Black Hills: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 3, 2026

News •

From gold rush to cosmic questions: a South Dakota mine and the search for the secrets of the universe • Nov. 1, 2026, 4:33 AM ET (The Guardian)

Photos and Videos

Black Hills region in South Dakota

Black Elk Peak rises above a dense pine forest in South Dakota, with rugged granite outcrops and scattered clouds in a bright blue sky.

Map highlighting the Black Hills region in western South Dakota, shown in orange and extending slightly into northeastern Wyoming, with surrounding states labeled for geographic context. An inset globe at the bottom left shows the location within North America.

A herd of American bison grazes in an open grassy field with scattered trees and forested hills in the background at Custer State Park, Black Hills, South Dakota.

Crazy Horse Memorial

The Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota shows a partially carved mountain with the face of Crazy Horse emerging from the rock above a forested slope.

Crazy Horse Memorial

Custer's Black Hills expedition camp

A grassy hillside with a deep gully cutting through red earth at Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills, southwestern South Dakota, with a lone tree in the foreground.

Tour South Dakota's Black Hills to find rich fossil deposits amid eroded hills and gullies

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Rocky Mountains Appalachian Mountains Sierra Nevada Pocono Mountains Cascade Range Ozark Mountains Blue Ridge Catskill Mountains Adirondack Mountains Great Smoky Mountains