Deadwood
An 1876 gold camp in the Black Hills where Wild Bill Hickok was shot, preserved with money from legalised gambling.
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Gold was found in Deadwood Gulch in 1876 and the camp went up illegally, on land guaranteed to the Lakota by the 1868 Fort Laramie treaty - a violation the courts eventually acknowledged, with compensation the Lakota have refused to accept because taking it would confirm the loss of the land. James Butler Hickok was shot in the back of the head at a poker table in Nuttal and Mann's saloon that August, holding the hand since called the dead man's hand. He and Calamity Jane are buried above the town in Mount Moriah cemetery. The whole town is a National Historic Landmark, and restoration has been funded since 1989 by a share of the revenue from legalised gambling.
What you actually see
- A whole-town historic landmark - restored with gambling revenue.
- The site of Hickok's shooting - and the hand he was holding.
- Mount Moriah cemetery - Hickok and Calamity Jane above the town.
- A camp founded in treaty violation - the Black Hills claim is unresolved.
When to go
May to September; the Sturgis rally in August fills the region. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Main Street is largely casinos - that is what funds the preservation. Re-enactments are staged entertainment. Rally week in August is extremely busy and loud. Winter is quiet and cold.
Nearby
Lead is up the gulch; Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse are south.
What to pack for Deadwood
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.