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Advice on caving in South Dakota with family

David Rose

Active member
I'm organising a family holiday to the Rockies and Black Hills. My sons (11 and 16) are reasonably experienced cavers. We want to visit the Sioux areas in South Dakota, but would prefer to do something more interesting than a show cave. Does anyone know of any firms that organise wild caving trips and rent gear - I don't want to lug everything across the Atlantic.
 

robjones

New member
Interesting area. I vaguely looked at caving when we honeymooned there in '95 but I didn't pursue it, so can only give general touristy comments! From what I recall, shorts, tee shirts, cotton boiler suits and kneepads would be the appropriate clothing for many SD caves.

Deadwood is well worth a look around; the most sympathetically restored old buildings are mostly casinos now but you can wander in and out at will and without charge to admire the recreated decor.

Lead is still a genuine metal mining  town and worth a drive through; there's a view point into the opencast - numerous old levels and stopes can be seen in the pit walls.

The Badlands are half a day's drive from Deadwood. Its a bizarre landscape and well worth seeing. There are only a few short trails as the ground is mostly slippery clay. What was signposted from the national park building as the most challenging trail was only around a mile of easy (though slippery) walking but did gain sufficient height to provide very photogenic views from a 'window' like feature part way up a face.

Harney Peak, the highest peak in the state, and the highest point in the US east of the Rockies is a pleasant two hour walk each way from a car park in a road pass to the abandoned stone-built fire tower on the summit (about 8,500ft from memory). We did it in 18in of spring snow and really enjoyed it; there was a mild scramble up the final peak for, say, 50ft. Excellent views from the tower of numerous granite ridges and forests.

Mt.Rushmore was a disappointment as the visitor centre is a mile or more from the sculpture and from  the sole viewpoint (there are lots of trees) it looks less impressive than in postcards because you are a mile away and all the postcards were taken using long telephoto lenses.

Enjoy yourselves!
 

Fulk

Well-known member
I believe that Wind Cave and Jewel Cave are in Dakota, but I don't know whether that's N. Dakota or S. Dakota, and how far apart they are; but I've a vague idea that one or both do caving trips beyond the show caves.
 
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