Rising alone from the plains near Sturgis, this laccolith remains a place of prayer for many Plains tribes. For travelers drawn to the Mount Rushmore State, this is a stop that rewards a slow look.

Known to the Lakota as Mato Paha, the mountain is a site of ongoing ceremony and pilgrimage.

What sets it apart

A summit trail climbs past prayer cloths tied to trees by visitors seeking guidance. Small as it sounds, it is exactly the sort of thing that defines the experience on the ground.

The peak formed as magma pushed up beneath the surface without ever erupting.

Why it matters

What ties it all together is a distinctly South Dakota balance between the wild and the worked-over. However you come to it, this is a place that stays with you long after the drive home.