Our family of four has traveled the US for almost three years visiting over 40 states and one of our top summer destinations is Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort in Spearfish, SD. It’s the perfect exploration basecamp and place to unwind after a day adventuring and it has the #1 most unique attraction we’ve come across in all our travels!
This luxury resort has a huge pool, hot tubs, dog park and there is even a restaurant and 18-hole golf course on site. In addition to all the amenities on site, it’s close to amazing hiking, National Parks and Monuments, historic locations, and amazing attractions. Keep reading for our family’s top five favorite activities near Spearfish, and we’re saving the best one for last!
Spearfish Canyon offers several different hikes. To get to the Spearfish Falls trailhead, you can park at the 100-year-old Latchstring Restaurant and hike out from there. It’s an easily accessible .75-mile hike -1.5 miles total- to a rushing 47 ft tall waterfall with a beautiful viewing area that’s perfect for a picnic lunch or you can grab a burger at Latchstring Restaurant when you’re done.
- Distance from Elkhorn Ridge: 30 Min
- Tips for Visiting:
- Take your time on the drive through the canyon and watch for wildlife.
- Dogs on a leash are welcome to hike with you.
- We recommend The Calamity burger from Latchstring Restaurant. It comes with candied jalapenos, cream cheese, and bacon.
4. Visit Historic Deadwood
Bring your cowboy hat and appetite for adventure to explore this scenic mountain town. Deadwood, SD, has a rich and colorful past starting in the 1870s with the discovery of gold in the Black Hills. The gold rush caused the formation of Deadwood and the population boomed, along with businesses in the area including saloons, like the infamous Nutall and Mann’s Saloon No. 10., where Wild Bill Hickock was shot from behind playing poker. Now, Deadwood is still full of saloons, but also gift shops, restaurants, concerts and the opportunity to see daily staged shootout gun fights. Distance from Elkhorn Ridge: 20 Min
- Tips for Visiting:
- Keep your eyes open for big horn sheep during the drive from Spearfish.
- Don’t forget to check out the Mount Moriah Cemetery where Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane are buried. The cemetery is $2 per person and not suitable for RVs or pets.
Set in the beauty of the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore was even more impressive in person than we expected. The carving of Mount Rushmore began in 1927 and was not completed until 1941, although many would say that it still is not complete because the original design was intended to include the bodies of the presidents down to their waists.
You can view the carved mountainside from afar, or up close. Our family enjoyed the Presidential Trail Loop. It’s just under a mile long and gets you up close and personal with the sculpture, with informative signs along the way and plenty of shade as you weave your way through the pine trees on the well-maintained board walk and paved trail. After the trail walk, we enjoyed ice cream and lunch on site where there is a variety of cafeteria style food options.
- Distance from Elkhorn Ridge: 1hr 10min
- Tips for Visiting:
- There is a fee to park at Mount Rushmore even with a National Parks pass. Fees vary, but it was $10 per car when we visited.
- There is a select amount of RV parking, but it is first come-first serve.
- No pets are allowed at the memorial.
Devil’s Tower National Monument is truly a wonder. Standing 876 feet from the base to the summit, the origin of Devils Tower is not totally certain. Geologists agree that Devils Tower is an igneous intrusion, but there are many legends and spiritual lore about how exactly the tower came to exist. The Tower Loop Trail is accessible and 1.3 miles total with benches to stop at along the way. You’ll definitely want to make sure to take some photos along the trail of the beautiful scenery.
Keep your eye out for prayer bundles. These are cloths attached to trees around the park that represent a connection to native people in the area. Feel free to observe, but don’t disturb or touch them. Also watch climbers ascending the tower, they are hard to spot on the massive tower.
- Distance from Elkhorn Ridge: 1hr 10min
- Tips for Visiting:
- Bring plenty of water, as it can get very warm in the afternoon.
- If you need a place to eat, we recommend the Diamond Bar at Devils Tower with unobstructed views from the deck and dining room.
- Dogs are not allowed on the trails at Devils Tower.
This was one of our family’s highlights of our visit while staying in Spearfish. The Historic Frawley Ranch has a herd of over 20 buffalo that you can take a tour to visit and feed! Book your tour with the Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and prepare to be licked by the black and blue buffalo tongues as you feed them their special treat ‘cow cakes’. Our tour took about an hour, and it was nonstop excitement. We were driven out into the pasture and realized quickly that all the buffalo know that it’s treat time when they see the ranch suburban drive up.
We were greeted by Curly the 1800 lb. bull, with his huge tongue that he wrapped around our wrists to get every morsel of the treat. We were slightly wary at first, but quickly realized that these buffalo were mostly tame and really just interested in our snacks. We got our fill of buffalo slobber, sneezes, and licks and our bellies ached afterward from all the laughing. It’s the most unique RV Resort attraction we’ve ever seen!
- Distance from Elkhorn Ridge: 5 min
- Tips on Visiting:
- Make sure to reserve in advance and call for pricing.
- Tours are available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
