110 Black Hills Statistics & Facts

1.2 million acres make up the Black Hills National Forest across western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. (Black Hills National Forest)

About 110 miles long is the north-to-south extent of the forested Black Hills described by the Forest Service. (Black Hills National Forest)

About 70 miles wide is the corresponding east-to-west span of the Black Hills National Forest. (Black Hills National Forest)

7,244 feet is the Forest Service elevation for Black Elk Peak, the highest point in the Black Hills and South Dakota. (At-Risk Species Assessment)

22 ecosystems were identified and analyzed across forested, non-forested, aquatic, riparian, and groundwater-dependent settings. (At-Risk Species Assessment)

More than 300 wildlife and fish species occur in the Black Hills National Forest according to the agency’s at-risk species assessment. (At-Risk Species Assessment)

About 2 million acres is the area covered by the broader Black Hills Uplift along the South Dakota–Wyoming border. (Mount Rushmore Geodiversity Atlas)

60–50 million years ago is when much of the Black Hills uplift developed during the Laramide Orogeny. (Mount Rushmore Geodiversity Atlas)

About 1.6 billion years old is the age of the granite that cooled underground and now forms the crystalline core of the Black Hills. (Mount Rushmore Geologic Activity)

1.6–2.5 billion years old is the estimated age range of the original sediments that became the area’s metamorphic rocks. (Mount Rushmore Geologic Activity)

Roughly 22 inches of precipitation a year is the State of South Dakota’s long-term Black Hills average. (State Fact Sheet)

About 60–100 inches of snow a year is the broad range reported by the state for the higher and more variable Black Hills climate. (State Fact Sheet)

$1.983 billion in visitor spending was recorded across the Black Hills & Badlands tourism region in 2025. (2025 County Analysis)

1.0% year-over-year growth moved regional visitor spending up from $1.964 billion in 2024. (2025 County Analysis)

38.5% of statewide visitor spending came from the Black Hills & Badlands, South Dakota’s second-largest tourism region by spending. (2025 County Analysis)

$538.6 million on lodging made accommodation the region’s largest visitor-spending category in 2025. (2025 County Analysis)

$451.6 million on food and beverages was spent by visitors in the region during 2025. (2025 County Analysis)

$349.2 million on recreation went to attractions, entertainment, and other visitor activities. (2025 County Analysis)

$346.3 million in retail spending was attributed to visitors across the region. (2025 County Analysis)

$297.7 million on transportation completed the five-category regional spending breakdown. (2025 County Analysis)

$151.9 million in state and local taxes was generated by Black Hills & Badlands visitor activity in 2025. (2025 County Analysis)

15,293 direct tourism jobs were supported by visitor activity in the region. (2025 County Analysis)

21,270 total jobs were supported after supply-chain and household-spending effects were included. (2025 County Analysis)

$504.5 million in direct labor income was tied to the region’s visitor economy. (2025 County Analysis)

$809.4 million in total labor income was supported once direct, indirect, and induced effects were combined. (2025 County Analysis)

$999.6 million in Pennington County made it the region’s largest county for visitor spending in 2025. (2025 County Analysis)

$611.7 million in Lawrence County placed the Deadwood–Lead area second among counties in the tourism region. (2025 County Analysis)

$146.8 million in Custer County was generated by visitor spending, up 1.2% from 2024. (2025 County Analysis)

23.4% of Custer County employment was supported by tourism in 2025. (2025 County Analysis)

29.2% of Lawrence County employment was supported by tourism—the highest share among the region’s largest visitor economies. (2025 County Analysis)

4,030,357 recreation visits were recorded across all National Park Service units in South Dakota in 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

4.66% annual growth was the combined increase in visitation to South Dakota NPS units from 2024 to 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

1,905,649 visits to Mount Rushmore made it the most visited NPS site in South Dakota in 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

2.99% growth at Mount Rushmore was recorded between 2024 and 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

1,139,361 visits to Badlands National Park were counted in 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

4.12% growth at Badlands outpaced the overall statewide NPS visitation increase except for Wind Cave. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

606,258 visits to Wind Cave were recorded in 2025, even though not every surface visitor takes a cave tour. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

23.88% growth at Wind Cave was the largest year-over-year increase among South Dakota’s major NPS destinations in 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

110,553 visits to Jewel Cave were recorded during 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

23.93% fewer visits at Jewel Cave was the year-over-year change reported by NPS for 2025. (2025 Visitation by State and Park)

515,303 visits to Devils Tower were recorded just across the Wyoming border in 2025. (Devils Tower Monthly Visitation)

114,448 Devils Tower visits in July made July the monument’s busiest month of 2025. (Devils Tower Monthly Visitation)

327,673 visits from June through August is the sum of NPS monthly totals for Devils Tower’s three peak summer months in 2025. (Devils Tower Monthly Visitation)

More than 80% of Devils Tower visits typically occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day. (Devils Tower Basic Information)

60-foot-tall presidential heads are carved into Mount Rushmore; Washington’s is the standard dimension used by NPS. (How Big Are the Mount Rushmore Heads?)

A 21-foot nose is part of George Washington’s carved profile. (How Big Are the Mount Rushmore Heads?)

Eyes about 11 feet wide give the distant sculpture readable expression at monumental scale. (How Big Are the Mount Rushmore Heads?)

Mouths about 18 feet wide are another of the NPS-published facial dimensions. (How Big Are the Mount Rushmore Heads?)

Nearly 400 workers labored on Mount Rushmore during the carving period. (The Mount Rushmore Workers)

14 years of construction ran from 1927 through 1941. (Mount Rushmore Carving History)

Zero carving fatalities occurred despite the height, explosives, and difficult working conditions. (The Mount Rushmore Workers)

90% carved with dynamite is the National Park Service estimate for the share of rock removed by blasting. (Mount Rushmore Carving History)

About 450,000 tons of rock form the talus slope left below the sculpture from the carving period. (Mount Rushmore Talus Terrace)

700 stairs each workday took carvers to the top of the mountain before they punched the time clock. (Mount Rushmore Carving History)

3/8-inch steel cables lowered workers over the mountain face in bosun chairs. (Mount Rushmore Carving History)

A 500-foot mountain face was the work surface over which carvers were suspended. (Mount Rushmore Carving History)

1,278.45 protected acres make up Mount Rushmore National Memorial. (Mount Rushmore Park Statistics)

A 1:12 scale model let workers translate one inch on Borglum’s model into one foot on the mountain. (Mount Rushmore Student Guide)

167 miles of known Wind Cave passage had been surveyed as of the National Park Service’s 2024 geology update. (Wind Cave Geology)

Only 1.25 square miles above ground contain that mapped Wind Cave network, illustrating its exceptional passage density. (Wind Cave Geology)

More than 300 million years old are the oldest portions of Wind Cave. (Wind Cave Geology)

About 500 feet below the surface is the present water level in Wind Cave’s area known as the Lakes. (Wind Cave Geology)

33,851 acres make up Wind Cave National Park above the cave system. (Birth of Wind Cave National Park)

Established in 1903 Wind Cave became the eighth U.S. national park and the first created to protect a cave. (Birth of Wind Cave National Park)

14 bison arrived in 1913 from the New York Zoological Society and American Bison Society to start the preserve herd. (Wind Cave Wildlife Management)

Six more bison arrived in 1916 from Yellowstone, completing the founding stock described by NPS. (Wind Cave Wildlife Management)

220.33 miles of Jewel Cave had been mapped as of September 7, 2024. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

822 feet of vertical extent make Jewel Cave the deepest known cave in the Black Hills. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

A 570-foot-long largest room known as the Big Duh is Jewel Cave’s largest mapped chamber. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

90–180 feet wide is the average width range of the Big Duh. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

A 110-foot-tall passage called the Torture Room is the tallest known passage in Jewel Cave. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

More than 55% outside monument boundaries is the share of mapped Jewel Cave passage lying beneath Black Hills National Forest. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

More than 12 hours one way is required to reach the end of Jewel Cave’s southwestern branch from the developed entrance. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

About eight hours to Deep Camp is the underground travel time from Jewel Cave’s elevators. (Jewel Cave Exploration)

Protected since 1908 Jewel Cave was proclaimed a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. (Jewel Cave History and Culture)

More than 3,800 miles of motorized routes are promoted across Black Hills National Forest roads and trails. (Black Hills National Forest)

More than 700 miles of designated OHV trails are available with a valid Black Hills Motorized Trail Permit. (Black Hills National Forest)

3,466 miles of designated roads were approved in the Black Hills National Forest travel management plan. (Land Status and Access Assessment)

2,226 miles of mixed-use motorized roads form the largest category within that designated road network. (Land Status and Access Assessment)

663 miles of designated motorized trails were documented in the Forest Service land-status assessment. (Land Status and Access Assessment)

A 111-mile Centennial Trail runs from Bear Butte State Park to the Wind Cave area. (Designated Areas and Trails Assessment)

Nearly 84 Centennial Trail miles cross National Forest System land. (Designated Areas and Trails Assessment)

109 miles on the Mickelson Trail connect Edgemont and Deadwood on a converted rail corridor. (George S. Mickelson Trail)

More than 100 converted railroad bridges are crossed along the George S. Mickelson Trail. (George S. Mickelson Trail)

Four rock tunnels carry Mickelson Trail users through Black Hills terrain. (George S. Mickelson Trail)

15 Mickelson Trailheads provide access along the state-managed route. (George S. Mickelson Trail)

2,200 protected acres surround French Creek Gorge as Custer State Park’s French Creek Natural Area. (Custer State Park Trails)

71,000 acres make Custer State Park one of the largest state parks in the United States. (Custer State Park)

Nine campgrounds provide tent, RV, cabin, and horse-camping options within Custer State Park. (Custer State Park)

Four historic lodges operate inside the park’s wildlife preserve. (Custer State Park)

Nearly 1,400 free-roaming bison make up one of the world’s largest publicly owned bison herds. (Custer State Park Bison Center)

A 100-yard wildlife buffer is the park rule for bison, elk, and other large animals. (Custer State Park)

A 10-foot maximum leash applies to pets in the park; pets are excluded from buildings and designated swim beaches. (Custer State Park)

A $4 million charitable grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust helped fund the Custer State Park Bison Center. (Custer State Park Bison Center)

$500,000 from the South Dakota Legislature was allocated to the Bison Center project. (Custer State Park Bison Center)

$500,000 in private donations was raised for the center by the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation. (Custer State Park Bison Center)

About 22 Centennial Trail miles run through Custer State Park. (Custer State Park Trails)

Three horse-trail trailheads serve Fisherman Flats, Badger Hole, and Horse Camp users. (Custer State Park Trails)

About 244,000 acres of buttes, pinnacles, spires, and mixed-grass prairie make up Badlands National Park. (Badlands Nature and Science)

64,250 acres of designated wilderness are protected inside the park. (2024 Wilderness Report)

Approximately 46% barren badlands is how NPS monitoring maps classify the park’s surface. (Badlands Inventory and Monitoring)

Approximately 46% native prairie covers a nearly equal share of the park according to the same monitoring inventory. (Badlands Inventory and Monitoring)

Deposition began about 75 million years ago with the Pierre Shale at the base of the park’s geologic sequence. (Badlands Geologic Formations)

Deposition ended about 28 million years ago with the Sharps Formation at the top of the Badlands sequence. (Badlands Geologic Formations)

Erosion began about 500,000 years ago as the Cheyenne and White Rivers cut into the deposited layers. (Badlands Geologic Formations)

About one inch of erosion per year makes the Badlands change roughly 10,000 times faster than Black Hills granite. (Badlands Geologic Formations)

Another 500,000 years is the NPS estimate for how long the current formations may persist before eroding away. (Badlands Geologic Formations)

An approximately one-million-year lifespan is the expected total life of the present Badlands formations. (Badlands Geologic Formations)

15 field seasons were devoted to the major Badlands excavation known as the Big Pig Dig. (Badlands Geology and Paleontology)

More than 19,000 fossils were recovered from the Big Pig Dig site. (Badlands Geology and Paleontology)