Off the beaten path

Will be in the Black hills for 11 days this coming Sept. and wanted to find interesting places to visit, where most tourists don%26#39;t go. Any ideas or suggestions?

Off the beaten path

In September, you%26#39;ll find that it%26#39;s somewhat slow so it won%26#39;t feel too crowded just about anywhere you go.

This is a little bit of a tricky question because the reason tourists don%26#39;t visit a place is that they don%26#39;t find anything interesting there. But it%26#39;s a great question because it can get some new ideas added to the usual Mt. Rushmore based vacation.

If you like to hike, Trail 40 near Silver City is usually only visited by locals. It%26#39;s a trail that follows Rapid Creek for several miles and crosses it many times on foot bridges.

A well known town that isn%26#39;t really in the middle of things is Hot Springs. It%26#39;s somewhat popular with tourists but it%26#39;s generally kind of quiet. I love the sandstone architecture downtown. If you%26#39;re into architecture at all, the VA Hospital is worth a drive-through, too. Evans Plunge and the Mammoth Site are the draws, but I find a walk through downtown and a sandwich at the Flat Iron Cafe a good time.

Please post back with some personal interests and we can help you out a little more.

Off the beaten path

Some of my interests would be history and architectural along with hiking. Are there any ghosts towns in the area? I already have two suggestions for the Air and Space museum and the Chapel in the hills.

For architecture, check out these three downtown areas: Rapid City, Hot Springs and Deadwood. You might also take a drive down West Boulevard in Rapid City which is just west and south of downtown. Here is a link for a Rapid City walking tour guide: rcgov.org/planning/…walkingtour.htm

While you%26#39;re downtown in Rapid City, check out the Prairie Edge store. Another nearby stop for a history lesson is the Journey Museum.

Yes, the Chapel in the Hills is an interesting stop.

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is out by the Badlands.

The Mickelson Trail is a rails-to-trails trail that has converted the old Burlington Northern Railroad to a trail. It runs most of the length of the Black Hills from Deadwood to Edgemont. Biking is more popular than hiking but you can check out the scenic route with its tunnels and trestles by walking. Or you can rent bikes at several locations. sdgfp.info/parks/…index.htm

http://www.mickelsontrailaffiliates.com/

Check out Fort Robinson State Park in Nebraska for a day trip from the Black Hills.

Here is a link about ghost towns.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g54774-i674-k17767…

Great! Thanks Accommodator for the info. I%26#39;ll post back after my trip if I found any interesting places besides the usual tourist spots.

I%26#39;m not sure how you%26#39;re getting here from Indiana but if drive any of I-80 through Nebraska, an interesting stop is the Pioneer Village Museum in Minden, NE. If you want to see anything from the pioneer days, they have it. Building after building of old stuff: farm equipment, cars, appliances, airplanes, mock-ups of kitchens and houses...it%26#39;s all there. It takes about a half day just to walk through the whole place. Nothing about the museum itself has really changed since about 1980 and that is reflected in their marketing and their website so it%26#39;s become an off-the-beaten path stop. Here%26#39;s a story about it.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2157