Scenic Drives Near Deadwood South Dakota

The Black Hills of South Dakota and nearby Deadwood forever will a focal point of old west history. The Black Hills was disputed territory between the Sioux tribes and the U.S. Government which would in a large way lead to the last great Indian war on the northern plains.

Scenic Black Hills

Today, the Black Hills of South Dakota and the town of Deadwood are extremely popular tourist destinations. This is a prime area to visit if you're planning a South Dakota vacation. The town of Deadwood South Dakota is close to several National Historic Sites. Mount Rushmore, one of the country's most visited national monuments, is located only about 49 miles south of Deadwood. Gillette Wyoming, to the west of the Black Hills and to the east of the Bighorn Mountains and about 106 miles west of Deadwood, was one of the largest coal mining areas in the country and still offers coal mine tours . The town is also well known for it's rodeos. All of the drives from the Deadwood area are very scenic and make great day trips.

Black Hills Scenic Drives

Two scenic drives into the Black Hills and the one's closest to Deadwood are the Devils Tower and the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drives.

Historic Gem Theater, 1878, Deadwood, SD

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

Visitors to Deadwood will find the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway being the closest of the two to Deadwood. The gorge you'll view along this drive is composed of limestone which dates back even further than the rock at the Grand Canyon. U.S. Hwy 14A passes through the Black Hills and around Spearfish Canyon for twenty miles. Viewing of the canyon is best either early in the morning or late in the day to see the many colors. Some people stop off at the old town of Savoy to begin trail hikes to old mines and logging camps and past waterfalls. You'll also see several original buildings still standing from Savoy's frontier days.

Your drive along this scenic byway can begin at Spearfish South Dakota which is just about a 15 mile drive northwest of Deadwood and just south of Interstate-90. Driving south on the byway from that point you can stay on U.S. Hwy 14A all the way until it meets U.S. Hwy 85 /14. This would be about twenty miles south of Deadwood making your day trip a circle drive. Along the drive you'll find plenty of places to turn off the highway to enjoy the scenery and take some good photos. One popular scenic stop along the scenic byway is Bridal Veil Falls and the falls can be seen from the highway. Bridal Veil Falls is on the northern section of the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway and about 7 miles south of the town of Spearfish.

The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway through the Black Hills is a must thing to do if you're trip plans take you to Deadwood.

1900 photo of DevilsTower

Devils Tower

Devils Tower is a U.S. National Monument and has the distinction of being the nation's first National Monument designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Devils Tower is located in Wyoming about a 75 mile drive west of Deadwood with much of the way via Interstate-90. The National Monument covers 1,347 acres.

Historically, like much of the Black Hills, the Devils Tower was a spiritual site claimed by Native Americans. When pioneers headed west several treaties including those regarding the Black Hills were violated. The entire area was actually overrun when word of gold in the Black Hills spread east. Although the U.S. Army attempted to keep prospectors away their sheer numbers made it impossible. Attempts were made by the government to buy the Black Hills from the Sioux but were unsuccessful. The Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 and the defeat of Colonel George Armstrong Custer had many of it's roots in the Black Hills controversy.

Devils Tower, an internationally popular tourist site, has a visitor center and a bookstore which is open year round. Ranger tours to the monument are led during the morning. Visitors can also opt for a self guided tour around the monument's base. Camping facilities are available at the park seasonally.The tower rises 1,267 feet from the landscape floor. The tower also draws climbers from the world around. The monument's acreage is covered by both pine forests and prairie grasslands including plenty of interesting wildlife such as pronghorn and black tailed prairie dogs.

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Views along the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway

  Geologists determined that the tower itself rose from beneath the ground after erosion took away the softer rock layers surrounding it. The tower is comprised of magma that solidified not far below the earth surface. The monument's visitors center exhibits a lot of detailed information about this geologic wonder.

To celebrate Devils Tower 100 year anniversary, a sculpture called Circle of Sacred Smoke was added bear the sites picnic area.

(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos and images in the public domain)


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Travel the White Pass Scenic Byway

Picturesque views of Mount Ranier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams in Washington state's Cascade range are what fun trips to the Northwest are made of. Traveling the White Pass Scenic Byway is one great way to achieve this.

Towering Mount Ranier

The White Pass Scenic Byway, one of America's great Scenic Byways, spans from Yakima in central Washington in the east to the area of Interstate-5 and U.S. Hwy 12 to the west. Hwy 12 is located about three miles east of the Interstate off exit 68. The entire route is 119 miles and passes through both the Gifford Pinchot and Wenatchee National Forests.

The Three Highest Peaks in Washington State

The White Pass Scenic Byway is also known as Washington's Volcano Playground. This is known as Washington's volcano country. This is because all three of Washington's highest mountain peaks, Mount Ranier, Washington's highest, Mount St. Helens, a National Monument with it's jagged crater and Mount Adams all are part of your White Pass Scenic Byway experience.

Mount Ranier itself boasts twenty-six glaciers surrounding it. Mount St. Helens last erupted in 1980 that shot ash into the atmosphere that circled the globe. Mount Adams at 12,276 feet offers a real wilderness environment with alpine lakes that's enjoyed by campers during the non winter months. Hiking is spectacular in this area with both long and short trails offered. According to scientists Mount Adams last erupted circa 550 B.C.

View of Mount Adams from Mount St. Helens

A Summer and Winter Playground

Rivers, lakes and waterfalls can all be seen along this scenic byway. Wildlife viewing, hiking, fishing and snowmobiling, downhill skiing, rock climbing are among the many recreational opportunities available.

One of the many picturesque lakes along the route is Rimrock Lake which is east of White Pass. The White Pass Scenic Byway (U.S. 12) passes right along the north shore of the lake where boating, good fishing and camping are very popular. Lakefront tent and RV camping among the stunning tall pines is available in all seasons.

Most suggest that the time required to travel over the White Pass Scenic Byway from end to end be at least six hours. To fully enjoy the scenery and attractions your trip can easily be longer than this. With the lodges and camping available along the route your trip can easily span days and would be well worth it.

White Pass Summit and U.S. Hwy 12

White Pass Summit is crossed by U.S. Hwy 12. The elevation is 4,500 feet and the roadway is open year around. Driving U.S. Hwy 12 over this scenic route offers an exceptional experience for young and old. The highway travels through alpine country, river valleys, foothills and several small towns.

White Pass Ski Area

Skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts can enjoy the White Pass Ski Area during the winter season which is located in Naches WA off Hwy 12 and just south of Leech Lake. The ski area offers a variety of terrain and some good bump runs.The ski area is quite large and the atmosphere is friendly and unpretentious. The White Pass Ski Area has a reputation for good snow, no long lines and plenty of runs. One of it's biggest attributes is no crowded skiing.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest

This National Forest is named in honor of Gifford Pinchot, personal friend of President Teddy Roosevelt's and the creator of the National Forest Service in the early 1900's. So much of the public lands set aside for  public enjoyment today was a direct result of both Pinchot's and Roosevelt's drive for conservation.

Pinchot served as the first chief of the National Forest Service and later was Governor of Pennsylvania for two non consecutive terms. During his tenure under Roosevelt, Pinchot, who had a good relationship with John Muir, eventually disagreed with the famous preservationist as to how national lands would be managed.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest comprises nearly 1.4 million acres and includes the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

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The National Scenic Byways

A National Scenic Byway is a road or connection of roads that the U.S. Department of Transportation recognizes for it's history, natural resources, wildlife, scenery and archeological importance. The America's Byways program was established by the government in 1991 for the purpose of preserving these historic and scenic roadways along with providing maps and useful information for the traveler.

Red line is U.S. Hwy 12 through Washington

Included in these scenic roadways are National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads. There are some 150 of these spread across the U.S. White Pass Scenic Byway is included under the National Scenic Byways. Other Washington state Scenic Byways include the Chinook Scenic Byway to the north of White Pass and the Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway east of the White Pass route.

The state of Washington has no shortage of tourist destinations. From the seaport of Seattle to the volcanic mountains inland, the National Parks and Monuments and some of the most scenic wilderness areas found anyplace in North America, Washington has it all for the western traveler. The White Pass Scenic Byway is just one of the many scenic drives found in Washington.

(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos and images are public domain)


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