I booked a two day tour to celebrate my husband's 60th birthday and this tour company and our guide, Jaime, did not disappoint!!
We were staying at Under the Canvas and booked the tours through them. At first, I was a little annoyed with Under the Canvas because they provided little to no guidance on which tour to take. Fortunately, they did provide the contact information for Black Hills and I spoke with Carrie (highly recommend anyone to call the outfitters directly). Carrie was amazing and recommended that we do Mt Rushmore and Flume Hike for Day 1 and the Badlands hike for Day 2, instead of biking for Day 2. Boy, are we glad we listened to her!!
On Day 1, we changed up the tour a bit because we woke up early and went to Mount Rushmore (highly, highly recommend - no crowds!). Fortunately, we had Jaime - Mr. Awesome Tour Guide - who just rolled with the changes. Instead of spending time in Mount Rushmore (which we already saw), we had the opportunity to really enjoy the Black Hills. Jaime took us to Custard State Park (where we saw herds of buffalo, pronghorns, etc) drove the Needles Highway, and hiked the Flume Trail. Jaime is such a great guide that he even kept us laughing during a thunderstorm on the trail!
Day 2 at the Badlands was my favorite! About a 90 minute drive from Keystone, but totally worth it! The Badlands provides such a different experience than the Black Hills, so you'll get a better perspective of what that area of South Dakota offers. We were able to hike in the Badlands and Jaime showed us all the cool places to see different geography in the Badlands. There are many hikes depending on your physical ability. He planned the day very well, because after an awesome lunch of Indian Tacos in Wall, we were able to enjoy Wall Drug Store which was a treat! (Make sure he buys your ice cream!!)
This tour truly exceeded our expectations and we were amazed how much we saw in just two days! Highly, highly recommend this tour company and definitely ask for Jaime, especially of you want to hike the Badlands.