Cabin

Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures!

Photo gallery for Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures!

Ponderosa Hills Vacation Cabin - summer
Fall view across the meadow
Dining and Kitchen areas
Kitchen area
Game Room - pool table, card table, foosball table, games and more

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
8 bedrooms5+ bathroomsSleeps 204860 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Washer
  • Hot tub
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View in a map
Lead, SD
  • Black Hills National Forest
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • George S. Mickelson Trail
    ‪36 min drive‬
  • Terry Peak Ski Area
    ‪40 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

8 bedrooms (sleeps 20)

1 Loft master suite

1 King Bed

2 Second floor master suite

1 King Bed

3 Second floor queen bedroom

1 Queen Bed

4 Second floor queen bedroom

1 Queen Bed

5 First floor master suite

1 King Bed

6 First floor queen bedroom

1 Queen Bed

7 First floor queen bedroom

1 Queen Bed

8 First floor twin bedroom

4 Single Beds

5 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 1

Toilet

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 3

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 4

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 5

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Dining area

About this property

Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures!

Make your next vacation adventure with family or friends at Ponderosa Hills. The cabin is situated on 5 acres of aspen and pine trees, along with a scenic meadow to enjoy the wildlife of the Black Hills. Ponderosa Hills cabin has over 4800 sq ft of living space, ideal for creating a home base for your group.

Ponderosa Hills is meant to be a home away from home. Make yourself comfortable from the moment you open the front door. With eight bedrooms, you will have a selection of 3 king master suites, 4 queen bedrooms, or a bedroom set up with 4 twin beds. There will never be a line for the restroom with 5-1/2 bathrooms to choose from. After a day of play, feel free to unwind in the hot tub under a covered patio, make a challenge on the pool or foosball table, or if putting your feet up in the Great Room to catch some R & R - you are sure to enjoy whatever your desire.

The kitchen is fully equipped with wet bar, refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker and Keurig, utensils, pots and pans, crockpots, etc.; everything you need to create a home-cooked meal for your crew. If grilling is more your style, a pellet grill is located in the garage waiting to be guided outside on the concrete apron for use. The meal can be served buffet-style from the large kitchen counter, it can be served family-style around the dining table that seats 8-10 people, or on the deck to enjoy the fresh air. If you choose to go out for a meal, there are many restaurant options within a short drive through the stunning scenery of the Black Hills.

Ponderosa Hills is in a prime location for fun of all seasons. Winter time allows you to snowmobile right from the property with easy access to trails, Trailshead Lodge is 1/4 mile from the cabin. Cross-country ski trails and downhill ski slopes are within a short drive of Ponderosa Hills. When the snow melts, bring out the ATV/UTVs, motorcycles, bicycles and hiking boots - the Black Hills is a mecca for adventure! The cabin property has ample parking space for cars, pickups and tow trailers. Ponderosa Hills is located off US Hwy 85 on a private circle driveway. This vacation cabin is in a great location for biker groups, family gatherings, snowmobile enthusiasts, and all-around outdoor admirers!

Being renters before owners of Ponderosa Hills, we know this cabin offers everything you need for a wonderful Black Hills vacation get-away. We are here for your questions, not only about the cabin but the area, as well. Come visit, we would love to have you enjoy what we enjoy!

Keywords: snowmobiling, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, vacation home, ATV, UTV, snow skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, motorcycling, forest, vacation rental, Deadwood, Terry Peak, Spearfish Canyon, hot tub, Black Hills, Lead
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

Property manager

Brian Melchert
Premier Host

Languages

English
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Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts
A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Lead

Located in Lead, this holiday home is in the mountains. Living Map Theater and Historic Homestake Opera House are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Homestake Gold Mine and Broken Boot Gold Mine. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Lead, SD

What's nearby

  • Black Hills National Forest - 2 min drive - 2.4 km
  • Deer Mountain Ski Area - 34 min drive - 34.6 km
  • George S. Mickelson Trail - 36 min drive - 36.3 km
  • Terry Peak Ski Area - 40 min drive - 36.6 km
  • Spearfish Canyon Nature Area - 41 min drive - 40.6 km

Getting around

  • Rapid City, SD (RAP-Rapid City Regional) - 96 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Buckhorn Bar and Grill - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Home Base for ALL your Black Hills adventures! located?

This family-friendly Lead holiday home is located in the mountains, 1.4 mi (2.3 km) from Black Hills National Forest, and within 20 mi (32 km) of Terry Peak Ski Area and Dry Lake. Red Lake and George S. Mickelson Trail are also within 20 miles (32 km).

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 57 out of 84 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 19 out of 84 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 84 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 84 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 84 reviews

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Levi R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great property. Lots of space for large groups.
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Michael F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Ponderosa Hills was an awesome stay. This house is large (held our group of 10 with several empty beds), clean, and in a great location if you enjoy quick access to Lead/Deadwood but still being away from the hustle and bustle of tourism. Brian is a wonderful host with a wonder rental. Would recommend to anyone. Will immediately consider this rental the next time I’m in the area!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

R S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great get away

Great got to see things around the black hill and relax
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

DAN O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sturgis 2025

Overall great time at the property, a bit of a travel for night time riding but also very secluded and quiet at night. We had 5 couples and 8 motorcycles and had plenty of room for everyone and everything. Great cabin/house that offered many different varieties for different activities and coming together as a group. Greatly enjoyed our stay!!!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michelle L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great property! Lots of room for our large extended family. Best equipped kitchen ever. Second refrigerator/freezer was a life saver. Loved seeing the deer every morning. The chipmunks kept us entertained daily.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Troy U.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Family trip!

The house was exactly as listed and the property manager was very communicative. The game room and hot tub were a big hit woth the famiky3 and it slocation was great, outisde if town to give peace and quiet but close enough to make ice cream runs. Great rental !
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Troy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect place in the Black Hills

The house was perfect and Excellent place to stay for Utving with gas station right down the road and access to trails both ways when leaving the property. Brian was awesome responds right away to questions you have and this place is highly recommend.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

tina P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cabin getaway

Perfect size for a family gathering!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kathy L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect!

We loved the location and the privacy it provided. The layout of the house was perfect for our large group!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kasie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation

place for our family vacation. The proximity to the trails was a bonus.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Denise L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

UTV Trip

It was a great place for our group to stay. We enjoyed the privacy that our group had. We were able to hit the trails right from the house which is always a plus. A beautiful area where we got to enjoy a variety of wildlife.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Angela L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Memorial weekend

Great place to stay especially with the room and bathrooms for 6 couples! Worth the extra miles to stay there.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marie S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Property worked great for family gathering of 21 people. One of the best stocked vacation rental kitchens for making meals for large group. Closed door game room was great for all the night owls, so others could sleep.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Ryan G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Great stay!

A group of friends came to the Deadwood area to ride rangers. The house was great for our large group. It was convenient to get on trails right the from the house, too. I would highly recommend this stay and stay here again!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Cindy B., Minburn

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent experience

My experience with the rental of this property was easy as can be.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Erin D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place for a family reunion

My family is spread across multiple states, so we were excited to find a place we could all be together and be semi close to the attractions we wanted to see. The only problem we experienced was the slow wifi.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mona R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful home, clean and well furnished. Loved it!

We enjoyed Bear Country, Custer Part and Mount Rushmore. We all loved hiking trails to see more of Black Hills beauty. We always ended up back at the house for a supper meal and games. What a fantastic getaway for all our family, Mom Dad kids and grandkids.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tricia E.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation

Very nice place. A little ways away from town, but very nice and quiet. Wifi was touch and go but it was nice to get unplugged from the cell phones! Beds were hard for everyone. Overall a very nice and quiet place to stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Emily M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location to ride ATV’s

Ample parking for 3 trailers, plenty of room in the house for 15 guests, Blackstone worked perfectly and the second fridge was a life saver! We were able to ride from the house to ATV trails every day.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Anniversary get away

Worked very well for our family of 15. Enough bedrooms and bathrooms. Game room was great for the grandkids. Location is far from tourist locations and towns.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kelly K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful property- multiple bookings!

This property is a wonderful place to stay if you have a large group! We’ve stayed here twice nice, during two different seasons, side by siding and snowmobiling, and the property is wonderful for both! It’s located directly next to trails for both with wonderful parking and recreation space indoors and out! The property manager has been over the top wonderful to us both times we’ve stayed! We will continue to book here for the foreseeable future!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tracie D., Ottumwa Iowa

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Vacation

Perfect for the 13 of us, fully stocked kitchen and bathroom’s. Pool table , card table, fooshball table, extra games. Extra frig in game room for drinks. Hot tub. We saw deer and elk on our drive to and from Deadwood.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Angela H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place for large group

Brian made the communication very easy answered all of my questions promptly!! Very nice place especially for a large group or large family. Our group was here for the Sturgis bike rally, while it was a little further outside of lead than we expected it was very nice, clean and quiet. Our only “complaint “ if you even call it that would be the Internet service is not good at all in this area. Other than that, great place to stay !!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jerry C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing place for a large group.

Great communication and great property. Somehow it's in the middle of nowhere, and the middle of everything the Black Hills has to offer. Couple of small items to address. (I'm nit picking) having extra light bulbs on site would be handy. Maybe some reflectors on the signage at the blacktop. It's easy to ride by after dark. Overall, we loved it. Beautiful scenery.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kelly H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Snowmobile Trip

This cabin was everything we needed to enjoy snowmobiling in the Black Hills! Five couples each enjoyed private rooms and their own bathroom. The kitchen had everything we needed, including an extra waffle maker and a crock pot. There was plenty of room to eat together, play games and watch DVDs. The heated garage was great for storing gear and getting ready to ride. Some enjoyed the hot tub, others enjoyed the sitting area upstairs for puzzles and reading. Brian was helpful as we made the initial reservation and through check in. The wi-fi held up for those doing work and schoolwork during the trip and there were ALOT of DVDs to choose from to enjoy the evenings. Highly recommended for a large group!
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2023

About the host

Hosted by Brian Melchert

Host profile image
I am a snowmobiler and side-by-side enthusiast who loves the adventure of the Black Hills and all the history and beauty that goes with it.

Why they chose this property

If you are looking for a place that can handle a large group and unplug from the day to day grind, then this is the place for your group. 7 bedrooms x 2 people = 14 people plus a singles/kids room with 4 twin beds for a total of 18. Also 5-1/2 bathrooms, game room with foosball, pool and card tables, hot tub, patio and heated garage.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests