Elk Creek Resort near Piedmont is located between Rapid City and Sturgis just east of Interstate 90. Open year-round, we are your destination for cabins, vacation homes, and RV and tent camping in the Black Hills. We offer monthly and off-season rates. For your family reunion, wedding reception, gatherings, meetings and celebrations, you may reserve the Elk Creek Lodge and onsite bar. Our Lodge, espresso bar, kitchen, and bar are open only for special group occasions. Elk Creek Resort also features hiking trails, a Petrified Forest & museum, Gallery of Stone rock shop, Pine Tree gift shop, music recital space and piano, outdoor wedding chapel, outdoor pool, archery areas, playground, and horse shoes.
The Mead Museum in Yankton is the home of the Dakota Territorial Museum and Yankton County Historical Society. Our collections highlight Dakota Territory, Yankton, Yankton County, and Missouri River Valley history. New exhibits will be added to the museum yearly. The Children’s Transportation Museum is the first of its kind in the region. Our summer (late May through early September) hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 1-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Our winter (early September through late May) hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. See our website for admission information.
Opened publicly in 1929, the Petrified Forest of the Black Hills is one of the largest out-croppings of fossilized petrified wood in the area. Located next to Elk Creek Resort, the Petrified Forest offers a one hour tour starting with a 15 minute video which takes you through some of the history of the Black Hills, as well as an explanation of the petrification process. The tour continues through our museum which houses petrified wood along with rocks and fossils. Then take a hike through the Petrified Forest and experience the knowledge gained from the video and museum. You will finish at the Gallery of Stone rock shop and have access to many types of petrified wood and other beautiful creations. We are open April to November, weather permitting. Our hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for the walking tour, only, and 2-5 p.m. for the full park.
The annual Burning Beetle festival in Custer was started in response to the 20-year pine bark beetle infestation in the Black Hills from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s. Community members wanted to make something positive in response to something destructive. Burning Beetle has continued and is still celebrated in mid-January each year and features the Burning Beetle Variety Show, Torchlight March, and the downtown "Bug Crawl", all culminating with the Beetle Burn and fireworks on Pageant Hill. See our Facebook page for the latest updates.
The Mead Museum in Yankton invites you to their annual Hall of Trees. The event features Christmas trees designed by local businesses, organizations and families. Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit on several days in December, plus there are other activities. See our website and Facebook for current information. Museum hours are 12-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. and admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (65+) and youth (5-17), and free for children under 5. (Closed on December 25.)
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Based in Rapid City, Woodland Republic is a modern brewery steeped in rustic farmhouse tradition. Fermenting our beers in oak and stainless steel, we embrace the time-consuming process and unpredictable nature of wild and sour mixed-fermentation beer production in small batches and single barrels. Much like a boutique winery, Woodland Republic beers will vary from vintage to vintage through blending, fruiting and barrel-aging. Come join us in downtown Rapid City 3-9 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 12-9 p.m., Saturday. See special events on our website or Facebook.
