Why The Black Hills Are the Perfect Post-Coronavirus Travel Destination

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, we know that travel is the last thing on a lot of peoples’ minds. And with good reason: the economy is in flux, many are on some kind of stay-at-home order, and no one knows when all of this will be over.

But when it is safe to travel again, we hope we can host you here at the 1899 Inn. We believe that South Dakota’s Black Hills will make the ideal post-COVID vacation. We’re biased, of course: we host guests for a living, and we’re eager to start welcoming you all to Deadwood again soon! But the same unique qualities that attracted us to the Black Hills - and to this grand Victorian house - make it a great destination for travelers in a post-pandemic world.

The Black Hills is Sparsely Populated. Western South Dakota is the very definition of social distancing. We have a small population, plenty of space, and we’re relatively isolated from the rest of the county. Those factors are all likely reasons why we have a small number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state (both on an overall and per-capita basis, and despite a high number of tests per-capita). There are only about 200,000 residents in the entire Black Hills, a region that’s about the size of Delaware. Most of those people live in Rapid City, which has a population of about 80,000. That means that outside the city, there’s plenty of room to spread out in the surrounding forests, mountains, prairies, and badlands.

There Are Plenty of Outdoor Things To Do. Being a rural and uncrowded area, most of the things to do here are outside. There are a number of venues and trails for horseback riding, ATVing, fly fishing, biking, and rock climbing, among others. Need equipment? There are plenty of rentals available, and most guides will arrange for private excursions to keep group sizes small. Even right here in Deadwood, there are nearly a dozen hiking trails within a short walk of the 1899 Inn, including the Mickelson Trail, a multi-use trail that’s perfect for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The trailhead is only a quarter-mile (0.4 kilometers) from the Inn, and it includes fishing access to Whitewood Creek. Plus, there are six National Park Service sites within a two-hour drive: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Devils Tower National Monument, Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

The 1899 Inn Is A Small Property In a Small Town. Most of our guests choose to stay with us because we’re a small inn, and that’s taken on new significance. There are just five guest rooms here, which makes us about 1/20th the size of typical chain hotels. There are very few people moving in and out of the building each day, the small space is easier to clean and sanitize on a more frequent schedule, and we can arrange for a private breakfast seating or in-room breakfast service. And although the inn is right in the middle of Deadwood, the town itself is tiny: it’s home to only 1,300 people. That gives our guests the best of both worlds. The pine-covered hillsides of the Black Hills National Forest surround us and are visible from every guest room, but it’s an easy and uncrowded walk to grocery stores and restaurants that now offer streamlined pick-up and delivery service.

Full Property Buy-Out Is Available. For guests who are interested in reserving the entire bed-and-breakfast, we do offer affordable options for whole-house rentals. We can provide regular housekeeping and breakfast services if desired, but if you prefer uninterrupted use of the entire inn, your group can have full access without any staff interaction.

Given the continuing uncertainty, we’re offering risk-free reservations: if you book your stay now but have to change your plans later - for any reason - you can cancel without any penalties. Period.

You can book online now, or you can call us at 864-210-1899 to chat about details first.

We look forward to hosting you all very soon!