Despite its small size (2014 population of 1,261), Deadwood
is probably one of the best known communities in the Black Hills. If memory
serves, it was the setting of a cable TV series a few years ago.
There are 3 ways to reach Deadwood. On our first trip, we
took I-90 west from Rapid City and exited at Sturgis on Alt 14. Alt 14 meets
Hwy 85 just north of town. When we visited with our daughter, we took a scenic
route starting from Hwy. 40. We traveled on Hwy 385 and met Hwy 85 on the south
side. (Hwy. 385 will take you past Sheridan Lake and Pactola Resevior.) A
somewhat faster route from, and to I-90, is Hwy 85. It’s shorter and more
direct than Alt 14. The exit is a few miles west of Sturgis. On paper, it may look
like a longer route, but more of the mileage is on the interstate with its
faster speed limit.
Pactola
Resevoir
The Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce is just north of
Historic Downtown. If you’re not staying at one of the Hotel/Casinos, plan on
parking there. The hotels reserve their parking for guests only. There isn’t much
parking on the downtown streets, either. Parking at the Welcome Center is free.
While we were there in September, there was no difficulty finding a space. The
Visitor’s Center is a newer, nicely maintained building. The front lobby has
plenty of printed material covering most of Deadwood’s attractions. The help
desk has friendly, knowledgeable folks and a mini museum. The public bathrooms are
clean and easy to find. If you don’t want to walk around town, trolleys come
and go from the south side of the building.
Deadwood began as an illegal, rowdy mining town in the
1870s. (It was built in Indian territory.) Eventually, it settled down when the
search for gold switched from panning to deep mining. Fires were the most
common reason for busts which caused declines. In the 1980s, the town proposed
capitalizing on its notorious past as a means of revitalization. Legalized
gambling was allowed by the state in 1989. Mention Deadwood to someone and
gambling will probably be the first thing which comes to mind. Of course, the
casinos provide other entertainment too, like various music acts. The town and
surrounding area also have a pretty active event schedule year round.
The vibe does seem to be more adult-centric. Families, and
those not interested in “vice”, can still find things to do, however. The
afternoon gun fights and Days of ’76 rodeo might be of interest (Summer). Otherwise, think educational. History buffs
can find plenty to do. Mount Moriah Cemetery is the resting place of many
western notables like Seth Bullock, Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. There
are also informative plaques detailing the town’s history. Deadwood had a
Chinatown and was inclusive at a time when more established parts of the US
were not. It was also got telephone lines in 1878 and was an early adopter of
electricity in 1883. The Days of ‘76 Museum is north of the welcome center.
Adams Museum is south downtown, and Adams Historical Home is further south on
Van Buren St.
The smaller town of Lead is just a few miles away, in case
you run out of things to do in Deadwood. Science types might want to visit the Sanford
Lab Visitors Center at Homestake Adams Research and
Cultural Center. If you’re going south from Deadwood, just stay
on 85. From 385, turn left on 85 and go west.
Love the outdoors? Look for the 109 mile George S.
Mickelson trail. The northern trailhead is located in the Lead/Deadwood area,
and the southern end is at Edgemont. (Our daughter has hiked portions of it.) Or
head to Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. From Deadwood/Lead, take Hwy 85/Alt 14
south. It’s also known as the CanAm Hwy. After a while the highway will split.
Alt 14 is the scenic byway which takes you thru the canyon to the town of
Spearfish.
Shopping opportunities include the standard
t-shirts/hoodies, biker and western wear; Black Hills Gold and Native American
Jewelry; art; postcards and books; cigars at Deadwood Tobacco (Karl’s favorite);
and the Deadwood Moonshine Distillery. Our next door neighbors were watching
over our house while we were away. They were also keeping us posted about
Hurricane Harvey. We thought they deserved a good souvenir. After trying a
couple of samples, Kristal chose a jar of apple flavored moonshine as a gift. Everyone
has been busy lately, but when we have a few minutes to visit, we’ll ask if
they’ve made any interesting cocktails with the moonshine. Our older daughter
and her fiancé enjoy reading. We purchased books about the bad boys and girls
of Deadwood for them.
Dining options are easy to find. While steak does appear to
dominate, there are other choices. When we visited with our younger daughter,
we ate lunch at Mustang Sally’s. They do have some outside seating if you
happen to be there when the weather is behaving. We’d call it a sports bar, but
it does serve all ages.
We’re mostly day trippers these days, usually only a couple
of hours at a time. During our brief visits to Deadwood this past fall, we just
scratched the surface a bit. However, with family living in the area, we have a
good reason to keep returning. Each time we’re in the Hills, we choose a few
things we haven’t done yet. The activities in this post are on our bucket list,
and we’re looking forward to our next visit, when we’ll enjoy some of them with
our loved ones.
You can find more information on the following websites.
https://leadmethere.org/ (Lead
Chamber of Commerce)
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