Hill City
www.hillcitysd.com

With a history as rich as the gold veins that run beneath its soil, Hill City continues to thrive as a haven for visitors seeking the natural splendors and man-made wonders of the Black Hills region.
 
In February 1876, Hill City became the second city founded in the Black Hills, less than two years after brevet General George Armstrong Custer’s expedition discovered gold in the lush grasses along Spring Creek. Soon, a wave of miners, muleskinners, merchants and madams descended on the area’s gulches and mountain meadows, each determined to find their fortune. When a rich vein was unearthed near present-day Deadwood, most Hill City residents moved almost overnight and the town was quiet until tin was discovered in 1883.
 
Tin created quite a stir, and soon the English-backed Harney Peak Tin Mining Company employed 3,000 workers. When the demand for tin ebbed, so did Hill City’s population. Despite a series of boom-bust cycles linked to the mining industry, the town survived – partly because the lumber industry, another important Hill City employer, didn’t suffer the same economic pressures of the nearby gold, silver and tin mines.
 
Today Hill City has become a bustling community of about 800 residents, most of whom work in the timber and tourism industries. And, while some of the town’s buildings were destroyed by fire in 1891 and 1902, many historic structures remain, giving visitors a glimpse of Hill City’s rich and storied past.
 
Strolling through Hill City’s historic district, modern visitors can’t help but notice the profusion of art galleries lining Main Street. Art Forms, Dakota Images, Jewels of the West, the Jon Crane Gallery and Warrior’s Work are just a few of the studios and stores that have helped give Hill City its reputation as a center of the arts in the Black Hills. Prairie Berry Winery, the 1880 Train/Black Hills Central Railroad, Everything Prehistoric, the Mount Rushmore Brewing Company and the Bavarian-themed Alpine Inn are other popular Hill City destinations, for visitors and residents alike.
 
However, most people know Hill City for its central location along U.S. 385, which puts it just a few minutes from Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park. Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park (which rank as the fifth and third longest caves in the world, respectively) also lie nearby, and the 117-mile-long Mickelson Trail runs right through town.
 
The hamlet sits at an elevation of 5,159 feet and is located almost at the exact center of the Black Hills. Since it is only 20-30 minutes away from Rapid City along four-lane U.S. 16, Hill City has become a bedroom community over the past several years for commuters who prefer living deeper in the forest near a small town.