Road Trip Adventure- Black Hills

One of my favorite areas in the US is the Black Hills of South Dakota. I first visited the area in 1990 en route to Alaska. Passing through, we stopped at Mount Rushmore. I always wanted to return, and I did in 2007 when moving from Pennsylvania to Washington. However, we were short on time and money so all we got to do was cruise through with another stop at Mount Rushmore. While living in Washington, I always hoped for a vacation that would give me at least a week in the Black Hills. This summer, as part of the Nature Minute road trip, I was able to return for a few days. Enjoy another story from the road.

What makes the Black Hills, or Paha Sapa as the Sioux call it, such a special place? To the Sioux, Paha Sapa is sacred as the heart of the world, and from space it actually looks like a human heart (from Native Americans Online). To me, it’s just this wonderful mix of pine trees and granite rising above the Great Plains. I felt like I was on top of the world. It’s also melting pot of sorts, as the northern and eastern forests converge with the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

Black Hills from space (from Four Winds 10)

The Black Hills were originally part of the Sioux reservation until gold was discovered there. The land was stolen and Custer was involved, but that’s another story for another blog. We’re here to focus on nature, and there are a few natural areas protected within the Black Hills. I didn’t get to spend my week there and I didn’t hike at all, but the three areas I got to see from the car were Black Hills National Forest, Wind Cave National Park, and Custer State Park.

The Needles, granite spires in the Black Hills

Black Hills NF is the largest of the three, covering most of the Black Hills. It’s a working, mixed use forest, meaning it is shared by loggers, wildlife, campers, and other recreational users. Ponderosa pine, spruce, birch, and aspen are common trees. Wildlife includes elk, mule and white-tailed deer, coyotes, mountain lions, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep. Birds of prey such as bald eagles and many songbirds are also present.

White-tailed deer right outside our campground

Coyote

Mountain lion

Wind Cave NP is on the fringes of the Black Hills. Eastern tallgrass prairie mixes with western shortgrass prairie topside, while the largest cave in America sits largely unexplored beneath the surface. Mammals there include bison, prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets. More on this location will follow in another Nature Minute.

Prairie dogs

Custer State Park hosts bison and pronghorn herds, along with majestic vistas of rolling hills, vast prairies, and interesting rock formations. It also sits on the fringes, just north of Wind Cave NP.

Bison herd

Pronghorn

Black Hills scenery

Black Hills scenery

How did the Black Hills magically rise above the rest of the prairie? The mountains formed as a result of volcanic activity and uplift in the Tertian period. The central portion is made of granite, pegamite, and sedimentary rock, ringed by increasingly younger layers of sedimentary rock. In most cases, when viewing layers of rock, the older layers are on the bottom. However, there are some areas in the Black Hills where due to uplifting and folding, the older layers are actually on top.

The Black Hills have something to offer, no matter what your interests. History, wildlife, scenery, culture, geology- this place has it all! If you are ever trying to decide where to go for vacation, consider South Dakota.

This week's information comes from Native Americans Online, Black Hills National Forest, and Carleton College.