In the 1890s, mineral springs and health spas made the city of Hot Springs, located 57 mi/91 km south of Rapid City, the first tourist mecca in the Black Hills.
Today, the hot springs are still flowing: The town boasts Evans Plunge, a large, indoor swimming pool that's warmed by naturally heated water.
After you dry off, visit The Mammoth Site, an ancient sinkhole where prehistoric mammoth remains have been found. Since the first fossilized tusk was discovered in 1974, paleontologists have turned up the bones of more than 50 of the big, shaggy beasts and those of a giant, short-faced bear. A museum at the site lets you see a full skeleton and other finds, and you can observe the ongoing work.
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