The Hynes Cabin – A Spacious Renovated 1925 Classic with Stunning Views

The Hynes family built this cabin in 1925. It was the first cabin on what we consider the most beautiful valley in the Black Hills. Our grandparents, Mary Louise (whom we called Sister) and Dibrell Hynes were invited by friends to come for a visit to the Black Hills from Evanston, Illinois where they lived. They fell in love with the Hills, and Palmer Gulch in particular, and decided to build a cabin here.

Every summer after that, Sister and her three children, Jim (our father), and his older sisters Aubrey and Susan would make the arduous three-day car trip from Evanston, camping along the way. They’d spend the whole summer here, riding their own horses, roaming freely, fishing, hiking and exploring. Dibrell was a geologist, so he could identify any rock we found. He would come to the cabin for his vacation by train every summer, and the family traveled around the west, visiting America’s other magnificent national parks.

The third generation of the Hynes family, Frances, Carol and Arthur, along with our cousins, spent summers staying at the cabin as children, and the Black Hills entered our blood. Now our children and their children delight in spending time here. Five generations have loved this cabin! We are very happy to share our special place and its history with visitors. Have a wonderful time!

~ Arthur and Frances Hynes

Our manager, Kimberly Herman, grew up in the Stillwater, Oklahoma area. She moved to Moorehead, MN and then to Hill City where she lives now. Kimberly is a responsive and efficient manager who makes all our guests feel right at home, and we are very grateful to have her as part of our Hynes Family Cabin team.

The Black Hills are a breathtakingly beautiful and delightfully sensory retreat for a family, a group or a couple. There are plenty of fun things to do for everyone, and a serene retreat to come home to after a busy day. You'll experience both Old West and Native American cultures. Good restaurants, high quality gifts and mementos, a dinosaur museum and excellent art galleries delight in Hill City. Bicycle rentals are available and there's a wonderful railroad trail you can ride on that goes from Hill City to Keystone.

The 1880 train, which travels from Hill City to Keystone and back, is an exciting, authentic experience of the Old West. The hiking and fly fishing in the Hills are superb. Mount Rushmore is only six miles away and the KOA offers bus transportation there each evening. Wind Cave and Custer State Park are less than an hour's drive, where you'll see buffalo just as they roamed centuries ago.

Our cabin was built by our grandparents in 1925 renovated in 2010 to include all modern amenities, including a fully equipped kitchen and one and a half baths. We like to cook full meals there and eat at the large original dining table at the end of the 40' sleeping porch.

All of our guests have full access to the facilities of the Mount Rushmore KOA, which is next door to the cabin, including a stable where you can ride trails with a wrangler, two swimming pools, miniature golf, a water slide, a giant playground, a basketball court, pancake breakfasts every. morning, free movies at night, and much more.