Hill City

About this city

Also known as: Heart of the Black Hills

Hill City is a historic, wonderfully vibrant alpine trailside metropolis positioned flatly at the geographic center of the high Black Hills, right beneath the ridge of Mount Rushmore. Established meticulously in 1876 during the initial gold rush as the first town in Pennington County, it transformed beautifully from a gritty tin-and-tungsten mining camp into a premier regional arts capital. Today, Hill City thrives globally as the strategic Base Camp of the Black Hills, seamlessly merging steam-era locomotive logistics with upscale fine art galleries and a booming viticulture scene.