Traveling for an annual guys winter outing to the Deadwood area in March of this year. We are staying in Downtown Deadwood. Have been to the area in the Summer years ago, but never the winter. We will probably downhill ski at least one day, and may cross country ski or hike several other days depending on weather and snow conditions. Just a few questions: Are places like Harney Peak and Bear Butte open to hiking in the winter depending on if the snow accumulation? Are there places to hike in Spearfish Canyon, or is that just a scenic drive?
Also, any restaurant recommendations in Deadwood or the surrounding areas? Lewies seems intriguing.
Finally, are all casinos and restaurants open mid-week in March? Will there be any people, or will downtown be really quiet mid-week in the Winter?
Black Hills Activities and Restaurants-Winter
Yes, you%26#39;ll be able to hike Harney Peak and Bear Butte in the winter. Regular hiking boots should be fine--you probably won%26#39;t need gaters unless there has been a big storm. The snow on the trails on the south side of Harney get pretty trampled down. I like to take a loop starting from Sylvan Lake, going up the Little Devils Tower trail to Harney and then back to Sylvan on the main trail. It%26#39;s much more scenic than the main trail and even in winter enough people take it to pack down the snow.
Bear Butte gets an icy stretch on the north side but otherwise is fine. If it%26#39;s windy and cold, I%26#39;d pick Harney over Bear Butte because you%26#39;re really exposed to the prairie winds on Bear Butte.
The skiing really starts to fade in March. Early March is great and late March may or may not have good conditions. Both Terry Peak and Deer Mountain always close before April 1.
All of the casinos and restraurants will be open but it will be kind of quiet mid-week.
I%26#39;d eat a meal at the Deadwood Social Club for one of the ';nicer'; dinners. Diamond Lil%26#39;s isn%26#39;t too bad for a sports bar type place--it%26#39;s above the Midnight Star. For buffet%26#39;s in Deadwood, the Four Aces buffet seems to be better than the Silverado. A good steak can be had at the Gem in the Mineral Palace. A downtown Spearfish sports bar with good food is The Stadium. I%26#39;ve never eaten at Lewie%26#39;s--can%26#39;t tell you what it%26#39;s like.
A good burger place between Deadwood and Harney Peak is the Sugar Shack on the west side of the road on US385. It%26#39;s a locals%26#39; joint with great burgers.
Black Hills Activities and Restaurants-Winter
I forgot to mention Spearfish Canyon. The snow might be kind of deep but there are some places. A good winter stop with a short walk is Spearfish Falls by the Spearfish Canyon Lodge (the falls are behind the Latchstring Restaurant). I like the falls in the winter because of the ice that has built up at the base of the falls.
First of all, I would like to thank Accomodator for the excellent suggestions. I am glad I asked the questions because it definitely helped plan the correct activities and restaurants. For anyone else who is planning a trip during the winter months, let me share some observations.
Activities - We went skiing at Terry Peak one day (our trip was the week of March 9th). Excellent snow conditions, and I don%26#39;t think I have ever gone skiing in such warm temperatures before - I think it was in the mid 50%26#39;s. The runs are much longer than in MN, and a half day pass was plenty for me. Only criticism of the hill is that it seems like there could be more variety in the runs, but overall a very nice place - love the two high speed quad lifts.
Hiking Harney Peak in the winter is definitely more of challenge than during the summer months - the temps were plenty warm, but we ran in to patches of soft snow, and patches of ice. Still worth doing the hike, and I loved the fact that our group of four was the only one at the summit - we only ran in to two other groups of hikers along the way. Slipping and sliding a portion of the way does use more energy. I do wish more of Custer State Park was open this time of year, but I understand that it just would not be worth it to the park.
Evans Plunge turned out to be a very pleasant outing. First of all we were surprised at how long it took to reach from Deadwood with little to no traffic and good roads. When we first walked in to the Plunge I wasn%26#39;t expecting much as it looks like nothing has been updated in years. However, after swimming in the natural water (not chlorinated) for a couple of hours, we all felt refreshed, so much better than at a chlorinated facility. I am not sure if I bring my family to the plunge in the summer- it was great without crowds, but it may be annoying when it is packed. Also, much of the pool is five feet deep, so children under that height need to be good swimmers - there is a very small section for toddlers. The staff was pleasant, and we found the two water slides to be fun, although young kids might find them too much, and teens might think they were not exciting enough.
Nice Drive through the Spearfish Canyon. However we almost missed the falls behind the Lachstring as we initially didn%26#39;t hike far enough back- short hike, but kind of icy footing. Worth the stop, it was very nice to see half frozen, half flowing falls.
Gambling - Old Style Saloon Number 10 was our favorite for BlackJack. The dealers were all fun, and it was nice that it was more of a bar emphasis, rather than a slot machine emphasis. Best place in town to enjoy a beverage and hang out. The Historic Franklin was also an okay place for Blackjack - only drawbacks are the bright lighting and the annoying Shufflemaster (machine shuffles instead of the dealer). Number 10 provides a limited complimentary beverage selection to Gamblers, the Franklin will bring you more for comps. The first floor of the Franklin is beautiful - so please go there and lose some money so they can afford to remodel the rooms in the hotel, which have a ton of potential, but need some work.
The Adams House museum is definitely worth a stop.
Food - we ate very well during the trip. The Deadwood Social Club is tops - very happy with both the great food and outstanding staff. The Gem at the Mineral Palace is good for steaks, and we also had breakfast there one day (only criticism of the otherwise nice Gem - what%26#39;s with the uncomfortable chairs?). Tried the two-coiner breakfast deal at the Franklin (which is actually at their other property the Silverado) - I miss the old restaurant%26#39;s atmosphere at the Franklin (which was taken out so the casino could take up the entire first floor), not sure if I would go back to the Silverado, food is fine, but it is in the basement of the Silverado. I was dissapointed that I didn%26#39;t get breakfast at Bully%26#39;s at Bullock - the small restaurant looked great for atmosphere. We were all pleasantly surprised at the lunches we had at Hickoks Iron Horse Inn - later that night a dealer at Number 10 said she saw us there, and you can tell you found a good restaurant in Deadwood when the locals eat there.
Mustang Sally%26#39;s provides a decent burger (and hats off to them for being open late and serving appetizers, even though all appetizers are done in the deep fryer), but Sugar Shack on the way to the Custer State Park does an outstanding burger. Great little place, even if you practically sit on top of each in the small restaurant. Oh, also pleased by the Chinese Food upstairs at Miss Kitty%26#39;s.
A great time, and very pleasantly surprised at how good the restaurants were. Thanks again Accomodator.
Glad I could help! Thanks for your detailed travel report. Feedback is great.
