Historic Black Hills saloon brings new additions for season ahead

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A bit of magic awaits inside Moonshine Gulch Saloon.

Take it from Amanda Olson, who’s inside the iconic Black Hills business nearly daily as its general manager.

“Our policy is first come, first served, and it’s worth the wait,” she said. “The Moonshine does have a definite magic, and if you’re not there, you don’t experience it. And it really is a thing. You have a magic that comes through, a madness that comes through, and it’s very fun to watch.”

Last season, a historian came through Moonshine Gulch, which sits 22635 N. Rochford Road — 34 miles west of Rapid City.

“He told me we were one of maybe 50 places like it in the whole United States,” Olson said. “During the Prohibition in the 1920s, they tore down most bars like this.”

A photo from 1910 offers the best proof of how old the building actually is, though others who have grown up in the area have said it might be older or even originally built about a quarter-mile away.

Regardless, the century-old building still stands and has been writing new chapters of its recent history.

“It’s such a notorious place, and I love remaking older things into something gorgeous,” said Olson, who became general manager in April 2022. “We’ve been making a lot of improvements both to keep the building sustainable and then within the business itself.”

Moonshine Gulch Saloon offers a full bar and smokes its own pulled pork, brisket and chicken wings, in addition to serving a popular menu of burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken and sides.

“It’s gained a lot of traction, where people will travel from Rapid City to eat – especially the chicken wings — so that’s been a change,” Olson said.

The saloon seats about 30 people, so it can fill up fast.

Wedding parties have been known to stop by for photos, and it’s a regular destination for tourists. Locals provide live music from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

“It’s so beautiful out here – pretty much the heart of the Hills and easily accessed off the Mickelson Trail,” Olson said. “Where we’re at is the most beautiful section of the trail. From us to Hill City, you will run into three or four tunnels depending on which way you go.”

Rochford itself traces back to 1876 when three hunters accidentally discovered what became the Montezuma Gold Mine. Eager miners flocked to the area, staking claims along Little Rapid Creek. The first settlement that established the future site of Rochford dates to February 1877 when M.D. Rochford built a cabin there. In March 1877, an official mining district was set up in the area. In May 1878, Rochford, who was the county commissioner, and R.B. Hughes laid out the town in a gulch.

Mining operations in the area included the Silver Reef, Resumption, Pride of the West, Oro Cache, Rattler, Mountain Treasure, Justin, Glenwood, Little Woodchuck, Ethan Allen, Wide West and Surprise Fraction, as well as branches of Homestake Mining Co. The town itself profited from mining and a sawmill that produced lumber for the operations that peaked in the late 1800s and continued intermittently until 1936.

Today, Moonshine Gulch still stands as a reminder of that time and a place that continues to evolve.

An adjacent building to the saloon recently added the Happy Dog Cafe, which offers coffee drinks and shaved ice, as well as the Moonshine Gulch Saloon Gift Shop, selling items from makers in the Rochford area.

“It’s an eclectic mix of handmade items, and then we also have our own wood carver there, so on certain days you can sit and watch him do this thing and buy his work,” Olson said.

Hummingbirds are known to flock to the area, too, giving visitors an additional memorable way to spend time there.

“A lot of people will come to the Black Hills and sit and watch the birds because they’re so fun to see,” Olson said.

In the winter, she’ll fire up a stove in the saloon, and people will enjoy a visit in between skiing or snowshoeing.

“No matter when you come, you can’t go wrong,” Olson said. “It’s one of a kind, that’s for sure, and until you walk in, you don’t realize how much it is.”

To learn more about Moonshine Gulch Saloon, click here, or follow the business on Facebook.