Black Hills Scenic Byway

The 78-mile Wyoming Black Hills Scenic Byway rests at the western gateway to the sprawling Black Hills area which stretches into South Dakota. Named by Native Americans because the color of tree trunks when it rained, the entire area offers numerous historic sites and cultural resources in conjunction with beautiful natural vistas, unique geology and recreational outlets. While attractions within the South Dakota stretch of the Black Hills, like Mount Rushmore, draw hundreds of thousands each of tourists each year ($562 million in tourism revenue was generated 2009 according to the Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association tourism marketing group), Wyoming’s Black Hills remain largely undiscovered. The Wyoming Black Hills’ status as a “hidden treasure” is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, lack of tourist traffic positions this corridor to the Wyoming Black Hills’ is a great alternative to those truly seeking to step out of the rat race and into nature. On the other hand, communities in our corridor, miss important economic opportunities.