Western South Dakota, Eastern Wyoming and Western Nebraska
If you want an area of the country where you can get out into the wilderness and see wide open spaces and get out of the big city then Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska are places to do that. Each state has famous and breathtaking natural landmarks and national parks to visit. They are also full of history including tales of exploration and scars from the past. You can visit many Native American sites, the path of the Oregon Trail, old west mining towns, and see wildlife roaming the open plains. We visited parts of Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota on two separate trips in 2018 and 2019. Visiting these states is an adventure that you should take!
Getting to the Area and Transportation
The area being covered in this article is very large so there are a few airport options to fly into the area. The largest airport within a hour and a half drive of Wyoming is the Denver International Airport. It is the airport we have used each time going into the area. There are small regional airports in Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota. The largest airport in the vicinity in South Dakota is the Rapid City Regional Airport. At the smaller airports the prices will be higher and the aircraft will be smaller. Transportation wise renting a car is really the only option other than finding a tour that might take you to some of the locations. When driving be prepared for long drives with sometimes many miles between cities and gas services.
Western Nebraska
Sparsely populated Western Nebraska has some interesting natural landmarks to visit. Most of the area is dedicated to farming and ranching but a couple high spots pop out of the flat plains. Scotts Bluff National Monument in Gering, Nebraska is a nice place to visit to see some interesting scenery and visit a historic place. It was a landmark on the long Oregon Trail where so many settlers moved west. Many passed by the bluffs on the way to a new home. At park you can see replicas of wagons near the spot of the Oregon trail, visit a museum and drive or hike to the top of the bluffs. We drove to the top to save time and got to enjoy the view of the surrounding plains. Its very peaceful up at the top and there are a few trails you can walk to get different views and read markers about the area. From Scotts Bluff you can see another landmark to those traveling on the Oregon trail and another place to visit while in the area. The Chimney Rock National Historic site is home to the Chimney rock formation. The 1,000 foot peak has been passed by for ages by Native Americans, explorers and settlers. At the site you can visit a museum that gives the geological history, the history of the Native Americans of the area and the settlers that passed by on the Oregon Trail. Chimney Rock is featured on the Nebraska State Quarter. We visited both spots on our drive from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Rapid City South Dakota. There are many other interesting historic sites and parks in the Western Nebraska that we did not have time to visit such as the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and Fort Robinson State Park, a frontier fort where famous Lakota warrior Crazy Horse was killed.
Wyoming
Wyoming is the least populated state in the United States and is full of natural wonders and wide open spaces. The largest city is the capital city of Cheyenne with near 60,000 people. The Rocky Mountains run right through the center of the state so the Western half of the state is home to The Grand Teton National Park, Ski resort towns such has Jackson Hole, and the beautiful Yellowstone National Park. We have not yet been to Western Wyoming but have traveled through Eastern Wyoming. There are many historic and natural wonders in the area. From frontier forts and battlefields to historic rodeos, to natural landmarks you can see a lot in the vast plains of Eastern Wyoming.
Cheyenne
The capital city of Wyoming has some interesting places to visit. Its located fairly close to the Colorado border so its a good stopping point if you are coming from the Denver area. The Wyoming visitors center that is located just before Cheyenne give a good history Cheyenne is an Old West town with a lot of history going back to the railroads being built across the West. While in Cheyenne we visited the downtown area where the old depot is and walked over to the State Capital building. At the time of our visit the State Capital was being renovated and we could not go inside. The Wyoming State Museum was also near by but also closed during our visit. I highly recommend visiting the state museums of new states you visit because they can give you a great overview of the history and the current culture and makeup of the state. You can also see the painted boot of Cheyenne throughout the downtown area and the city. We saw several in the area we walked in. We went and visited the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West museum at the Frontier Days rodeo grounds. The Frontier Days are one of the larger rodeo events in the US and have been going on for over 100 years. The museum goes over the history of the rodeo, the different events that are a part of the rodeo, the people involved and the Old West in general. Its a great museum to spend an hour or so walking through. While we were there there was a Native American Comic book symposium going on so we bought some very unique comics while at the museum. There are other sites and museums you can visit in Cheyenne like the Warren Air Force Base ICBM (missile) museum and the Cheyenne Depot museum. Cheyenne is a great introduction to the wild Wyoming frontier.
Fort Phil Kearny, The Fetterman Massacre and The Wagon Box Fight
Located in the Northern part of Wyoming near the small city of Story, Wyoming are several sites important in the history of the frontier and battles between the US Government and the Native Americans. Fort Phil Kearny was built to protect the Bozeman Trail from attacks. The Lakota and Cheyenne considered it a invasion of their territory. Fort Phil Kearny was a large frontier Fort that held several hundred soldiers. The soldiers were attacked many times while at the fort situated in a valley surrounded by hills during what is known as Red Cloud’s War, Red Cloud was a Lakota Chief. The two most significant battles was the Fetterman Massacre where Capt. Fetterman disobeyed orders to not chase the Native American Warriors over Lodge Trail Ridge since the fort could no longer see the troops. Fetterman and his men did cross over the ridge and were ambushed by the warriors and all his men was killed. Another battle was the Wagon Box Fight where Native American warriors attacked a wood cutting party. The US troops got behind their wagons put in a square and were able to fight off the attacks. The fort was eventually abandoned by the US troops and burned to the ground by Native American warriors.Today the three sites are part of the Wyoming State Park System. At Fort Phil Kearny you can see a replica of the walls of the fort, take a walk through the grounds where the different buildings of the fort are marked. There are also flags and soldier statues on the surrounding hills to show where a signal station and where Native Americans used to watch the fort. There is also a great museum that goes over the brief history of this 1860s fort. At the Fetterman Massacre site there is a monument for the battle and you can walk a trail that has historical markers that describe the battle. Its near by the fort but it is an unmanned site. The trail is very quiet and has great views. The Wagon Box Fight site is also unmanned and is a few miles away from Fort Phil Kearny. You will drive a mile or so down a dirt road before arriving at the site. There is a monument for the battle, replicas of the wagons in the square and historical markers describing the battle. The site is relatively small. If you like learning about Old West history and hiking a bit these sites are a great place to visit. The fort and the Fetterman Massacre have been depicted in shows such as ” Into the West”. There is a small fee to go to the Fort and museum there. It will take a couple hours to visit all the sites in the area, but its well worth it.
Devil's Tower National Monument
Located in far North Eastern Wyoming, the Devil’s Tower National Monument is the first National Monument created by Theodore Roosevelt. Devil’s Tower is a massive Butte that rises up from the plains. Its made of volcanic rock that looks like pillars bundled together. The Native Americans believe the Butte is a sacred place where bears chasing some people tried to climb up the tower but could not reach the people so they were saved. While approaching the tower after you have left the pay station you can see a field full of prairie dogs. We took a little time to get out of the car and watch and listen to the prairie dogs as they ate and burrowed. At the tower there is a small museum that gives an overview of the site. There are walking trails that take you around the tower and if you are really adventurous you can climb the tower (you need to be a professional climber). We spent around an hour visiting the site but if you want to walk more of the trails you can spend longer there. There is a charge to enter the site but its a place you will want to see if you are in the area!
Vore Buffalo Jump
Located near the Wyoming, South Dakota Border on I-90 near the small town of Beulah, Wyoming is the Vore Buffalo Jump Site. Its a small site with a museum and an archaeological dig site. It is a sink hole where Native Americans drive buffalo into the hole where they were killed from the fall and then ate and used the buffalo for the needs of their tribes (most parts of the buffalo where used for tools, food or shelter). It is a small site so it does not take too long to tour. When we got there it was supposed to be open but there was no one there so we paid in the donation box and walked as saw as much of the site as we could. Its a nice quick site to visit if you are in the area.
Other Sites in Eastern Wyoming
There are quite a few other sites to visit in Eastern Wyoming. On a previous trip many years ago with my parents and brother we visited the Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Fort Laramie was an important fort along the Oregon Trail and was a large military site. It is where treaties with the Native American Tribes during the 1800s after the American Civil War. The site is very well preserved and you can tour the old military barracks and buildings and visit the nice museum. We also visited Fort Fetterman Historic Site Near Douglas, Wyoming. The site is fairly remote on the plains and you can see a nice museum and the remains of the 1860s fort named after Capt. Fetterman who was killed near Fort Phil Kearny. Near Guernsey, Wyoming you can visit the Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site. In a narrow pass through sandstone many wagons passed along the Oregon trail so wagon wheel ruts where worn into the stone. There are other places to explore along the plains of Wyoming. We want to go back to see more of this wild and desolate countryside.
South Western South Dakota
South Western South Dakota is also full of history and adventure. Dominated by the historic and sacred to the Native Americans Black Hills, the area is full of stories to tell from the Old West Mining town of Deadwood, a national park with wild buffalo roaming, two huge mountain carvings, US nuclear Missile bases, the desolate Badlands and many other sites. Outside of Rapid City the area is lightly populated so Rapid City and Deadwood are great places to stay while exploring what the Black Hills has to offer.
Wind Cave National Park
On the way to some of the other sites to see in South Dakota we drove through the Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills. The Lakota believed the large cave in the area was where the Buffalo came from the Earth so it has importance to them. The national park has one of the longest caves in the world and also has one of the largest mixed prairie areas in the country. We did not have time to visit the cave but we did stop a few times to watch the wild buffalo graze on the prairie land. We were able to get fairly close but not too close as they can be dangerous. Its very quiet on the prairie other than the occasional car going by so you can really enjoy the wildlife there. We would like to visit the cave someday.
Crazy Horse Memorial
After visiting Wind Cave National Park we drove through some nice small towns and took a very scenic drive deep in the Black Hills to the Crazy Horse Memorial. It is a huge mountain carving of the great Lakota Warrior Crazy Horse that was commissioned by a member of the Lakota Tribe. Artist Korczak Ziolkowski for quite some time worked alone on carving the monument out of the huge mountain but later got a crew. The monument is still be carved to this day and is being funded by admission and donations. At the monument is a great museum dedicated to Native American culture that has many artifacts and exhibits honoring the history of the peoples of the area. There is a good restaurant that serves many types of foods including Native American dishes. They offer tours to visit the base of the carving or tour up on top of the mountain. At night during the summer time they have a great laser light show on the carving set to music and at the end it shows what the carving will look like once it is completed. We spent much of the late afternoon and evening at the site so give yourself time to visit the site. Its a must see if you are in the area!
Mount Rushmore National Monument
Located only a few miles from the Crazy Horse Memorial is the famous Mount Rushmore National Monument. It was completed in 1941 and features Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The sculpture was going to feature more of the bodies of the Presidents but only a small part of Washington’s torso was finished. At the site there are walking trails that get you closer to the monument and take you to the artists studio and the blast area that has leftover rocks from the carving. There is a visitors center with a gift shop and a small museum, and a video with the history. At night they have a ceremony at the amphitheater and they light the mountain. We got there on a holiday weekend so it was very crowded but we were able to get in to see the monument. Its a beautiful area just as most of the Black Hills are. The trails were shut down due to a lot of late season snow that had fallen and blocked the trails. We spent about an hour at the monument before we moved on to other sites. The monument itself is free but it does cost to park in the parking garage.
Rapid City and the South Dakota Air and Space Museum
Located to the East of the Black Hills is the largest city in the area. Rapid City is less than 100,000 people but has all the amenities of most cities. We stayed there a night as we explored the areas around Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse area. Rapid City has many hotels so it is a good place to stay. There are a variety of attractions in Rapid City so we went and visited the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. It is a free museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Ellsworth Air Force Base has B-1 Bombers and was a part of the minuteman missile defense. In the museum you can see many planes including a B-1 Bomber and read about the history of the air base. You can also take a tour of the air base and go to a Minuteman Missile Silo. We did not have time to take the tour but did visit the museum. We spent over an hour at the museum and the tour would have taken another hour and a half to two hours. Its a nice place to visit and is another free option in the area! Also if you drive around an hour to the East from Rapid City you can visit the Badlands National Park and see an almost alien landscape. We did not visit this on our trip but I was been there many years ago. You can also visit the huge Wall Drug Store along the way to the Badlands to get free water and see all the shops and attractions.
Deadwood
Deadwood is an Old West town in the Northern Area of the Black Hills. A TV series was made about this famous town. It was founded during a gold rush in the Black Hills. Lt. Colonel George A. Custer and a search party found the gold in the 1860s. The sacred Black Hills had been given to the Sioux tribe but the though of gold lead many to disobey and go into the Black Hills. Deadwood was founded and catered to the miners and became a rough city that was full of gun fights, drinking, gambling and prostitution. Today Deadwood is still a small city that still has much of the feel of an Old West Town including gun fight re-enactments in the streets, saloons and casinos throughout the city. There are bus tours that will show you the different areas of the town, give you the history of deadwood and take you up to Mount Moriah Cemetery that overlooks the valley Deadwood sits in. Famous people such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried in the cemetery. Wild Bill Hickok was murdered while playing cards at Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood. The poker hand he had at the time became known as “The Dead Man’s Hand”. The original saloon he was killed in burned down but you can see the chair he died in and place he was shot at a rebuilt saloon. There are also Ghost Tours you can take through some of the historic buildings in Deadwood. If casinos are your thing you can play in the casinos throughout the old town area. Donna and I took the bus tour, a ghost tour and watched the gunfights while we were there. We also drove a little outside of town to see Kevin Costner’s Tatanka: Story of the Bison. Its a beautiful sculpture of a Native American hunt of bison by running them off a cliff. There is also a small museum that goes over Buffalo and Native American history. Spending a night or two will allow you to see the sights. We spent one night there to see it all. Deadwood is a great place to visit and a must see in the area!
Other Tips
For traveling in this area in the US you need to be prepared for long drives to get to the different places especially if you start in Denver. On one day of the trip I drove nine hours. We visited different sites to break up the drive. Also at times, cities and gas stations can be few and far between so watch your gas levels. There are plenty of hotel options in cities like Cheyenne, Rapid City, and Deadwood so they are good places to stop. There are hotel options in other cities like Casper, Wyoming and other locations if you want to stop at other points. We did most of the items above on a four day trip during the memorial day holiday but we really packed it in during the small time frame. During the winter time road conditions can close due to winter weather so this is more of a summer trip. During our trip we spent over an hour stopped in a small city due to severe weather on the road ahead. There was 60+ mph winds and large hail. Once it passed there were several inches of hail on the ground in the area and they sent snow plows to clear the road of hail. So pay attention to the road warnings especially in Wyoming. The area is full of adventure, history and wild open spaces. Its a trip I recommend to anyone who wants to truly get away from everything as spend time in the outdoors!