When people travel to the Black Hills, they usually have their minds set on Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, one of the many caves and so forth.  But visitors should also know that their sightseeing can include an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Before the idea of a nuclear weapon causes anyone worry, let me reveal the fact that the missile, called a Minuteman II, is a dummy previously used for practice runs.  (All sites have been disarmed).  Hence, a good spot for sightseers, not an area of national security. But this, as you may have guessed, isn’t how everything started out.

In 1961 during the Cold War, 1,000’s of Minuteman II sites were built underground throughout the United States.  The only hint to the site locations were some antennas and fencing.  Don’t let the idea of the missiles being “hidden” undermine the huge impact they had on the state.  According to the National Park Service website, South Dakota’s Minuteman Missile field covered 13,500 square miles, an area larger then the state of Maryland. The missiles were capable of traveling over 7,000 miles, and could have caused massive nuclear destruction.  I would say it’s a little bit intimidating knowing all of this was sitting in our backyard.

Luckily, the Cold War came to a halt before any of the warheads were fired.  Soon followed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of 1999 signed by George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which called for a reduction of the number of missiles.  At Ellsworth Air Force Base, 150 missile silos and 15 launch control facilities were discontinued.

With the help of the National Park Service and the Air Force, two sites have been preserved to help educate the public about the history of the Cold War.  These sites are the Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility. This National Historic Site is located near Phillip. Tours of the area are offered year around, and the site has also developed a Junior Ranger Program for kids.