a Lutheran ministry, holds evening services in the summer. A grass-roofed structure built in Norway was reassembled on the site and is now a gift shop, and an adjacent 19th-century log cabin houses a small museum. Carved out of a rocky mountaintop, the Crazy Horse Memorial is less than an hour’s drive from Rapid City. The face of the Native American Lakota warrior, known for winning the 1876 Battle of Little Big Horn, has towered over the area for years as the project slowly progresses because it relies on private donations. When completed, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world. Started in 1948, the sculpture of Crazy Horse riding his stallion was the dream of architect Korczak Ziolkowski. Now managed by his family, the complex houses the Indian Museum of North America with 12,000 historic artifacts, artworks, and cultural items. Visitors can book a trip up the mountain directly in
front of the face carving, but at a steep price.
Great day trips include Custer State Park along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop with roaming bison. Strangely- shaped rock formations, tunnels, and granite spires jut out from the rugged terrain on the Needles Highway. Sylvan Lake’s shorelines of seemingly stacked boulders are scenic gathering spots for hikers, swimmers, and kayakers. Just to the south, Wind Cave National Park lives up to its name as whistling winds blow through the underground calcite studded chambers. To the west is yet another spelunking attraction, the Jewel Cave National Monument, known as the world’s fifth longest cave system and named because of its jewel-like calcite crystals. For a day of Wild West shootouts, lively saloons and casinos, take the 45-minute drive from Rapid City to Deadwood on the northern edge of the Black Hills
The Crazy Horse is carved out of a rocky mountaintop
THE DAKOTAS CELEBRATE JULY 4
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2026 | 16
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