Rochford, South Dakota | Point of Interest

Point of Interest | 1 – Rochford, South Dakota

 
Now somewhere in the black mountain hills of Dakota…

…lies an old gold mining town called Rochford. Although the town has only about a dozen residents they are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. I’ve stopped through the town on two different trips and have been given newspaper to start fires and even offered a place to stay by multiple residents when they found out I was on my own, driving across the country. You can find folks of this kind and also some really great cheap food and drinks at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon in the middle of town.

A view of Rochford during a biker rally:

 

The only way to get to Rochford is on old gravel roads with little to no cell phone service so it definitely feels like you are deep into the black hills. However, upon entering the Moonshine Gulch Saloon you’ll feel at home very quickly. There’s no shortage of interesting things to admire while you are waiting for your food as the ceiling is littered with baseball caps and the walls with photos and articles.

One of the more noteworthy things you will find is some photos of the country music duo “Big & Rich” filming their music video for “Big Time” in Rochford at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon:

Check out the video here:

 

While you might not be lucky enough to catch a Nashville recording artist on your way through you can probably enjoy some local talent instead as acoustic performances are very common:

 

 

 

So if you ever find yourself on a trip through South Dakota or if you are heading to a more known destination such as Mount Rushmore, I definitely recommend a stop in Rochford. Enjoy some local music, good food, chat with the locals and then camp nearby in the scenic black hills, one of my favorite parts of the USA.