Expedition: Black Hills

Our Expedition: Black Hills program is like none other when it comes to BSA summer camp experiences. With so many sights and sounds to see in the Black Hills, this program opens up a unique experience for your unit to participate in. Unit electing to participate in our expedition programs will explore the Black Hills for either three or five days. Explore the tabs below to learn more!

For our 2015 season, the decision was made to pilot a new program based out of the Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch & Adventure Base, “Expedition: Black Hills.”  Troop 110 from Lexington, Kentucky agreed to be our pilot group. After an adventure filled week in the Black Hills, Troop 110 proclaimed that this would be a huge hit and that other troops should come to the Black Hills to experience it. So what is “Expedition, Black Hills?”

It’s a one-of-a-kind program that you can not do anywhere else. Our local team of experts has planned out both 3-day and 5-day expeditions for your unit to select from. You can view these options by clicking on the “Expedition Itineraries” tab.  3-Day Expedition: Black Hills programs can also be combined with merit badges and high adventure programs. Our pilot group from Kentucky visited the following sights:

  • Mammoth Site
  • Wind Cave
  • Evan’s Plunge
  • Crazy Horse Memorial & Light Show
  • Mount Rushmore
  • Evening Lighting of Mount Rushmore
  • Minuteman Missile Silo Historical Sight
  • South Dakota Air & Space Museum
  • Devil’s Tower
  • Sylvan Lake
  • Custer State Park
  • Hill City, SD
  • Keystone, SD
  • 1880’s Train

It’s not everyday that a Scouts BSA Troop or Venture Crew gets to visit an area of the United States so rich in national parks, historical landmarks, thrilling attractions, and amazing people. We challenge your unit to make this summer an extraordinary one filled with adventure. Come to the Black Hills of South Dakota and realize what you have been missing out.

The Expedition: Black Hills program offers two varieties of itineraries; 3-Day and 5-Day. A 3-day itinerary will either go from Monday through Wednesday or Wednesday through Friday. 5-day itineraries go from Monday through Friday.

Below are itineraries that have been crafted by our team of local experts.  Any itinerary can be customized for a unit. This means that if a unit wants to swap out an attraction with another, they can. The goal is to have an itinerary that is exactly what you want.

5-DAY ITINERARIES

Expedition Black Hills Option A1

Expedition Black Hills Option A2

Expedition Black Hills Option A3

Expedition Black Hills Option A4

Expedition Black Hills Option A5

3-DAY ITINERARIES

Expedition Black Hills Option B1

Expedition Black Hills Option B2

Expedition Black Hills Option B3

Expedition Black Hills Option B4

As expected, the Expedition: Black Hills cost more than a traditional summer camp experience due to the per-person costs associated with it. Below are the approximate costs for each type of expedition program. All our itineraries on the “Expedition Itineraries” page also list an estimated per person price. Since units do have the opportunity to customize any itinerary, the final cost per person is determined once an itinerary is confirmed and before making an official reservation.

3-Day Expedition: Black Hills | $475.00 per person*
5-Day Expedition: Black Hills | $525.00 per person*
(*estimated pricing, youth and adult pricing)

What’s included in the price? 

All pricing includes 17 meals, 6 nights at the Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch (tent camping), a personal tour guide, admission to all attractions & locations on your itinerary, insurance, trip planning support, and patch. For 3-Day expeditions, the per person price includes camp programming for the other 2 days that the unit is not on their expedition. If Scouts or adults want to enroll in a 2-day high adventure program instead, the additional cost is $75.00 per person.

Transportation is not included in the cost but can be added to your unit’s expedition. Over 95% of units that participate in the Expedition: Black Hills program utilize their own vehicles to keep costs lower. The Black Hills is a tourism hotspot which makes large passenger vans and buses hard to come by and expensive. Units utilizing their own vehicles should plan to keep open one seat for a tour guide.

Who pays the per person Expedition: Black Hills program fee?

Everybody. Due to the high per person costs associated with running this program, we’re not able to subsidize the program fee for adults, family members, or siblings. This means that the Expedition fee that is added onto a participants overall camp registration will be different for Youth and Adults.

Who can participate in this program?

Everybody. This includes family members, siblings,  and friends. The only requirement that must be met is that all adults 18 and older must have taken youth protection before arriving at camp.

What forms of payment are accepted?

Electronic check and major debit and credit cards.

  1. Call our team at 605-342-2824 or send an email to reservations@blackhillsbsa.org to let us know that your unit is interested in this program.
  2. Let our team know what itinerary number your unit is considering. Your unit can change the itinerary if they are looking to swap out different attractions or change up the days. Please note that the estimated price per person could change.
  3. If your group is ready to reserve a spot at camp you can do that by making a reservation for your week at camp using the summer camp reservation system. Once that reservation is made you can begin to pay the Summer Camp part of your regsitration.
  4. After finalizing the itinerary and price per person, an online fee will be added and prices for all participants will be adjusted to match your approved itinerary final price.
    Example: If the summer camp fee for a youth participant is $450 and the final Expedition Itinerary Cost was $525 then ($525 – $450 = $75 Expedition Fee for the Youth) and $75 would be added onto each youth participants registration. The fee for the adults would be different and higher if Adult summer camp fee is $250 and final Expedition Fee was $525 ($525 – $250 = $275 Expedition Fee for the Adults including the Free Adults) and a $275 Expedition Fee would be added to each Adult Participant.

    1. A deposit is due within 10 days of your reservation being created. The deposit is $25 per youth and $10 per adult. The Expedition: Black Hills program is applicable to all policies listed in the Administration Section of our Leader’s Guide.  The unit and/or individuals will be able to log into the reservation online to make payment and to input participant information. Once paid in full, you are ready for your Expedition in the wonderful Black Hills of South Dakota.