Bear Butte State Park
Mato Paha
An isolated volcanic-rock butte on the northern edge of the Black Hills, a sacred mountain for the Lakota, Cheyenne, and other Plains peoples, with views over the plains and the Black Hills from the summit.
Bear Butte rises about 380 m above the surrounding plains. The summit trail is about 3 km one way with roughly 300 m of elevation gain. Along the way, tree branches are hung with colorful cloth prayer strips and tobacco bundles left by Native American worshippers. Please do not touch these, and do not photograph people while they pray. The summit offers wide views. At the foot of the mountain there are a lake and a bison enclosure. It lies about 10 km north of Sturgis and pairs well with a day trip to Deadwood.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Deadwood
- Mount Moriah Cemetery
- Homestake Mine & Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center
- Pactola Reservoir
- Spearfish Canyon
- Dinosaur Park
- The Journey Museum
- Downtown Rapid City & City of Presidents