Last Updated on: 26th July 2025, 08:25 am
Located just outside the city of Sturgis and an easy drive from Deadwood, South Dakota’s Bear Butte State Park is part outdoor, part cultural experience. In addition to learning about Native American history at the Educational Center, visitors can climb Bear Butte itself – a lone mountain that has long been sacred to the Lakota and various other tribes.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering exactly what you can expect from a visit, which should just take a few hours in total. And for more information on where to stay in Deadwood, be sure to check the end of the article.
Visiting Bear Butte State Park
At the time of writing, park entry costs $8 per vehicle. Upon turning onto Bear Butte State Park Dr from 130th Ave, you’ll find an unstaffed pay station requesting that you insert cash into an envelope.
But if you don’t have exact change, you should also be able to pay at the Visitor Center (here known as the Education Center).
The Education Center
In the summer months, the Education Center is open from 8:00-18:00. It’s worth a quick visit before your hike, as the museum will teach you about the geology of Bear Butte, its sacred significance, and proper visitor etiquette.
Before stepping inside, you’ll notice a sculpture of Frank Fools Crow (1890-1989), a Lakota Holy Man and nephew of Black Elk. He was a frequent visitor to Bear Butte and was said to have gained various healing powers here.
Other prominent visitors to Bear Butte, meanwhile, included Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Red Cloud.
Not only has Bear Butte long had spiritual significance for Native Americans, but tens of thousands of members of the Lakota and Cheyenne tribes gathered here in 1857 to discuss the gradual encroachment of the white man. You can learn more about this and other topics inside the Education Center.
Ironically, Bear Butte itself would later serve as a major landmark that white settlers would use to navigate the Black Hills.
Following the Sioux Wars, Ezera and Lois Bovee established a homestead at the eastern base of Bear Butte in 1897. And in 1940, they even formed a company to promote tourism to Bear Butte. Before any proper hiking trail existed, visitors would ride a burro to the top of the mountain.
Finally, in 1961, South Dakota purchased the land from the Bovees to create Bear Butte State Park. And then in 1971, the Summit Trail was established.
The Summit Trail
The trail up to the top of Bear Butte is called the Summit Trail. It’s about two miles long with roughly 1000 feet of elevation gain. Expect the roundtrip hike to take you from around 90 minutes to two hours, while the difficulty level could best be described as moderate.
You can find the trail marked on the AllTrails app, though the hike is straightforward enough that it’s not really necessary.
Fascinatingly, the Summit Trail is the northernmost end of the 111-mile-long Centennial Trail. I’d previously hiked part of the Centennial Trail in Wind Caves National Park, and it’s hard to believe that that trail leads all the way here
Throughout the hike, you’ll observe colorful prayer flags placed on trees alongside the trail. Most of the flags belong to the Lakota or Cheyenne tribes.
While color patterns can vary from tribe to tribe, they typically feature four colors representing the four directions. The flags are only tied to the trees following a four-day-long ceremony, revealing how important each one is.
Locals request visitors not to photograph the flags. In the following guide, some can be seen in some shots, as it’s nearly impossible to show certain parts of the trail without them appearing. But I did try to avoid photographing them directly.
Incredibly, artifacts dating back to 10,000 years have been discovered in the area, revealing how long Bear Butte has been regarded as a sacred place.
The name Bear Butte is derived from its Lakota name, Mato Paha, which translates to Bear Mountain (as we’ll cover shortly, it is indeed a mountain). But why bears?
A few different legends provide explanations. In one, an elderly warrior requested that he be allowed to do one final bear hunt. In the end, he would lose his life, and this mountain was named in his honor.
Another story, meanwhile, involves a child who was abducted by a bear in the area, and locals started calling it Bear Mountain ever since.
Notably, the Lakota name for Devils Tower in Wyoming translates to ‘Bear Lodge.’
Bear Butte is actually not a butte, but a lone mountain. It was formed when liquid magma made its way up toward the earth’s surface but failed to break through.
The earth’s crust was nevertheless lifted up. And over time, the sedimentary layer eroded away, exposing much of the igneous core. In geological terms, Bear Butte is what’s known as a laccolith.
Bear Butte is still recovering from a large fire that occurred here in 1996. And not long before my hike, recent storm did a lot of damage to the trail, so some parts were quite rocky.
At certain points, hikers had the option to choose between steeper climbs and longer but gentler switchbacks.
While not terribly difficult, Bear Butte State Park’s Summit Trail is indeed a tiring hike, and I had to occasionally stop to catch my breath. And the trail would only get steeper as I approached the summit.
But with enough perseverance, I made it to the top, at which I encountered a modern wooden viewing platform.
From the top, hikers can enjoy views of formations like Harney Peak, Terry Peak, Deers Ears Butes and Castle Rock. You can also overlook Bear Butte Lake, home to numerous campsites.
Despite encountering several people during the ascent, I had the peak all to myself on this summer afternoon.
Interestingly, Bear Butte used to be used by native tribes to send out smoke signals, and they surely would’ve been visible far and wide.
I then began the descent via the same Summit Trail. While the return trip pretty much went as expected, near the end, I happened to encounter a pair of baby deer sleeping right in the middle of the trail!
I’m unsure of whether the encounter could be considered some type of omen, though I can confirm that they were indeed adorable.
Additional Info
Not only is Deadwood a destination in its own right, but it also makes for a great base for destinations like Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon and Bear Butte State Park. As such, you’ll want to stay at least several nights.
I stayed at the Deadwood Gulch Resort which I have no complaints about. While not in the town center, it was an easy drive away, while you can also take a shuttle to town if you don’t feel like driving (or parking).
I had a peaceful and quiet stay, though my room was on the upper floor and not overlooking the parking lot. I’d imagine that guests staying on the ground floor facing the lot might have to deal with noise.
Other highly-rated, more central options include Four Points by Sheraton Deadwood, Celebrity Hotel, and Travelodge by Wyndham.