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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

Fri 06 Jun

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $449.99

Make a reservation

Fri 06 Jun

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)

plstrobel

Jul 2021

Very enjoyable, saw beautiful scenery, buffalo and other critters. Jeff was engaging and informative. I would recommend sun screen 😋

Response from Host

Jul 2021

Hi P.L. - Thank you for taking time for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed your tour with Jeff. Jeff is our lead guide and besides being knowledgeable he's also a 'hoot' to tour with. Be Well - Rich For our future guests: We always suggest you bring a HAT, sunscreen, sunglasses, light jacket and binoculars. Some of our tours you will be at 6,000+ ft and this time of year you will need sunscreen.

Bonita_D

Jun 2021

Riding in the open jeep really allowed us to see the wildlife up close, hear all of the sounds they make and get some great pictures. Our guide, Jim, showed us many more landmarks than we expected to see. We could have driven the route on our own, but would have missed seeing many of the highlights. We got more bang for our buck using the Black Hills Open-Top-Tours for our excursion. Worth every penny! Thanks Rich!

Response from Host

Jun 2021

Hi Bonita - Thank you for your kind review. I'm very happy you enjoyed your tour with Jim. Custer State Park is a huge state park (110 sq. miles) and offers a large variety of geography . . . from the lowlands Wildlife Loop to climbing up to the granite spires on Needles Highway. And it has a large number of wildlife (bison, deer, pronghorn, Big Horn sheep, elk, prairie dogs and more). Thanks again Bonita! I hope you have time to visit the Hills again . . . lots more to see. Be Well - Rich

John_R

Jun 2021

The driver was a little late to pick us up by made it up to us both in time and effort. Great internary including being surround by hundreds of Buffalo at the end of the tour. Only reason I would not give it 5 stars is that the it poured on the way home and there wasn't adequate rain protection in the back (just a tarp). Request Joe. Great guide and person.

Response from Host

Jun 2021

Hi John. I'm very sorry your guide was late. I'm glad Joe was able to provide a good tour for you and your family. To make up for any inconvenience I've made a partial refund to your purchase. And I'm very sorry the weather was so bad that day. To our guests - The weather this season has been fluctuating from hot to cold and unexpected showers are occurring. We did not expect the heavy storm that hit that day. We have now exchanged the light tarps for heavy see through plastic tarps. They can be rolled out to cover the top and sides of the Jeep in a few minutes. When not in use they are stored and will not affect the viewing. We are also providing disposable one time ponchos for those that did not bring rain gear. Guests traveling in the Black Hills this season should think about the ubiquitous 'layered' clothing and include a light rain coat. In a normal season you can expect short afternoon rain showers with temporary temperature drops of 20F. Then sun comes back out and it warms back up. Thanks John. I appreciate your taking time for your review. Be Well - Rich