SOUTH DAKOTA FLY DRIVE
South
Dakota's regions are as diverse as they are beautiful and can easily be
explored by car when you have left your ranch holiday or we can help you plan a
fly-drive holiday.
The history of the region includes legendary figures such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and George Armstrong Custer, who led his 1874 expedition into the Black Hills, starting the last great gold rush. Others such as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock shaped the wild frontier town of Deadwood, which lives up to its Old West image with legalized gaming. Ghost towns, nestled quietly in more remote areas of the Hills, may still be explored.
September 2009
Feel the thunder and join the herd at the 41st Annual Custer State Park Buffalo
Roundup. Watch cowboys and cowgirls as they roundup and drive
the
herd of 1450 buffalo into the buffalo corrals. Following the actual roundup stay
and watch as park staff sort, brand, and vaccinate the herd in preparation for
the fall Buffalo Sale.
Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival starts around - September 2009 - check to confirm exact dates before departure
Enjoy three days of South Dakota's finest artists and craftsmen at the 13th Annual Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival. Start you morning with a pancake feed, enjoy on-going Western and Native American entertainment or browse the many exhibits and craft booths located on site. It's a South Dakota experience you won't want to miss.
Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes
The area contains three major
landforms: the Black Hills, the Badlands and the high plains, short-grass
prairie. All can be found within a 50-mile radius of Rapid City, the region's
hub. Buffalo herds, elk, deer, antelope and mountain goats make their homes in
public parks. Private parks add grizzly bear, wolves and cougars to the list,
displayed in their natural environment.
The Dakota, Lakota and
Nakota
More than 62,000 American Indians live in South Dakota today. Most of them are
Dakota, Lakota or Nakota people. This nation of tribes (sometimes called Sioux)
has lived here for hundreds of years. The influence of this nation extends
across the state. South Dakota towns, lakes and landmarks have Indian names.
Galleries display tribal art. And pow-wows (celebrations of dancing and singing)
are held throughout the year.
Chief Henry Standing Bear and the other Native American elders who
invited Korczak to carve Crazy
Horse Memorial insisted that the Memorial
be located in the Black Hills, because they are sacred to the Lakota. They
also insisted that the Memorial be named after Crazy Horse, because he is
a great Native American hero. When completed the Crazy Horse mountain carving will be 641 feet long by 563
feet high. Crazy Horse's completed head is 87 feet 6 inches high. The horse's
head, currently the focus of work on the mountain, is 219 feet or 22 stories
high.
One of the biggest events every summer is the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The 3-9 Aug 2009; 9-15 2010. Motorcyclists enjoy South Dakota's wide-open spaces. And be sure to review South Dakota's motorcycle driving laws.
Please call American Round-Up UK Bonded Tour Operator 01404 881777 or mail : sales@americanroundup.com for further information or a chat. For a tailor made quotation with or without flights, hotels, car hire, or ranch stay click on e mail quote form below.