July 11, 2015, Saturday, Hill City, SD
Day 72

An early start with a visit to the Devil’s Tower National Monument (America’s first national monument as proclaimed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906), about a 45 minute car drive from the campground. The tower is a huge monolith rising 867 feet from its base and 1267 above the Belle Fourche River (it was also the backdrop for the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind).  We hiked the 1.3 mile tower trail around the base and saw a golden eagle fly over us. A very worthwhile and fun visit. Back to pick up the coach and then a stop at the Vore Buffalo Jump.  Discovered in 1970 during a core sample determining the I-90 route, this sinkhole was used by the Plains Indians to stampede buffalo into it for mega meat and other bison products. Twenty different layers of bones and artifacts were uncovered dating from 1500 to 1800.  Each layer was preserved due to sediment washed into the sinkhole.  Next up was a stop at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame. Sturgis is a fairly small town and I cannot imagine how it accommodates 600,000 or so bikers for bike week. A 90 minute drive through the Black Hills through Deadwood, SD, to the Horse Thief Campground and RV Resort near Hill City.