BLACK HILLS RETREATS
Looking for the perfect retreat to enjoy your stay in the Black Hills? Or do you need someone to manage your vacation rental property? Either way, Black Hills Retreats can help.
Black Hills Retreats is a vacation rental and property management business owned and operated by Kathleen and Mike Lewis.“ We offer a variety of unique modern cabins and vacation homes in the beautiful Black Hills,” said Kathleen.
The majority of the properties managed by Black Hills Retreats are located in Hill City and Custer. There are options anywhere from a cozy one-room cabin to a five-bedroom, three-bath house perfect for larger gatherings. Currently, Black Hills Retreats manages 14 vacation rental properties and represents six cabins at Gold Valley Camp in Custer. Four of the cabins even have hot tubs for guests to enjoy.
The availability of each cabin is listed on the website along with pictures so guests can visualize their upcoming adventure. If guests book directly through the Black Hills Retreats website, they save fees that other vacation rental websites charge. Guests can also call 605-673-1400 to ask further questions.
Kathleen takes care of guests personally from there. On the day of check-in, Kathleen calls guests to make sure they know where they’ re going. Otherwise, guests can check in, enjoy their stay and check out, and Kathleen will take care of all the behind-thescenes work. If guests need anything during their stay, they can call or text her anytime.“ My response time is really good,” s--aid Kathleen. For the protection of the homeowners, Kathleen does not provide addresses until a few days before check-in, but she does provide guests with the general vicinity so they can plan their excursions.
A lot of visitors bring ATVs or motorcycles to ride through the Hills. The cabins are close to popular attractions like Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Custer State Park and more. Several of the cabins are close to the Mickelson Trail as well.
The other aspect of Black Hills Retreats is property management for residents who are not able to manage a property on their own or who want the peace of mind of knowing their property is being well taken care of while they are out of town.
As a licensed property manager, Kathleen handles just about everything on site. This includes working with the Department of Health and ensuring properties have everything they need to pass inspections. Meanwhile, Mike is the company’ s handyman and fixes things as needed.
They also take care of lawn care, handle snow removal, take out the garbage, check the smoke alarms, get the fire extinguishers tested, refill propane tanks and manage cleaning services.“ That’ s the main thing is making sure that everything is clean and ready to go for people that are coming to the Hills,” said Kathleen.“ If someone is looking for somebody to manage their vacation rental, they can call us, and we can take it from there!”
Another service they offer to homeowners is professional photography of homes to highlight their unique features for guests. High-quality photos can even increase bookings.
Black Hills Retreats also integrates rental properties on all the popular booking websites to market the properties. They have a Facebook page for advertising as well and will pay for ads to provide exposure for the vacation rentals in other states.
From there, homeowners get monthly statements with Black Hills Retreats’ fees taken out of the booking costs.
To learn more about Black Hills Retreats’ vacation rentals or property management services, go to blackhillsretreats. com.
42 Black Hills Adventure Guide 2025