie sunsets and roaming buffalo, every corner of western South Dakota offers something unique.
Our tours visit iconic destinations like:
But we also love introducing guests to the quieter places they may never discover on their own.
Every tour is designed to feel easy and enjoyable from start to finish.


Our guides are passionate about the Black Hills and love helping visitors experience the region beyond the typical tourist checklist. AND DID WE MENTION LOCAL?
From local history and geology to wildlife and scenic photography spots, we enjoy sharing the stories, landscapes, and small details that make this area unforgettable.
Most importantly, we want guests to feel welcomed, relaxed, and cared for throughout their trip.
Planning a trip to western South Dakota can feel overwhelming with so much to see and do. We’re always happy to help guests with recommendations for:
See our “Plan Your Trip” guides for more travel tips.


Whether you’re looking for a classic sightseeing experience, a scenic Badlands adventure, wildlife viewing, biking, hiking, or a completely customized itinerary, we’d love to help you create an unforgettable experience in South Dakota.
EXCELLENT Based on 391 reviews Posted on Tripadvisor Happiness13422205233Verified Mt Rushmore touring at its finest We did two tours with Black Hills. Our tour guide, Joel was without a doubt one of the best guides we have ever experienced. He was not only knowledgeable but easy to understand. We saw places that the average tour would never see. He was good with everyone in our small group from 7 years old to 70. The booking process and the tour van were top notch. If you want a 10 star tour experience call Black Hills Tour Company.Posted on Tripadvisor Alexis CVerified Perfect Family Experience at Mt. Rushmore Our Mt. Rushmore project experience was absolutely amazing! Denise, our tour guide, went above and beyond to make sure our family had a wonderful time. We are so grateful for her kindness and highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Mt. Rushmore!Posted on Tripadvisor MohammedVerified wonderful day It was such a pleasure spending the day with Jeff. He made my visit to this lovely city truly memorable. He is such a kind person that time passed before I even noticed. Many thanks to you allPosted on Tripadvisor Linda LVerified Informative We had an informed and memorable tour with Kevin our tour guide. Kevin was friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining, and passionate about all the sites we visited. We will recommend the Black Hills Tour company to all our friends who are planning their patriotic American tour for 2026!Posted on Tripadvisor AndrewVerified Best Tour Ever! My wife and I spent the day with our guide Terry, and visited Mt Rushmore, Needles Hwy, Sylvan Lake, Crazy Horse Monument, and Custer St Park. Terry was extremely engaging and knowledgeable throughout the entire day. He picked us up at 8:30a and dropped us back at our hotel at 6:00p - he would have happily extended our tour even longer if we had asked. Definitely a great value for a private tour. Mt Rushmore & Crazy Horse exceeded our expectations, they were fantastic! Eating our picnic lunch with Terry at Sylvan Lake on a comfortably sunny 50 F day surrounded by the day before's newfallen snow was certainly a highlight. Newborn buffalo calves and the baby burro on the Custer wildlife loop were a perfect way to end the day. We would not hesitate to book with Black Hills Tour Company again.Posted on Tripadvisor Cindy CVerified Custer State Park and Needles Highway Superior full day in private tour specially tailored to our interests: wildlife loop, Custer State Park, Needles Highway all with Joel. An excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. The best tour we have ever taken!Posted on Tripadvisor Brendon PVerified Amazing! Great tour! Guide was very informative. Learnt and saw lots. Definitely worthwhile.Posted on Tripadvisor sonyabunchVerified Joel was extremely knowledgeable and informative. The tour exceeded both our expectations and I would recommend 10/10 A definite must do for anyone visiting the area for the first time! Ask for Joel! You won’t be disappointed! I will recommend to everyone!Posted on Tripadvisor Michelle JVerified First time trip to South Dakota guide service was very knowledgeable and helpful. Our guide was Jeff and he was great. I recommend this as a first time visit to South Dakota because without the guide, we would have never been able to experience the splendor of the area without our guide Jeff being there to give all the information and history. Jeff took us to places and showed us areas that we would’ve never picked out ourselves. He allowed us to experience the beauty of the sites such as Mount Rushmore, Custer Park and the monument tribute to Crazy Horse, and the Needles. Hailee recommend money well spent.Posted on Tripadvisor Richard GVerified Black Hill Tour It was a fantastic experience. Our guide Gina was excellent. She was extremely knowledgeable and had the perfect personality for a guide. She made us feel very comfortable and provided a lot of insight of the areas we visited and gave us ample time to see everything. I would highly recommend this tour. Well worth the money.
EXCELLENT Based on 119 reviews Posted on Google Mohammed AbdullateefTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had a wonderful day with Jeff; he truly made my trip to this beautiful city an unforgettable memory. He was so kind and engaging that the time just flew by. Thank you allPosted on Google Knock outTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A outstanding tour of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and Wildlife Loop Road. Joel our tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable, respectful, motivated and went well beyond what we expected. Thank so very much Joel. We will return for a longer stay next time.Posted on Google S JTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Outstanding and very thorough tour. Joel is an incredible guide. He is a wealth of information. The tour company is very professional and very timely with their responses. I had an absolute blast!!! If you are going to check out this part of the world, you definitely want to book with Black Hills Tour Company!! You will be elated that you did!!!Posted on Google Tina WootenTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jeff was a wonderful tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and friendly.Posted on Google Carey StricklandTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Bike the Badlands Tour is PHENOMENAL! Hands down, BIKING THE BADLANDS IS A MUST DO! The perspective you get from a bike is unmatched and in my mind the only way to get a really good idea about the expansiveness and geological features. We rode about 25 miles through the picturesque terrain and Joel (our extraordinary guide) made sure we had time for all photo opportunities (including the wildlife and landscapes), outfitted us with bikes (e-bikes are available) and an excellent lunch. He is so personable, loves his job and gives you a wealth of information and history. He took pictures of us rolling wheels for our memorabilia and stopped at sights off the beaten path to give us a look at yester-years. WE LOVED THE EXPERIENCE and would do it again in a heartbeat, but only if Joel was our guide. ❤️Posted on Google Connie ShanksTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a fantastic tour! It was just amazing and Denise was excellent tour guide😃Posted on Google Ann MorganTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. JOEL ALBRIGHT from Black Hills Tours Company provided a wonderful tour of Devil’s Tower and Spearfish canyon topped by a yummy stop at the Chubby Chipmunk. He provided excellent insights into the geology and history of the area and helped us take memorable photos. We were so impressed we asked him to rearrange his schedule so we could take a second tour with him of the Badlands. It was equally engaging capped by a great but doable hike. He also provided two great dining recommendations. We certainly recommend Joel and the Black Hills Tour Company.Posted on Google Renée RTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our family of six used Black Hills Tour Company to bike the entire Mickelson Trail. We were based in Rapid City and completed a different segment of the trail each day. The company provided a private shuttle, bike support, sightseeing , and a knowledgeable guide each day. Kevin, our guide, was fantastic — he offered excellent suggestions, was flexible with our plans, and worked well with the older members of our group.Posted on Google Dan GallagherTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My wife and I have been doing guided bike trips in the US and Europe for almost 50 years now, and we had absolutely one of the most delightful experience with Kevin and Mel’s company. We highly recommend them.Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

Black Hills Tour Company operates under a special use permit on the Black Hills National Forest