Rapid City is the most popular gateway to the Black Hills and its bountiful selection of national and state parks, monuments, and memorials.
The most direct route to the Black Hills by car is I-90. To reach Mount Rushmore, take Exit 57 to U.S. 16 (Mt. Rushmore Rd.) and continue approximately 23 miles southwest of Rapid City to the memorial entrance.
Custer State Park, between Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park, is accessible via S. Dak. 79 and S. Dak. 36 from the east, U.S. 16A from the north and west, and S. Dak. 87 from the north and south.
Wind Cave National Park is best accessed via U.S. 385 north of Hot Springs, South Dakota, or S. Dak. 87 from Custer State Park, which shares its southern boundary with Wind Cave's northern perimeter. It's about an hour's drive south from Mount Rushmore.
The Crazy Horse Memorial is 5 miles north of Custer on U.S. 16/385.
Jewel Cave National Monument, the westernmost of the sites discussed in this section, is just off U.S. 16, 13 miles west of Custer.
