It is the second largest city in South Dakota and serves as the industrial, shopping, and cultural center of a region that extends well into five states: northwest Nebraska, northeast Wyoming, southeast Montana and southwest North Dakota, as well as that portion of South Dakota west of the Missouri river. It is widely known as a tourist center and the gateway to the Black Hills.

CLIMATE: Rapid City has relatively mild winters for its latitude and the occasional occurrence of very low temperatures is relieved by a surprising number of mild winter days and cool comfortable nights. The average winter temperature is 28.8, with a summer average of 62.3. Rainfall averages about 17 inches/year and snowfall around 36 inches.
We found the best way to see the area is to take a bus tour they leave from the motels and the drivers know the best places to see & if he is a good tour guide he will tell you all about the area. You can sit back & enjoy the scenery.My husband did all the driving & couldn`t enjoy the sights like I did so when we has a chance for a tour we took it.

MT RUSHMORE NAT.MEMORIAL

Gigantic heads of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt lit up at night.It`s a great sight to see

AVENUE OF FLAGS

Cathedral Spires

Colossal nature monuments carved by nature from solid granite.these"needles"of rock tower over the famous Needles Drive.

The Black Hills National Forest A sea of pine trees, so thick they look black from a distance, cover these aged mountains. Black Hills National Forest stretches for 1.2 million acres, offering outdoor adventure against a backdrop of stunning scenery.

Another place to see.The Crazy Horse mountain carving now in progress will be the world's largest sculpture (563' high, 641' long, carved in the round). It is the focal point of an educational and cultural memorial to and for the North American Indian. The memorial is not a federal or state project. It is a non-profit (501-c-3) project begun in 1947, when sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski (1908-1982) arrived in the Black Hills to accept the invitation of Lakota chiefs to carve Crazy Horse. The nine-story-high face of Crazy Horse was completed and unveiled June3, 1998. Work is now underway on the 22-story-high horse's head. The project is being continued by Korczak's wife, Ruth, and their large family. The huge visitor complex includes the beautiful Indian Museum, Educational and Cultural Center, the sculptor's studio-home and workshop, and much more. Financed primarily from an admission charge, the memorial is open year-round. The Laughing Water Restaurant overlooking the mountain is open in season.

A Prairie Homestead

Inside the Homestead

The Bed-Room

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