A Wheelchair Accessible Guide to South Dakota
In September, I had the privilege of spending 9 days in South Dakota. Each day brought something new and interesting. South Dakota is a beautiful state full of accessible things to do and I had a blast exploring it. If this state isn’t on your bucket list yet, you should definitely consider adding it. Here is my wheelchair-accessible guide to South Dakota to help you plan your trip.
Where to Stay
Since we were camping, we found two wonderful campgrounds in Custer State Park. Since we couldn’t get reservations for the full length of our stay at one campground, we split it up between two.
We stayed at Blue Belle and Northern Stockade Campgrounds. Both were lovely and set in the woods. Blue Belle had an ADA campsite and accessible restrooms/shower area. Northern Stockade had some relatively flat campsites but none that I saw were specific ADA sites.
There are also lodges and cabins within Custer State Park. Some of the lodges have ADA accessible rooms. I did not get a chance to look at the cabins, so I’m not sure if they have some that are accessible.
Other options for places to stay would be the towns of Hill City and Keystone. Both are centrally located to the attractions and have chain hotels where you are likely to find an accessible room. Both towns seemed to have reasonable accessibility.
Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in South Dakota
Bear Country USA
This is a drive through safari park that allows you to get an up-close look at Reindeer, Elk, Wolves, Bears (of course) and many more animals. There were more bears in one area than I have ever seen in my life… and they were BIG. Since this is a drive thru park using your own vehicle, it is wonderfully accessible.
There is a small area at the end that has enclosures that you can walk around to see. A paved sidewalk winds throughout the enclosures. Accessible parking and restrooms are available.
Mount Rushmore
An iconic National Monument which displays the faces of Presidents Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Jefferson and Lincoln. There is an accessible parking area. The monument also offers an accessible visitor center, gift shop and museum. A partially accessible trail takes you to the base of the mountain. For a more in-depth review of Mount Rushmore’s accessibility check out my blog post here.
Crazy Horse Memorial
This memorial is a work in progress. You can see the progression as well as a sculpture of what the monument will look like when it’s complete in one of the four museums on site. Other museums contain Native American art and artifacts.
When I was there, Native American dancers dressed in traditional apparel were performing dances and discussing their meaning. At the end, visitors were invited to participate and learn a dance. It’s definitely harder than it looks!
For an extra fee, you could take a tour up to the monument for a closer look. For this activity you would need some mobility.
Most of the museums are wheelchair accessible, but there are some areas like the Native American cultural area that were not accessible.
Overall, it’s a nice way to spend half a day and learn about the history of the memorial. Interestingly, this is not a National Monument because funding offered by the federal government was declined, as the designer believed that the monument wouldn’t be done right.
Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave is the 7th largest cave in the world and 3rd largest in the US. Much of the cave is still unmapped or explored. There is an accessible tour of the cave available that shows its unique box formations. Be sure to call the day before to reserve a spot on the accessible tour and arrive early the day of so you have time to pick up your tickets (lines can be very long). For a more in-depth accessibility review of Wind Cave National Park, check out my Wind Cave blog post here.
Thunder Gold Mine
Gold has played an important role in the history of South Dakota. It is what lured settlers and was one of the things that created tension between them and the Native Americans. The gold rush brought many men and women out west in the hopes that they would strike it rich.
The Native Americans rightfully saw this as an intrusion on their land. Even after the government moved the Native Americans to reservations, after it was discovered that there was gold located in that area, all bets were off and the land agreements were ignored.
Today, most of these gold mines have been abandoned, but some are open for tours to the public. Thunder goldmine is an easily accessible mine for people of all abilities. During the tour, we learned about the history of this particular mine as well as how gold was mined and processed. It was a wonderful tour with a very entertaining guide.
After the tour, if you are interested, you can try your hand at panning for gold. Your guide will demonstrate the technique and then let you try your own luck at it.
The full tour is wheelchair accessible. There are ramps leading to the main building where you buy tickets, pan for gold and have a chance to shop in the gift shop. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Restrooms are on site as well as accessible parking.
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is one of the reasons people flock to South Dakota. It is a large park full of buttes (which look like mountains but instead are formed from erosion) and canyons. These formations have layers of colors which are caused by different sediments in the ground.
The Badlands have really good accessibility with beautiful scenic drives and accessible trails. Check out my full review on the park here.
Minuteman Missile Silo
During the Cold War, there were dozens of missile silos hidden in plain sight… usually in the middle of farmland. While all of these sites have been disabled and are no longer able to launch, a few have been left in place to showcase a piece of our history.
Three of these silos are located near Badlands National Park and are now considered National Historic sites. They can be toured using an audio guide on your phone.
I visited one of the sites on my way to Badlands National Park. There was accessible parking and restrooms. A paved path led to the gates that protected the missile silo. Beyond the gate was a large gravel surface that surrounded the silo. This part was difficult (but not impossible with assistance) to navigate in my manual wheelchair.
Ranger-led tours are available at the main silo site and launch control center. Reserve well in advance as these tours sell out quickly. Let them know that you will be using a wheelchair and they can adapt the tour to make it accessible.
Mammoth Site
Long ago, in the age of the dinosaurs, mammoths also roamed the earth. One of the places they lived was in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Unfortunately for them, there was also a sink hole that developed in Hot Springs and it ended up trapping some of the mammoths and led to their deaths.
This site was discovered during a construction project. Luckily, the workers recognized the significance of the bones they were finding and stopped working there. The site remains an active archeological site and so far, at least 60 mammoths have been discovered as well as other animals.
Today, tourists can come and visit the site to learn more about mammoths. You will find both Wooley and Columbian mammoth remains here. The site is inside an accessible building (to protect the site) and a ramped pathway around the sink hole. There is a small elevator that will take wheelchair users from the ground floor to a raised observation deck.
This is a great place for families to visit or anyone who has an interest in Paleontology. There is accessible parking and flat hard surfaced walkways/paths to make the whole area easy to navigate.
The 1880 Train
Take a historic steam engine train ride through the Black Hills. This wheelchair accessible train can be boarded in either Hill City or Keystone. In Hill City, a wheelchair life will assist users to get on the train. There are two designated wheelchair spots on each departure.
In Keystone, the entrance to the train from the platform is level so no lift is needed. Accessible restrooms and parking are available at both departure points.
During the train ride, you travel along Battle Creek and see old mines. The train also travels through the National Blackfoot Hills Forest. When the train stops to fill up with water, you will get a chance to meet the engineer. Allow 3 hours for a roundtrip tour.
Spearfish and Roughlock Falls
These two waterfalls are just outside of Deadwood, South Dakota and were used in the filming of the movie “Dances with Wolves”. According to the website, both were listed as accessible. Unfortunately, I think they need to rethink how they define accessible.
Spearfish Falls is accessed by a dirt path that switchbacks a couple of times before reaching a flat and level trail. The switchbacks are what (in my opinion) make the trail inaccessible. They are steep with a bit of a tight turn.
When I attempted it in my mobility scooter, the brakes locked up and I almost skidded off the trail into a drop off. It was a bit scary (and my brakes are pretty good on the scooter). If you attempt this trail, make sure you have someone that can assist you.
The trail to Roughlock Falls is absolutely not accessible, with large rocks and tree roots throughout the trail. I was told that there was an accessible overlook that you could drive to, so I tried that next. At the lookout, there was accessible parking and a paved trail that led to the falls. The grade of that paved trail was quite steep and it would be very difficult if not impossible for some wheelchair users. I estimate the grade to be about 20%.
I was pretty disappointed with the accessibility of these falls, especially when I was led to believe that they would be pretty easily accessible. Feel free to attempt these falls if you wish, just be forewarned that accessibility will be tricky.
Custer State Park
1. Wildlife Loop
The wildlife loop is a scenic drive within the park where wildlife is often seen. Keep an eye out for Buffalo, long-horn sheep, mountain goats, wild burros (donkeys) and pronghorn (which most people call antelope). When driving, we even got caught up in a buffalo stampede!
2. Needles Highway
Another scenic drive in Custer State Park. This incredible road trip will take you through spire formations that surround you. One of the highlights is the “needle” tunnel. This is a one lane tunnel that takes you through what looks like the eye of a needle in the rock. Words cannot describe just how beautiful and cool this drive is. This is something you definitely don’t want to miss!
3. Coolidge Overlook
President Coolidge was a visitor at Custer State Park and fell in love with this special place. You can drive up one of the many mountains in the park and at the summit there is a lookout tower.
On a clear day, you can see the back of Mount Rushmore and the face of the Crazy Horse Memorial. There are some lovely views. The tower itself is not wheelchair accessible, however, the views can be enjoyed from the small parking area at the summit of the mountain. There are no designated accessible parking spots, but when we went in the late afternoon, there were not many cars there.
4. Iron Mt Road
The third and final scenic drive in Custer State Park. This winding road has lots of switchbacks and three one-lane tunnels which frame Mount Rushmore as you drive through them. It offers wonderful views but may not be pleasant for those prone to motion sickness.
Be sure to check your vehicle dimensions (if not driving a car) before starting the drive to make sure you’ll have enough clearance when going through the tunnels.
5. Sylvan Lake
Resting between some of the powerful rock formations at the end of Needles Highway, is a beautiful lake. There is accessible parking, and a partially accessible trail so you can get a closer look at the lake and its rock formations.
There are viewing areas at the bottom of the lake and along its left side (as you are looking at it from the base of the lake). The path is dirt with some areas that have small gravel. It’s definitely worth the stop to see this beauty.
Final Thoughts on Wheelchair-Accessible South Dakota
Despite some challenges, South Dakota generally has pretty good accessibility and some great places to visit. This state is definitely a bucket list-worthy destination. Hopefully, my wheelchair-accessible guide to South Dakota will help you plan your dream trip there.
