The Black Hills from Sheridan, Wyoming
The Black Hills begin about 2 hours east of Sheridan on I-90. Closest in: Spearfish Canyon's roadside waterfalls and Deadwood's Wild West streets, both easy day trips. Push deeper for Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse as an overnight loop — with the Vore Buffalo Jump worth the stop en route.
Spearfish Canyon & WaterfallsSD
~120 mi · ~2 hr
A jaw-dropping limestone canyon with roadside waterfalls (Bridal Veil, Roughlock) and blazing fall color — the prettiest 2-hour drive to a day trip you can make east of here. Easy stops the whole family can do.
Chase waterfalls in the Black Hills and be home for dinner.
DeadwoodSD
~150 mi · ~2.5 hr
The Wild West town of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane — gold-rush history, saloons, and gaming, only 2.5 hours east. An easy add-on to a Devils Tower or Spearfish day.
Wild West by day, back to the quiet of the Bighorns by night.
Custer State ParkSD
~230 mi · ~3.75 hr
71,000 acres of granite spires, the famous Wildlife Loop with free-roaming bison, and the white-knuckle Needles Highway. The best of the Black Hills in one park — anchor an overnight around it.
The Black Hills wildlife loop, from a Wyo Stays basecamp.
Mount Rushmore National MemorialSD
~250 mi · ~4 hr
The face of America, ~4 hours east through the Black Hills. Sheridan is almost exactly halfway between Rushmore and Yellowstone — which is the whole point: do both from one Wyoming basecamp. Best as an overnight loop with Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, and Deadwood; doable as a very long day for the determined.
Rushmore one direction, Yellowstone the other — Sheridan is the hinge of the Great American West road trip.
Crazy Horse MemorialSD
~255 mi · ~4.25 hr
The largest mountain carving in the world, still in progress, honoring Lakota leader Crazy Horse. Pairs naturally with Mount Rushmore on a Black Hills overnight from Sheridan.
Add it to a Black Hills loop out of your Sheridan basecamp.
BeulahWY
~130 mi · ~2 hr (I-90 E toward the Black Hills)
Wyoming's easternmost town and the gateway to the Black Hills — home of the Vore Buffalo Jump, a natural sinkhole where tribes drove bison from ~1500–1800 A.D., holding the bones of an estimated 20,000 buffalo. The Buffalo Jump Saloon serves grass-fed bison, and Sand Creek is a blue-ribbon trout fishery. The perfect break on the run to Devils Tower, Spearfish, or Mount Rushmore.
On the road to the Black Hills? Start from Sheridan and hit Devils Tower + the Vore Jump on the way.
Good to know
How far is Spearfish Canyon & Waterfalls from Sheridan, Wyoming?
The Black Hills begin about 2 hours east of Sheridan on I-90. Closest in: Spearfish Canyon's roadside waterfalls and Deadwood's Wild West streets, both easy day trips. Push deeper for Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse as an overnight loop — with the Vore Buffalo Jump worth the stop en route.
Where should I stay for a Spearfish Canyon & Waterfalls trip?
Base in Sheridan or the Bighorn foothills with Wyo Stays — a licensed Wyoming brokerage with vacation rentals across Sheridan and Johnson County. Booking direct means no platform booking fee versus Airbnb and VRBO, and every stay includes the concierge map with drive-times from your door.
Make Sheridan the basecamp
Day-trip out, come home to the quiet side of the mountains. Plan the whole day on the concierge map with drive-times from your actual front door.