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Black Hills
It's hard to pick one favorite drive in the Black Hills as there are so many to choose from. Hot Springs is a good starting point to begin with. Traveling north on 385 will take you to Wind Cave National Park (12 miles) where you will be able to take several different tours in one of the longest mapped caves in the world. (If you are into caves, Jewel Cave is within 35 miles of Wind Cave) Wildlife you will encounter driving through Wind Cave Park include bison, deer, prairie dogs, elk (early morning or at dusk), turkeys, coyotes, and antelope.
After Wind Cave turn north on 87 and proceed through Custer State Park (this is a fee area). A good side trip is to turn east on the Wildlife Loop Road at the fee booth and take a leisurely drive. At the end of the Wildlife Loop turn east on 16A/36 and head to the eastern side of Custer State Park. Just before exiting the park, you will pass another fee booth (one fee will cover several days) and you will want to turn north on 16A which is Iron Mountain Road.
Once on Iron Mountain Road, you will encounter several pigtail bridges as well as several tunnels. One of the tunnels you travel through will frame Mt. Rushmore very nicely. This road terminates near Keystone, SD, where you can stop for refreshments or shopping. Heading west from on 244 will take you to the monument where you can park and tour Mt. Rushmore.
Heading west again on 244, you will meet up with 16/385 where you can choose to go north to Hill City and Deadwood or go south to Custer and Hot Springs. There are many other drives you can take as the Black Hills is a very large area.
Randy
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