Ree Heights South DakotaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Ree Heights, South Dakota.
1. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
ICONIC PRESIDENTIAL MONUMENT
Mount Rushmore National Memorial features 60-foot presidential portraits carved into granite, creating one of America's most recognizable landmarks. Visitors can explore the Avenue of Flags, Presidential Trail, and the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center to learn about the monument's history. The memorial offers spectacular views year-round and evening lighting ceremonies during summer months.
2. Badlands National Park
DRAMATIC ERODED LANDSCAPES
Badlands National Park spans 244,000 acres of stunning vistas, unique geological formations, and diverse wildlife. The park features colorful layered rock formations, steep canyons, and towering spires that have been shaped by erosion over millions of years. Visitors can enjoy scenic drives, hiking trails, wildlife viewing, and some of the darkest night skies for stargazing in the country.
3. Bear Country USA
DRIVE-THROUGH WILDLIFE PARK
Bear Country USA offers a unique drive-through wildlife experience where visitors can observe North American wildlife in a natural habitat. The park features bears, wolves, elk, and numerous other species roaming freely throughout the grounds. After the driving portion, guests can walk through Babyland to see playful bear cubs and other young animals up close.
4. Reptile Gardens
EXOTIC ANIMAL SHOWCASE
Reptile Gardens houses the world's largest reptile collection and offers interactive educational wildlife shows throughout the day. Visitors can see rare species including giant tortoises, deadly snakes, and a 16-foot saltwater crocodile named Maniac. The facility also features beautiful botanical gardens and a tropical paradise dome filled with exotic birds and plants.
5. Crazy Horse Memorial
MONUMENTAL MOUNTAIN CARVING
Crazy Horse Memorial is the world's largest mountain carving in progress, honoring the culture and traditions of North American Indigenous peoples. The memorial includes the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Educational and Cultural Center, and spectacular viewing platforms of the ongoing carving. Visitors can learn about Lakota leader Crazy Horse and the vision of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski who began this massive project in 1948.
6. Custer State Park
WILDLIFE AND SCENIC DRIVES
Custer State Park encompasses 71,000 acres of diverse landscapes where visitors can spot free-roaming bison herds, mountain goats, and other wildlife. The park offers stunning scenic drives including the Needles Highway with its granite spires and Iron Mountain Road with pigtail bridges and tunnels framing Mount Rushmore. Visitors can enjoy hiking, fishing, swimming, camping, and horseback riding throughout the park's extensive trail system.
7. Storybook Island
ENCHANTING CHILDREN'S PARK
Storybook Island is a free children's theme park featuring over 100 fairytale and storybook character displays in a beautiful park setting. Children can climb, slide, and explore playsets based on beloved characters from nursery rhymes and classic children's literature. The park operates seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day and offers a magical experience for families with young children.
8. Dinosaur Park
PREHISTORIC HILLTOP SCULPTURES
Dinosaur Park showcases seven life-sized concrete dinosaur replicas perched atop a sandstone ridge overlooking Rapid City. Created in 1936, this free attraction provides visitors with both dinosaur-themed photo opportunities and panoramic views of the Black Hills and Rapid City. The park represents an early example of roadside Americana and continues to delight visitors of all ages.
9. City of Presidents Walking Tour
PRESIDENTIAL STATUE COLLECTION
The City of Presidents Walking Tour features life-sized bronze statues of American presidents scattered throughout downtown Rapid City. Each uniquely designed presidential sculpture captures a moment or characteristic of the depicted leader, creating an engaging outdoor history lesson. Visitors can pick up maps at the downtown information center to locate all the statues while exploring Rapid City's shops and restaurants.
10. Main Street Square
DOWNTOWN CULTURAL HUB
Main Street Square serves as the vibrant heart of downtown Rapid City with year-round events, concerts, and seasonal attractions. In summer, visitors can enjoy interactive fountains and outdoor concerts, while winter transforms the space into an ice skating rink. The square is surrounded by boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, making it a perfect central location for exploring downtown.
11. Art Alley
URBAN OUTDOOR GALLERY
Art Alley is a vibrant outdoor gallery featuring ever-changing murals and street art created by local and visiting artists. Located between 6th and 7th Streets in downtown Rapid City, this unique cultural space showcases diverse artistic expressions and social commentary. The alley offers photographers and art lovers a colorful backdrop that evolves throughout the seasons as new artwork appears.
12. South Dakota Air and Space Museum
MILITARY AVIATION HISTORY
The South Dakota Air and Space Museum displays over 30 historic military aircraft ranging from World War II bombers to modern jets. Located just outside Ellsworth Air Force Base, the museum chronicles the evolution of military aviation and the strategic importance of the base. Visitors can explore both indoor exhibits of aviation artifacts and an outdoor airpark featuring massive bombers and fighter planes.
13. Wind Cave National Park
UNDERGROUND NATURAL WONDER
Wind Cave National Park protects one of the world's most complex cave systems, famous for its rare boxwork formations. Above ground, the park preserves one of the few remaining mixed-grass prairie ecosystems where bison, elk, and prairie dogs thrive. Ranger-led cave tours take visitors through chambers filled with unique calcite formations and demonstrate the cave's famous barometric winds.
14. Jewel Cave National Monument
CRYSTALLINE UNDERGROUND PASSAGES
Jewel Cave National Monument contains the third-longest cave in the world with over 200 miles of mapped passages adorned with calcite crystals that sparkle like jewels. Guided tours lead visitors through chambers featuring dramatic formations including stalactites, stalagmites, and delicate cave bacon. The monument also offers hiking trails through the ponderosa pine forest above the cave system.
15. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
COLD WAR NUCLEAR HISTORY
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site preserves facilities from America's nuclear deterrent system during the Cold War era. Visitors can tour a deactivated missile silo and an underground launch control center that once stood ready to launch nuclear missiles. The site provides a powerful educational experience about the tensions of the Cold War and the technology that defined the nuclear arms race.