- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
- Yak Ridge Cabins & Farmstead
Escape the crowds and discover wide-open spaces. Sparkly clean custom cabins with full kitchens and baths, A/C, heat, fireplaces, satellite TV. Enjoy 10 acres, stunning views, campfires, and wildlife. Centrally located near major attractions and only 5 miles from Mt Rushmore. Open year round. 5-star rated.
See what previous visitors have to say - Yak-Ridge.com to read their reviews!
Dining
The kitchen appliances in each cabin include standard electric range, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, drip and French press coffee makers, dishware, glassware, utensils, cookware, and bakeware. You will also find a small assortment of spices, sweeteners, creamers, teas, hot cocoa, and locally roasted coffee. A propane grill is available on your covered porch.
Don’t want to cook? Keystone (5 minutes) and Hill City (10 minutes) offer unique dining options as well as wineries, breweries, ice cream, and chocolate shops.
Accommodations
Welcome to Yak Ridge Cabins, your ideal family vacation, weekend getaway, or retreat destination!
Our fully-furnished studio and two-bedroom cabins are nestled in the heart of the Black Hills and sleep 2 to 6. The cabins offer full kitchens, full baths, covered porches, and much more. Custom built in 2015 and 2018, our cabins offer rustic charm and modern amenities for your home away from home.
The cabins feature the work of area craftsmen and artisans using local and sustainable materials. Our guests are welcomed with a small gift basket that typically includes South Dakota cheese, locally roasted coffee, farm fresh eggs, fresh fruit, chocolates, and other snacks.
Centrally located to all the major attractions and just five miles from Mount Rushmore. Enjoy mountain and meadow views, campfires, and wildlife on a 10-acre property. An elevation of 5,000 feet provides for cool evenings and star-studded skies.
Yak Ridge offers the best of both worlds – easy access as well as peace and tranquility!
Amenities
All cabins are set beautifully on 10 acres of wood and meadows. Enjoy star-studded skies, campfires, picnic tables and BBQ with outdoor seating to enjoy the views!
- Heating and air-conditioning
- Custom finished interior with artisan and vintage fixtures and furnishings
- Full bathrooms with tub/shower, sink, and toilet (also hair dryer and toiletries)
- All linens for the kitchen, beds, and baths including Turkish towels, spa bathrobes, and slippers
- Custom bath amenities
- Living/dining area with sleeper sofas, and a dining table with seating
- Flat-screen television with integrated DVD player and satellite TV
- Small selection of DVDs including children’s and regional
- Small library of books including children’s and regional selections
- Classic board games and playing cards
- Full kitchen with dishware, glassware, cookware, cutlery, utensils, and basic paper products
- Refrigerator, microwave, toaster, coffee makers, and electric range
- Comfy queen and twin beds with quality cotton sheets, cozy cotton blankets, and cotton quilts
- Covered porch with seating and a gas grill
- Tiffany lighting
- Fireplaces (cabins 3 and 4)
- Two cell towers (ATT and Verizon) on adjacent properties provide cell service and internet for your smart phone and/or hot spot
- 10-acre mountain setting offering peace and tranquility
Tour Information
Tours of the farmstead are available throughout the year and can be scheduled most, but not all, Mondays at 5pm (4pm November thru March) and Thursdays at 8:30am. If you are interested in touring the farmstead during your stay, please contact Julie as soon as possible after making your reservations and at least 48 hours in advance. For the safety of our guests and the safety of our animals, visitors are not permitted on the farmstead unless accompanied by Yak Ridge owners.
Rates
Cabins rates range from $150 to $295 per night plus 6% tax. Off season discounts are available. Similar in price or only slightly higher than area hotels, not only do you have comfortable beds and a full bath, you also have a full kitchen, living/dining area, and space to spread out both inside and outside.
History
Yak Ridge is located on the west central edge of Eagle Mountain Ranch established by early settlers. Eagle Mountain, elevation 5,267 is located to the east of Yak Ridge and recognizable by its rock outcrop peak. Bald Eagles have historically nested in the area and are often seen soaring the skies.
During Prohibition, our corner of the Ranch was known as Whiskey Gulch. Remnants of old bootlegger roads and the spring that cooled the whiskey still can be found on Forest Service property adjacent to Yak Ridge.
We acquired the property in 2014 and named it Yak Ridge in honor of our small yak herd and for the hillside's resemblance to the ridge on the back of a yak. The farmstead is home to honey bees, chickens, and even a small herd of Himalayan yaks.
About Us
Jim and Julie Smoragiewicz are your hosts.
We are blessed to have lived in the Black Hills for more than 20 years. Julie’s great-great grandparents homesteaded in eastern South Dakota in the 1880s making South Dakota home for seven generations of our family! We raised our two sons (now grown) in the area and together have enjoyed hiking, biking, swimming, boating, camping, fishing, hunting, rock climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, exploring, and so much more of what the Black Hills have to offer.
Safety Measures
As always, the health, safety, and comfort of our guests are our highest priorities. We pride ourselves in the cleanliness of our cabins as evident by our guest reviews and our commitment to meeting and exceeding South Dakota Department of Health requirements. To that end, and in light of the current global health crisis, we have further enhanced our cleaning and sanitizing protocols which also align with the CDC. See more about our safety protocols https://yak-ridge.com/covid-19-updates/
Guests are also provided with a complimentary welcome kit which includes individually wrapped sets of slippers, as well as travel sized hand sanitizer, Kleenex, and sanitizing wipes. Also included are Black Hills Vacation Guides and maps. Even a few postcards to send to friends and family are provided.
Open Year Round
Located just 5 miles from Mount Rushmore, it's easy to get here -
even though we're "off the beaten path"!