Traveling to the Black Hills With a Dog
What each park allows, which hotels take dogs, and what a dog can do in a day.
Updated: October 9, 2026 | Rules checked against NPS, state park and hotel pages
Comparing towns first? See Black Hills hotels by area, from Keystone and Custer to Deadwood and Spearfish.
Most Black Hills attractions allow dogs on a leash in the parking lots and picnic areas and almost nowhere else. The caves take no pets, Mount Rushmore stops dogs at the entrance pergola, and the Custer State Park lodges rent their rooms pet-free. The rules below come from the park and property pages themselves, read on October 9, 2026.
Can dogs go to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and the caves?
Dogs are welcome at Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park within tight limits, and barred from the caves. At Mount Rushmore a leashed dog can use the parking garages, the Blackberry Trail and the pet exercise area but cannot pass the entrance pergola. Custer State Park requires a leash of 10 feet or less and bans dogs from buildings and designated swim beaches. Wind Cave and Jewel Cave do not allow pets in the caves. Badlands allows dogs on roads but not trails. Never leave a dog in a parked car.
Dog rules by place
Each row is taken from that site's own pet page. Where a page names only exclusions, the table says so rather than guessing at what is open.
“pets on a leash (no longer than six feet) are permitted in parking garages, outside the developed area, and in the pet exercise area.”
| Place | Where dogs can go | Where they cannot | Leash | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rushmore National Memorial | Parking garages, the sidewalks and green spaces between them, the benches at the main pergola, the Blackberry Trail, and the pet exercise area. | Past the entrance pergola, the walk-in entrance to the main visitor area. | 6 ft maximum | |
| Custer State Park | Dogs are welcome on a leash. The park lists exclusions rather than allowed areas. | Any park building, and designated swim beaches. Dogs cannot be left unattended. | 10 ft maximum | |
| Sylvan Lake (inside Custer State Park) | Same rules as the rest of the park. | Park buildings and designated swim beaches. Sylvan Lake Lodge rooms are rented pet-free. | 10 ft maximum | |
| Wind Cave National Park | Grassy areas near the visitor center, Elk Mountain Campground, and two 1-mile loops: Prairie Vista Trail and Elk Mountain Campground Trail. | Cave tours, ranger-led programs, the visitor center and other public buildings, the backcountry, and every trail except those two. | 6 ft maximum | |
| Jewel Cave National Monument | Picnic areas near the visitor center and in the Jewel Cave Historic Area, plus paved parking lots and roadways open to vehicles. | Hiking trails, service roads, the cave, and inside or near the visitor center, historic cabin and historic cave entrance. | 6 ft maximum | |
| Badlands National Park | Campgrounds, picnic areas, and areas open to motor vehicles, including paved and gravel roads, roadway corridors and parking lots. | Hiking trails, public buildings, the backcountry including the Badlands Wilderness Area, and prairie dog colonies. | 6 ft maximum | |
| Crazy Horse Memorial | The covered porch, the veranda and outdoors. Dogs can also be carried or pushed in a stroller through the visitor complex. | The Welcome Center and Indian Museum of North America, the theater, the gift shop, the restaurant and snack shop area, and the bus to the base or van trips to the top. | Leash required, length not stated | |
| Spearfish Canyon (Black Hills National Forest) | Developed recreation sites such as campgrounds, picnic sites and day-use areas. Hanna Campground, on Spearfish Creek in the canyon management area, is one. | Swim beaches. The Forest also encourages guests to avoid leaving pets unattended at campsites or in parked vehicles. | 6 ft maximum | |
| George S. Mickelson Trail | The whole 109-mile trail from Edgemont to Deadwood. | Nothing is listed beyond the leash requirement. | Leash required, length not stated |
One conflict to know about. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks' statewide regulations allow pets off leash outside campgrounds if they are under immediate control and more than 200 feet from other visitors, and they drop the campground leash rule from October 1 through March 31. Custer State Park's own page says 10 feet and mentions neither exception, so carry the leash in Custer. The statewide text is on the GFP regulations page.
Hotels that accept dogs
A pet-friendly tag on a booking site does not tell you the fee, the dog limit or which rooms qualify. For the six properties below we read the policy on the hotel's own page or its brand page, and each card links to that page. Fees are per the property on October 9, 2026 and can change, so confirm at booking. Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City advertises dog rooms but gives two different fees and size limits on two of its own pages, so call before you book there.
We earn a commission from qualifying bookings at no extra cost to you. Book the room type the pet policy covers, and confirm the property, dates, total and cancellation terms.
Rapid City
Best Western Plus Rapid City Rushmore
Dog policy
Up to two dogs in a limited number of rooms, 80 pounds maximum per dog, $30 per day. Dogs only, in standard king or two-queen rooms and not in suites.
Source: Best Western property page
Off I-90 at Exit 61, with a free hot breakfast buffet and an indoor pool and hot tub.
Rapid City
Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City, Curio Collection by Hilton
Dog policy
$50 per pet, per night. The hotel page lists no pet limit or weight cap, so ask for both when you book.
Source: Hotel Alex Johnson policies
A 1927 downtown landmark. The hotel also sells a Pampered Pooch room package.
Hill City
EverSpring Inn & Suites Hill City
Dog policy
$20 per night, per pet. Two pets per room, with a combined weight of 120 pounds or less.
Source: EverSpring Inn Hill City page
Walkable to Hill City galleries, restaurants and the 1880 Train, with breakfast included.
Hill City
Best Western Golden Spike Inn & Suites
Dog policy
Up to two dogs in a limited number of rooms, 80 pounds maximum per dog, $30 per day. The hotel says pets go in standard rooms only, on request.
Source: Best Western property page
On Main Street, a short walk from galleries and the 1880 Train, with an outdoor pool and free breakfast.
Custer
Bavarian Inn
Dog policy
$25 per pet, per day. Pets must be declared on arrival and kept with a person at all times. The hotel offers exterior rooms for easy access to green space.
Source: Bavarian Inn amenities
A town hotel on North Fifth Street in Custer. The rest of the Custer lineup is on our Custer hotels page.
Deadwood
Holiday Inn Resort Deadwood Mountain Grand
Dog policy
Dogs only, $25 per night, two pets allowed, with a 40-pound weight limit.
Source: IHG amenities page
Dogs get a treat, a water bowl and a ball at check-in, according to IHG. It is close to Main Street.
For a full Custer comparison, including the park lodges, use the Custer hotels guide. Rapid City and Hill City listings are on the Rapid City and Hill City pages.
Cabins and campgrounds
Custer State Park Resort
Lodge rooms at Creekside Lodge, State Game Lodge and Sylvan Lake Lodge are rented pet-free. Select cabins take quiet, housebroken dogs or cats, up to three, and you must say so when you reserve. The resort's page listed $25 per pet per night for 2024 cabin stays, so confirm the current fee.
An undeclared pet draws a $200 minimum fee. Pets are also barred from every resort activity, including the Chuckwagon Dinner and the Buffalo Jeep Safari, so a dog means a second adult or a kennel for those.
Source: Custer State Park Resort pet policy. Several named cabins at State Game Lodge, Sylvan Lake Lodge, Blue Bell Lodge and Legion Lake Lodge do not take pets, so check the cabin, not just the lodge. More on our park lodging page.
Palmer Gulch and campgrounds
Mount Rushmore Resort at Palmer Gulch lists $75 per pet per night on several of its nonsmoking cabins. The cabin pages state the fee cabin by cabin, so confirm it for the one you are booking.
Wind Cave's Elk Mountain Campground allows pets. In Black Hills National Forest campgrounds, dogs must be on a leash of six feet or less and are not allowed on swim beaches. Custer State Park campgrounds fall under the 10-foot rule above.
Sources: Palmer Gulch cabins, NPS Wind Cave, USFS. For rentals beyond the park, see Black Hills cabins.
A day plan built around the dog
The sites that welcome dogs are mostly outdoors, and the ones that do not are mostly indoors. Plan the day so the dog is always at a place with a rule that fits.
Central Hills: Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Mickelson Trail
- Mount Rushmore, early. Walk the Blackberry Trail and the pet exercise area, which the park marks with yellow pawprints from the parking lot. If you want to see the main visitor area, one adult takes the dog while the other goes past the pergola, then swap. Park details are on the tickets, hours and fees page.
- Crazy Horse Memorial, late morning. Leashed dogs can use the covered porch, the veranda and the grounds, and can be carried or pushed in a stroller through the visitor complex. The museum, theater, gift shop and restaurant are closed to them, as are the buses and vans. See Crazy Horse Memorial.
- George S. Mickelson Trail, afternoon. All pets must be leashed on this 109-mile trail, which has a crushed limestone surface and trailheads with parking, self-sale pass stations and vault toilets. Daily passes are sold at the trailhead. Compare it with the other options on our best hikes page.
Southern Hills: Wind Cave and Custer State Park
- Wind Cave pet loops. Prairie Vista Trail starts at the picnic area 1,000 feet north of the visitor center, and the Elk Mountain Campground Trail starts across from the campground amphitheater. Both are about a mile. NPS warns of poison ivy, rattlesnakes and ticks on them. For a cave tour, the dog needs a sitter. NPS lists two boarding options in Hot Springs and Custer, Fall River Veterinary Clinic (proof of vaccinations required) and Southern Hills Animal Clinic.
- Custer State Park drives. Dogs can ride along on the Wildlife Loop drive and the other park roads, and the park does not allow them to be left unattended, so someone stays with the car at every stop. Keep the dog inside the vehicle when bison are near the road. Routes are in the Custer State Park guide.
Out of the Hills: Badlands and Spearfish Canyon
- Badlands back roads. NPS says leashed dogs are allowed on park roads, including back-country dirt roads, but never off leash. It singles out Old Northeast Road, just north of Cedar Pass, and recommends late fall, winter and early spring. Details are on the Badlands guide.
- Spearfish Canyon. The scenic byway works from the car, and dogs on a leash of six feet or less are allowed at developed Forest Service sites such as Hanna Campground. See Spearfish Canyon.
Summer heat and the cold months
“On an 85°F day the temperature inside a car, even with the windows cracked, can reach over 100°F (38°C) within 10 minutes.”
- Summer: NPS says Jewel Cave's main parking lot offers very little shade and puts the unsafe line for a dog in a vehicle at daytime temperatures above 65°F. Do the dog stops in the morning, and leave the cave and museum stops for a sitter or a second adult.
- Badlands: NPS calls the rest of the year, outside late fall to early spring, too hot to travel with a pet in the car, and says rattlesnakes are on the roads. The agency suggests days in the 40s and 50s.
- Fall and winter: Daytime temperatures that low are what NPS recommends for dog hikes at Badlands, and Rapid City's October normal high is about 60°F. Some Custer State Park lodge restaurants close by mid-October and Needles Highway closes after the first snow, so check the Black Hills in October guide before you build a route.
- Trail hazards: NPS lists poison ivy, rattlesnakes and ticks on Wind Cave's two pet trails. The NPS and GFP pages above all ask owners to pick up after their dogs.
Dogs in the Black Hills: common questions
Can dogs go to Mount Rushmore?
Yes, on a leash of six feet or less, in the parking garages, on the sidewalks and green spaces between them, on the Blackberry Trail and in the pet exercise area. Pets, comfort animals and service animals in training are not allowed past the entrance pergola. Plan on taking turns if you want to see the main visitor area. Fees and hours are on our Mount Rushmore tickets, hours and fees page.
Are dogs allowed in Custer State Park?
Yes, on a leash no longer than 10 feet. They cannot go in park buildings or on designated swim beaches and cannot be left unattended. Lodge rooms at Creekside Lodge, State Game Lodge and Sylvan Lake Lodge are rented pet-free, and only select cabins take pets. Our Custer State Park guide covers the drives, and the Custer hotels page covers where to sleep in town.
Can I take a dog into Wind Cave or Jewel Cave?
No. Neither park allows pets in the cave or on cave tours. Wind Cave has two 1-mile loop trails open to leashed dogs, and Jewel Cave allows dogs only at its picnic areas, parking lots and paved roads. Jewel Cave suggests finding other arrangements for your pet during a visit. See the Wind Cave guide and the Jewel Cave guide for tours.
Can I leave my dog in the car while I tour a cave or monument?
No. Wind Cave says the temperature inside a car can pass 100°F within 10 minutes on an 85°F day, even with the windows cracked. Jewel Cave says it is not safe to leave a pet in a vehicle once daytime temperatures pass 65°F and that animals may not be tied to vehicles, trees or other objects. Book boarding or split the group into shifts.
Which Black Hills hotels take dogs, and what do they charge?
The six properties above list dog fees from $20 to $50 a night, and each words its fee differently (per pet, per day or per night) and sets its own caps on the number and weight of dogs. Policies change, so confirm the fee, the limit and the room type when you book. Rapid City options are on our Rapid City hotels page and Hill City options are on the Hill City hotels page.
Do emotional support animals get the same access as service dogs?
No. At Mount Rushmore the National Park Service says comfort or emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals and follow the same pet rules, including the limit at the entrance pergola. Service animals, meaning dogs trained to perform tasks related to a person’s disability, may go in all areas open to the public.
Pick a base, then check the fee
Rapid City, Hill City, Custer and Deadwood each have a hotel above with a posted dog fee. Compare the towns side by side or open a town guide.