5 Places You Must Go In Rapid City

Rapid City, South Dakota to me is like what Hogwarts is to Harry Potter. Even though I wasn't born into the world of the wild west and snowy winters, this town quickly became my home after moving there when I was only nine years old.

Rapid City makes it sound bigger than what it really is. It's a little bigger than a town, but not quite the size of a city. Both sides are separated by the Black Hills, which is a beautiful, big landscape of what us southerners would call mountains.

While you won't see nightclubs, you will find a few bars in town. However, if you go out into the fields on the outskirts of town, or check out the old abandoned buildings, you're sure to find a number of parties. I also cant promise that the sweet tea you order will be a southerner's dream.

But if you ever find yourself in Rapid City, South Dakota, here are 5 Places You Must Go.

1. Mount Rushmore

Located right off the main highway of Rapid City lies a small one road tourist attraction called Key Stone. Mount Rushmore is one of the most amazing places of all time. Between 1927 and 1941, many men carved the sculpture into one of the Black Hills. It pays tribute to four of our past presidents: George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. Each face stands 60 feet tall.

Your visit starts with a beautiful entryway with several flags on pillars that leads to a balcony that overlooks the mountain. From there, you can hike around the mountain to see it from all sides. There is also an outdoor stadium in the middle of the hike where they hold concerts. Can you imagine performing under Mount Rushmore?

2. Art Alley

In the middle of downtown Rapid City, there's a long alleyway that everyone calls Art Alley. Artists from all over the world come to fill its walls with whatever is on their minds. It's 100% legal to put graffiti on these walls.

Art Alley has been around for years, even before I was born in 1994. Art from years before line the walls. Sometimes I wish we could get some of those pieces off of it, but that's the beauty of it. You can always create something new and worth seeing. And not everyone knows who belongs to who. It's an open and blank canvas even when it's not, and I find that so poetically beautiful.

Many events are held in the area, especially during the summer months to show off the beautiful pieces. And who doesn't think it's cool to have a special place where you live that you can paint all over and not get into trouble?

3. M Mountain

Also known as M Hill, the mountain remains popular for hiking and biking. The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology put the initials of their school at the top. Each graduating class also has a plaque with their class year on them.

While the mountain is safe for hiking, the neighboring mountains should be hiked at your own risk. Meaning, beware of rattlesnakes. While I was hiking with my friends one day, we almost came face to face with a rattlesnake. I would have had I waited a few more seconds to climb one of the rocks.

4. Reptile Gardens

An awesome exhibit you can't miss is Reptile Gardens, the home of every scaly creature you can think of. It's also where you'll find some of the oldest tortoises you'll ever meet in your life. The one pictured above was said to be around 100 years old. Another one that was there was 79, and another said to be close to 150.

Other reptiles, such as snakes, are showcased in a separate section of the exhibit behind glass. There's a show every day to educate people on the many different types of snakes.

Someone comes out onto the stage with a few different breeds, tells some fun facts, and then the scary part happens. Another person wheels out a cart with a cage that has a blanket over it. The cage is shaking, and all you hear is hissing as the presenter speaks. You know this snake is angry.

Then, they reveal a deadly rattlesnake lunging at the glass and everyone around it. And if that's not terrifying enough, they release it onto the floor. All the presenter has in their hand is a stick. Can you believe that? I wonder how much anti-venom they have on hand for when accidents happen.

5. Wild Bill's Grave, Deadwood

Not too far from Rapid City is a small town called Deadwood. Most people recognize the name because of the TV Show. Well, it's a real place and still, very much an old western movie coming to life. People dress up as the famous cowboys and Indians and impersonate them out on the streets. It's unreal how many shops and tourist attractions there are.

And in the center of their graveyard is a monument dedicated to Wild Bill. People from all over come to pay their respects and also leave something on his grave. Half-empty packs of cigarettes, earrings, other pieces of jewelry, coins, money, and small bottles of alcohol like the bottom of the grave. You know, stuff you think a cowboy would appreciate. The idea is to leave something you already have on you when you visit.

Never have I ever seen something like this before in any other town or city where I lived. Of course, I also haven't lived in many places where infamous people like this had graves. That's why it ended up on the list. One does not visit Deadwood without visiting Wild Bill.

These are just a few places you can't forget while you're visiting the town of Rapid City, South Dakota. Other places include Custer State Park, which is a large park you can drive through and see animals native to South Dakota. For example, antelope and bison are commonly seen

Dinosaur Island is another great tourist destination to visit as well. Imagine walking through a park of life-size statues of dinosaurs that you can crawl and play on.

Bear Country is another great idea. This park is similar to Custer, but at the end, there's a mini zoo with different kinds of animals to see and a gift shop. Sometimes, you can even hold bear cubs.

With all that being said, why wouldn't you want to see this place?