Rustic Vacation Rental in a Woodland Lodge in Pennington County, South Dakota

Nestled among the peaceful ponderosa pines, rough-hewn rock formations, and rolling landscape of Black Hills National Forest, this glamping site is located in a quiet canyon just outside Rapid City, South Dakota, situated right by the babbling waters of Rapid Creek. It is on the western edge of the forest, which encompasses over 1.2 million acres of forested hills, mountains canyons, streams, and more. As such, it feels serenely secluded, far removed from the hecticness of modern life—and yet, it is less than 12 miles from the heart of downtown Rapid City, meaning guests do not need to sacrifice the conveniences of civilization to experience the benefits of a getaway to the great outdoors.

Altogether, the forest contains 450 miles of trails, 1,300 miles of streams, 26 picnic areas, 11 reservoirs, two scenic byways, hundreds of plotted climbing courses, and numerous mineral deposits, rock beds, and caves—in addition to the separately administered, but contiguous attractions of Mount Rushmore National Monument, Jewel Cave National Monument (which contains the third longest cave in the entire world), Crazy Horse Memorial, and Wind Cave National Park (which contains 95% of the entire world's boxwork formations).

Amid this wealth of attractions, guests will find Black Hills Caverns, Buzzard's Roost, and Shanks Quarry Motorized Trailhead right by the site. Meanwhile, they will also find a panoply of restaurants, shops, museums, and more at nearby Rapid City. Points of interest include the Museum of Geology, the Journey Museum and Learning Center, Reptile Gardens, Dinosaur Park, the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, and the Dahl Arts Center. To the east of the city, guests will find even more natural wonders to explore at Badlands National Park. The site is about 20 minutes from downtown Rapid City and 40 minutes from Rapid City Regional Airport.