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Sacred Sites - Devils Tower & Bear Butte (Private)

Sacred Sites - Devils Tower & Bear Butte (Private)

Overview

This tour is hosted Charlie, our Northern Black Hills Specialist.
A South Dakota native, he earned an advanced degree in education. He was involved in teaching and guidance counseling throughout the state.

He is a retired SD National Guard Officer, with over 15 years as an instructor and a Little Bighorn Battlefield Staff Ride Guide. His background brings with it a wealth of knowledge of the regions local Indian Wars and the culture of the Lakota Sioux.

On this tour Charlie will share with you the history of the regions geography, gold rush, Lakota culture and history of the homesteader and ranchers.

City: Rapid City

Sat 31 May

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $449.99

Make a reservation

Sat 31 May

Starting at $449.99

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Private transportation

Crackers/Chips/Cookies

Bottled water

Sub choice ham or turkey or salad (you may bring your own lunch/beverage)

All Fees and Taxes

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Handicap Van is available for wheelchair touring. Van has convertible top that slides open as needed and has large side windows. Contact us if you have special needs.
Face masks provided for travellers
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
Lots of 'Sunshine and Fresh Air' touring. Jeeps do have transparent tops and sides that can be closed for inclement weather. Guides wear masks were required and/or requested. No Hugs - No Handshakes - No Offense :o)

What To Expect

Devils Tower National Monument

Devils Tower rises above the surrounding grassland and ponderosa pine forests like a rocky sentinel. To understand the place called Devils Tower also requires many perspectives. Ancient peoples have lived around the Tower for thousands of years; their modern descendants still maintain a connection with this place on a physical and a spiritual level. Oral histories passed down by various American Indian tribes, as well as their present-day ceremonies, offer us important perspectives of the Tower. Historically, many tribes of the Great Plains and Black Hills regions had connections with the area around Devils Tower. Today there are over two dozen tribes associated with the Tower site. Indigenous people of the region today include: Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne, Shoshone and Lakota. Most tribes that lived in or near the Black Hills had individual oral histories about the creation of the Tower. Although there are similar elements to many of these stories, they are unique in the details.

Aladdin General Store

Aladdin, Wyoming is a small community (pop. 15) located in the extreme northeast corner of the state of Wyoming. Bill Robinson built the Aladdin General Store in 1896 using lumber from Pearson Sawmill. At first a saloon, the store served as a post office, train depot, barbershop, freight station, gas station and general location to purchase all items one might need. Today it makes for an intriguing rest stop and great photo ops.

Bear Butte State Park

This geological formation is one of several intrusions of igneous rock in the Black Hills that formed millions of years ago. Bear Butte has been a sacred mountain for many Indian tribes for more than 4,000 years. The mountain is both a state park and a holy site for many American Indian tribes who come here to hold ceremonies and is considered sacred by many of the area’s Native American tribes, so hikers will likely encounter religious offerings around the park's trail system. (Please leave them undisturbed.)

Old Fort Meade Museum

It was here, that the Star Spangled Banner first became the official music for the military retreat ceremony, long before in became the National Anthem. In 1892, the post commander began the custom of playing the "Star Spangled Banner" at military ceremonies and requested that all people rise and pay it proper respect long before it became the National Anthem. Fort Meade was established in 1878-79 by units of the 7th Cavalry. The mission of the post was to provide military protection against the Sioux for the gold seekers and settlers who had invaded the region. Its strategic location at the mouth of the natural gap in the hogback ridge forming the outer rim of the Black Hills, on the main Indian trail to the favorite hunting grounds of the Sioux, and near the confluence of the heavily-traveled Bismarck, Fort Pierre and Sidney trails of the pioneers. Today, the Museum in the former officers headquarters, offers in-depth history of Fort Meade (including famous Captain Reno incident).

Sturgis

On our return to Rapid City, we tour the infamous Sturgis Main Street (stopping for photos).

Show 2 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (10)

Michael_S

Jun 2022

Being in the middle of a heard o bison at least 75 strong. Great guide ,full of local history. Lots of fun

Response from Host

Jun 2022

Hi Michael - Thank you for taking time to review your tour. I'm happy you enjoyed your tour with Joe. He is a fun guy with lots of knowledge about the region. I hope you had a chance to explore more of the Hills . . . lots to do here. Be Well - Rich

Angie H

Aug 2021

Highly recommend this tour and Ryan. We lucked out and were the only ones on the tour that day and we enjoyed seeing the sights with Ryan. Ryan was very informative, answered all our questions, and knew just where to go. The scenery was awesome, there was plenty of water, we had a nice picnic at the park, saw Mount Rushmore from multiple viewpoints, and saw lots of buffalo.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

Hi Angie - I'm pleased you enjoyed your tour with Ryan. Ryan is new with us this year but has many years experience exploring the Black Hills and working as a hotelier. I will pass along your kind review. Thanks and Be Well - Rich

Glenda_D

Aug 2021

Wow....what a fantastic day! We had the best experience and kudos to our guide, Charlie. I highly recommend this safari to anyone traveling to the area. This is definitely the company to book.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

Hi Glenda - Thanks for taking time for a review. I'm glad you enjoyed your Jeep Safari tour with Charlie. The Jeep Bison Safari is our most popular tour (even more than Mt Rushmore). We added additional Gladiator Jeeps this spring in order to keep up with demand. FYI - Because of the Jeep Safari popularity we are expanding our tours to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Starting 2022 we will be operating out of the town of Medora, providing Jeep tours to the ND Badlands and tours to Teddy Roosevelts old ranch. Thanks again for your review. Be Well - Rich