Summit Trail
About 1.9 miles each way and 1,000 feet (300 m) up, past prayer offerings to the summit platform.
Bear Butte
A lone mountain on the edge of the Black Hills, sacred to the Lakota and Cheyenne, where the summit trail passes prayer cloths left by those who come to fast and pray.
Bear Butte rises alone from the plains on the northeastern edge of the Black Hills. To the Lakota it is Mato Paha, Bear Mountain, and to the Cheyenne it is Noaha-vose, where the prophet Sweet Medicine received the sacred teachings. People from many Plains nations still come to fast and pray on its slopes.
A summit trail climbs through pines and past countless prayer cloths and tobacco ties tied to branches, to a view over four states on a clear day.
- Best Time
- May–September
- Time Needed
- Half a day
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Year-round; the summit trail is best May to October
- Getting There
- In Bear Butte State Park, 10 minutes north of Sturgis and about 40 minutes from Rapid City.
What to See
0 of 2 are freeEducation Center
The mountain's meaning to the Plains nations, and how to visit respectfully.
Know Before You Go
- Prayer cloths and tobacco ties are sacred. Don't touch them, and never photograph people praying.
- There's a park entrance fee.
- In early August, the Sturgis motorcycle rally fills the area with crowds and noise.
Where to Stay
Stay in Sturgis, Deadwood or Rapid City.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
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Last checked 2026-10-31. Part of the Midwest list.