Deadwood
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| Distance from Mt. Rushmore |
52 miles |
| Distance to Other Places |
Lead, 2 miles Sturgis, about 20 miles Spearfish, about 20 miles via US14A (Spearfish Canyon Scenic Drive) Devil's Tower National Monument, about 40 miles via US14A Crazy Horse Memorial, about 50 miles via US385 Mt Rushmore, 52 miles Custer State Park, about 60 miles Wind Cave National Park, about 85 miles Jewel Cave National Monument, about 85 miles Badlands National Park, about 100 miles Hot Springs, about 100 miles |
| Time Needed: | An afternoon or evening, although some people never seem to leave the slot machines. |
| Best Time To Go: | Late afternoon |
| Directions: | US 16A north to US16. US16 west to US385 North. US 385 north to Deadwood and Lead |
| Highlights: | Casino Gambling, Adams Museum, Mt. Moriah Cemetery and the Trial of Jack McCall. Special Events. |
Description: Open All Year |
Deadwood
is
the most famous of Black Hills gold rush towns, but
perhaps not the
most infamous. Nowadays Deadwood is primarily a tourist
town with
gambling. It wasn't always so. Until World War II,
Deadwood was
the largest commercial and rail center of the Black Hills
... bigger and more important than Rapid City. The arrival
of Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City changed
all that and
Deadwood entered a 40-year decline that was only reversed
with the
introduction of casino gambling in 1989. Today, Deadwood actively promotes its Old West history as a gold-rush boom town. It was once home to Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Poker Alice and an assorted cast of other colorful figures. Both Wild Bill and Calamity still rest in Deadwood's Mt. Moriah Cemetery; visiting their graves ought to take up about a half hour. Well, it's worth a picture anyway. If you're not into gambling, the Adams Museum and House is one of Deadwood's better attractions. The museum has one of the area's best Old West collections, including a steam locomotive that was hauled into the Black Hills in pieces by bull teams in the 1870s. The Adams House is some blocks away and offers tours all year. For gamblers, Deadwood has more than 70 saloons and gaming houses. For fun that people of all ages can enjoy, Deadwood stages the "Trial of Jack McCall" every evening in the summertime. Jack McCall is alleged to have shot Wild Bill in the back while Hickok was playing poker. Bill was holding Aces and Eights, which to this day is known as "the dead man's hand." Another worthwhile stop is "Tatanka: The Story of the Bison" just north of town on Highway 85. See: Deadwood History for more about Deadwood's past. Contacts and Information: Deadwood Chamber of Commerc Visitor Bureau , 767 Main Street, Deadwood, South Dakota 57732, 1-800-999-1876. |
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