Sturgis Bike Week, Inc. | Bear Butte

Bear Butte


Bear Butte is a geological feature located in western South Dakota that was established as a State Park in 1961. An important landmark and religious site for the Plains Indians tribes long before Europeans reached South Dakota, Bear Butte is called Mato Paha, or Bear Mountain, by the Lakota, or Sioux. To the Cheyenne, it is Noahvose, the place where Maheo (God) imparted to Sweet Medicine (a mythical hero) the knowledge from which the Cheyenne derive their religious, political, social, and economic customs. The mountain is sacred to many indigenous peoples, who make pilgrimages to leave prayer cloths and bundles tied to the branches of the trees along the mountain’s flanks. Other offerings are often left at the top of the mountain. The site is associated with various religious ceremonies throughout the year. The mountain is a place of prayer, meditation, and peace.
The park includes a campsite south of South Dakota Highway 34 where horseback riding, fishing, and boating are permitted. On the summit side of Highway 34, a moderately sized herd of buffalo roams the base of the mountain. An education center and a summit trail are available. Official park policy advises visitors to Bear Butte to respect worshippers and to leave religious offerings undisturbed. Park fees are waived for those undertaking religious activities.


Geological History


Bear Butte is an Eocene-aged intrusive body. This is the result of the forcible entry (or intrusion) of magma into cooler crustal rock. In this, Bear Butte shares a similar geological history with other formations in the region, including the Black Hills, Devils Tower, the Missouri Buttes, and some parts of the Rocky Mountains. It is possible that when the intrusion was emplaced, some magma may have breached the surface, forming a volcano; however, it would have eroded away long ago. The peak rises 1,253.5 feet above the surrounding plain and is 4,426 feet above sea level.

Modern History


Human artifacts have been found on or near Bear Butte that date back 10,000 years, indicating a long and continuous interest in the mountain.The Cheyenne and Lakota people have maintained a spiritual interest in Bear Butte from their earliest recorded history.

Notable visitors like Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull made pilgrimages to the site. In 1857, a council of many Indian nations at Bear Butte gathered to discuss the growing presence of white settlers in the Black Hills.
Violating a treaty of 1868, George Armstrong Custer led an expedition to the Black Hills region in 1874, and according to custom he camped near Bear Butte. Custer verified the rumors of gold in the Black Hills, and Bear Butte then served as an easily identifiable landmark for the rush of invading prospectors and settlers into the region. Indian reaction to the illegal movements of whites into the area was intense and hostile. Ultimately the government reneged on its treaty obligations regarding the Black Hills and instead embarked on a pogrom to confine all northern Plains tribes to reservations.


Ezra Bovee homesteaded on the southern slopes of the mountain, and by the time of World War II, he and his family were the legal owners of the site. In the spring of 1945, the Northern Cheyenne received permission from Bovee to hold a ceremony at Bear Butte to pray for the end of World War II. The Cheyenne found that the Bovee family welcomed their interest in the mountain, and over the years the Bovees continued to encourage native religious ceremonies.


By the mid-1950s Ezra Bovee was attempting to stir up interest in making Bear Butte a national park. After his death, his family continued the effort. When federal interest in the project waned, the state government in Pierre took action, and Bear Butte became a state park in 1961 and was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1965.


Frank Fools Crow, the Lakota ceremonial chief (d. 1989), made pilgrimages to Bear Butte throughout his lifetime. Fools Crow taught that the earth was for everyone and urged racial harmony not just between whites and Indians, but among all the peoples of the world. A bust and plaque in front of the education center at Bear Butte State Park honor Fools Crow’s efforts.

Basic Facts


·  Located 6 miles NE of Sturgis off SD Hwy 79
·  Open year-round, day use only
·  Park entrance license required: $5/day/vehicle or $23 for an annual pass.
Participants in religious activities exempt.


·  Camping & Fees: $8/site. 16 sites (all non-electrical). Horse Camp: $8/site. 4 sites (all non-electrical). No showers. Water. Picnic shelter.


·  Reservations: None available. First-come, first-served camping


·  Education Center: Open 8 am to 6 pm, May - Sept. Call for group arrangements. 


·  Recreation: Camping. Biking. Boating. Fishing. Game/equipment checkout. Hiking. 1.85 mile Summit Trail, open 8 am to 7 pm; 2.5 mile Lake Trail; Northernmost point of 111-mile Centennial Trail for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Cultural and historical    interest. Horse trail and camp. Riding west of Hwy 79 only. Horseshoes. Picnic shelter. Volleyball. Buffalo herd.


·  Buffalo: A buffalo herd roams the base of the butte. Buffalo are dangerous, please keep your distance and do not approach.


·  Fishing/Boating Wheelchair accessible fishing dock. Boats with 25 hp or smaller motors.

Rules To Remember


·  The Summit trail is too narrow to safely accommodate hiker and pets. Pets may be taken across Hwy. 79 to the horse camp area and allowed to exercise while on a leash.
·  Please stay on the trail and respect those participating in religious activities. Do not disturb or photograph prayer cloths and tobacco ties.
·  A buffalo herd roams the base of the butte. Buffalo are dangerous, please do not approach.
·  Horseback riding is allowed west of Hwy 79 ONLY. Riders can use the Centennial Trail west of the horse camp.
·  Possession or consumption of alcohol at Bear Butte State Park east of Hwy. 79 is prohibited. Bear Butte is a sacred site for many people and will be respected as such.
·  Leaving human remains (ashes) at Bear Butte State Park is prohibited. Bear Butte is not a burial site and is not to be treated as one.
·  Uncased firearms or bows are prohibited at Bear Butte year-round east of Hwy. 79. This reduces danger and disturbance to those who gather at the site to worship.