Historic Log Cabin Motel
500 Pacific Ave
Hot Springs, SD
Real log cabins, real hosts, a real Black Hills basecamp
About Historic Log Cabin Motel
These cabins date to 1929, when the property opened as a tourist camp for travelers finding their way into the Black Hills. Built in the post-and-beam log style of the late 1920s, the cabins earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places, and staying in one is a genuine piece of that history rather than a themed copy of it. Owners Rick and Shayla took the property on and have worked hard to bring it back to life, cabin by cabin. Guests describe hosts who greet them by name, send them off with homemade cinnamon rolls, and generally treat the place less like a motel and more like a home they are lucky to share.
What Historic Log Cabin Motel Is Known For
What the Historic Log Cabin Motel is proudest of is the welcome. Rick and Shayla run the place with a warmth guests rarely find on the road, from a hot homemade breakfast in the morning to a genuine send-off when you leave. Pair that with real 1929 log cabins on the National Register, each with its own deck and its own quiet, and you have a stay that feels earned rather than transactional.
Amenities
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Homemade breakfast, served seasonally
- Shared community kitchen
- Fire pit for gathering after dark
- Gas grills on the cabin decks
- Picnic tables around the grounds
- Fenced playground
- Private deck at each cabin
- Kitchenettes in select cabins
- Free WiFi
What Guests Love
- Genuine 1929 log cabins on the National Register, not a themed re-creation
- Every cabin is freestanding with its own entrance and deck, so no shared walls
- Rick and Shayla are the kind of hosts guests write home about
- Homemade breakfast plus grills, a fire pit, and a community kitchen
- An easy, quiet basecamp for Wind Cave, the Mammoth Site, and Custer State Park
Worth Knowing
- These are authentic 1920s cabins, so expect cozy, character-rich spaces rather than large modern hotel rooms.
- The homemade breakfast is offered seasonally, so it may not be available year-round.
- Floor plans vary quite a bit from cabin to cabin, so it is worth asking which layout fits your group.
- This is a small, family-run property with its own rhythm rather than a full-service hotel.
The Room
The cabins are freestanding log buildings, not motel rooms behind a shared corridor, so each one has its own front door and its own deck to step out onto. Floor plans range from cozy one-bed cabins up to larger layouts that sleep a family, and some cabins include a kitchenette for travelers who want to cook. The interiors keep the authentic log feel while adding the modern comforts you actually need, and the cabins carry names and character all their own rather than a numbered sameness. This is character over square footage: these are real 1920s cabins, snug and full of story.
The Grounds
The cabins sit in a cozy half-circle on a hill, with room to breathe and wildlife that wanders through. There is a fire pit for gathering after dark, gas grills right on the decks for cooking your own dinner, and picnic tables scattered around the grounds. A shared community kitchen gives everyone a spot to prep and gather, and a fenced playground keeps the youngest travelers happy. It adds up to a place that invites you to linger outside rather than hole up indoors.
The Experience
Hot Springs sits at the quiet southern gateway to the Black Hills, which makes this a smart, low-key basecamp for the big country nearby. Wind Cave National Park and its rolling prairie and boxwork caverns are close at hand, the Mammoth Site is right in town, and Custer State Park with its bison herds and needle-thread roads is an easy day's reach. Come back each evening to your own deck, light the fire pit, grill something simple, and let the pines and the quiet settle in. It is the kind of stay that turns a park-hopping trip into an actual home away from home.
Details
Hot Springs, SD 57747
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Historic Log Cabin Motel serve breakfast?
Yes, Historic Log Cabin Motel includes breakfast.
Does Historic Log Cabin Motel have WiFi?
Yes, Historic Log Cabin Motel has WiFi.
What is there to do near Historic Log Cabin Motel?
Wind Cave National Park: 11 miles, about a 20 minute drive. The Mammoth Site: 1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Custer State Park: 25 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
How far is Historic Log Cabin Motel from Wind Cave National Park?
11 miles, about a 20 minute drive.
How far is Historic Log Cabin Motel from The Mammoth Site?
1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Historic Log Cabin Motel from Custer State Park?
25 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
How can I give feedback on a property I stayed at?
If you are a guest that stayed at the property, we would love feedback about your experience. Boutels listed on this site do not pay to be included nor can they pay to be sponsored or promoted. Your feedback matters. Please .
I’m affiliated with this property and have feedback on this listing.
We’d love to learn more about your property. To provide images, simply log in as a member (it’s free), find your listing on the map, choose “Visited,” and you’ll be given the option to upload images and leave a note. You can also and we’ll be in touch, just be sure to provide us with contact information in that form. Thanks!
Things to Do Near Southern Black Hills
Wind Cave National Park
11 miles, about a 20 minute drive.
One of the world's longest caves, famous for its rare boxwork formations, with bison and prairie rolling across the surface above.
The Mammoth Site
1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
An active dig in Hot Springs where dozens of Columbian and woolly mammoths were trapped in an ancient sinkhole and preserved.
Custer State Park
25 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
Granite spires, twisting scenic drives, and one of the country's largest free-roaming bison herds across the central Black Hills.