Black Hills

Black Hills NF https://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hills_National_Forest Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, United States. Forest headquarters are located in Custer, South Dakota. There are local ranger district offices in Custer, Rapid City, and Spearfish in South Dakota, and in Sundance, Wyoming. Predominantly ponderosa pine, the forest also includes hard woods like aspen, bur oak, and birch. The lower elevations include grassland prairie, but the National Forest System lands encompass most of the mountainous region known as the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Within the forest is Black Elk Peak which is the tallest mountain in South Dakota and the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States.

Trails Guide Services General Information elcome to your Black Hills National Forest where 1.2 million acres of public land recreation opportunities await you! The Forest offers hundreds of miles of nonmotorized and motorized trails. There are a variety of settings from forest to prairie, and easy to difficult opportunities to challenge your skills. • Trail Ethics We hope you enjoy the eleven reservoirs, 31 campgrounds, two scenic byways, 1,300 miles of stream, 13,426 acres of wilderness, hundreds of miles of non-motorized and motorized trails, and much more! The Forest is managed for many uses, so don’t be surprised to see mining, logging, cattle grazing, and summer homes on your travels. Please take time to enjoy the beauty and charm of this national treasure. Black Elk Wilderness has special regulations to protect and preserve this unique area including a 25 person or 12 horse rider group size limit, no motorized or mechanized equipment allowed such as bicycles, strollers, drones, wagons, etc. Wilderness Permits are required to enter the wilderness, and are available at all trailhead self-service registration stations. Please read the regulations printed on the back of the permit you keep with you during your visit. Special Use Permits are required to lead others in outdoor recreation activities (such as hunting, fishing, trail rides, etc.) on the Black Hills National Forest. A complete list of Permitted Outfitter and Guides for a variety of recreation activities and areas, is available at our Forest recreation website. Welcome W Scenic Byways Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway in the southern Black Hills leads visitors along 66 miles of scenic highways that pass through the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, the Black Hills National Forest, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. A visit to the Black Hills should include a trip through this byway’s one lane tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore, and around the curling ‘pig-tail’ shaped bridges, along the Iron Mountain Road. Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway in the northern Black Hills takes visitors along US Highway 14A, through 18 miles of breath taking views of waterfalls, sheer cliff walls, springs, a roaring stream, and an opportunity to view wildlife. Norbeck and Black Elk Wilderness trails are more primitive. Users should be prepared for hazardous weather, dead standing trees, high elevation, difficult terrain, limited water sources - which must be treated, and difficult rescue. Hikers and horse riders should practice Leave No Trace (LNT) Principles to be able to enjoy their visit while leaving the area pristine for the next visitors. More Activities Cutting switchbacks causes erosion. Please stay on the designated trail. Expect and respect other trail users. • Extreme Weather Once a month during the summer, Forest visitors enjoy a natural history program and hike under a full moon. Visit our website for more information at: www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/ blackhills/recreation Black Hills National Forest Hell Canyon Ranger District Supervisor’s Office 1019 N. 5th Street, Custer, SD 57730 605-673-9200 or Dial 711 for TRS www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills Clear sunny days can quickly turn into afternoon thunderstorms. Carry extra warm clothes and be prepared for snow or hail! 1225 Washington Street, Newcastle, WY 82701 307-746-2782 Streams in the forest may look safe to drink but usually they are not. Carry at least one quart of water per hiker. Bearlodge Ranger District 101 S. 21st Street, PO Box 680, Sundance, WY 82729 307-283-1361 • Water Black Hills Moonwalk Contacts Mystic Ranger District 8221 S. Hwy. 16, Rapid City, SD 57702 605-343-1567 Northern Hills Ranger District 2014 N. Main Street, Spearfish, SD 57783 605-642-4622 • Available Maps Black Hills National Forest Visitor Center located on Pactola Reservoir Dam, on US Highway 385, open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/blackhills/recreation Detailed information for trails, streams, lakes, peaks, lookout towers, private, federal and state lands, and recreation sites is available on the BHNF Visitor Map and at www.fs.usda.gov/ recmain/blackhills/recreation LNT information can be found at: www.lnt.org Sheridan Lake Thank you for being a responsible user of your National Forest! The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. REV2016-10 Camping Horse Camping The Forest has 31 Campgrounds with 682 individual sites - including 3 Horse Campgrounds designed for campers with horses, and 2 Group Campgrounds with 6 large sites for large family or company camping & picnics. Most of the campgrounds are operated by a concessionaire, and have on-site hosts. Single family sites can hold up to 8 people. There is a fee to camp each night. Some campgrounds may have reduced rates in the fall, winter, and spring. Potable water is available at most campgrounds during the summer. Vault toilets, fire rings, and tables are available at each site. Showers, electric, sewer, a



"Keep close to Nature's heart, yourself; and break clear away once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." ~John Muir Trail #9 from Sylvan Lake to Black Elk Peak is heavily used from May 1 through September 30. If you are looking for solitude, please consider one of our less traveled trails. The Norbeck Wildlife Preserve was established in 1920 for the "protection of game animals and birds and to be a breeding place therefor." Elk, deer, mountain goats, turkeys, and mountain lions make their home amid the rugged granite peaks and small streams. This area has a rich mining history, and you may encounter old cabin remains or mine workings. One gold deposit supported two stamp mills ($5 million value of gold at today's prices). Never enter an aboandoned mine - they are often very unsafe. The Black Elk Wilderness lies in the center of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, and in the heart of the Black Hills. Named for Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota holy man, the area is characterized by massive granite outcroppings, pungent pine, and scenic vistas across the hills. Originally established by Congress in 1980, it was increased in size to its current 13,426 acres in 2002. Black Elk Peak was named after Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota holy man, in 2016. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a stone tower in 1938 that served as a fire lookout until 1967. In 1982, the tower, dam, and pump house were placed on the National Register of Historic Places because of their historic significance. Nearly everyone has a special place somewhere in the outdoors. Many have found it in the central Black Hills, within the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and the Black Elk Wilderness. Special Places in the Heart of the Black Hills National Forest What To Know Before You Go Only primitive, non-mechanized methods of transportation are allowed in the Black Elk Wilderness. Items such as bicycles, strollers, chainsaws, handcarts, and hang gliders are prohibited. To reduce conflicts with wildlife and other visitors, pets must be leashed or under strict voice control. 1/4 mile from Black Elk Peak and Trail #9. To minimize congestion and enhance wilderness solitude, goup size is limited to 25 people and stock combined. Horses must use certified weed and seed-free hay and pellets. Scatter manure before you leave. Use highlines or hobbles to tie up stock, at least 100 feet from water. Leave No Trace When visitors leave evidence of their journeys, the next visitor loses the sense of solitude and undisturbed wildness. Skilled wilderness users take responsibility for leaving no trace of their visit. To keep our water pure, do not camp or dispose of human waste within 100 feet of streams or other water sources. 100 feet from water Camping is allowed anywhere EXCEPT within 1/4 mile from Black Elk Peak and Trail #9. Black Elk Wilderness Self Registration " Walk softly. Earth receives foot and paw, hoof and claw with equal grace. But it is the way of the wild not to overstep the bounds of hospitality. This is a wild place. Follow me; walk softly and Open leave no trace that rain and fires are snow cannot erase." prohibited. Bring a camp ~Elise Maclay stove. Visitors to the Black Elk Wilderness must fill out a Use Registration Form, available at any of the major trailhead portals into the Wilderness. The Registration Form provides the Black Hills National Forest with important visitor use information. In addition, the form asks for the visitor's commitment to abide by the wilderness regulations, ensuring that visitors "leave no trace" of their visit. General Information Thank you for being a responsible user of your national forest! Location Map To Lead-Deadwood 385 Trail Ethics Cutting switchbacks causes erosion. Please stay to the designated trail. Sheridan Lake To Rapid City 16 Hill City Mt. Rushmore National Memorial Black Elk Wilderness and Norbeck Wildlife Preserve 16A Trail System Keystone 244 Extreme Weather Clear sunny days can quickly turn into afternoon thunderstorms. Carry extra warm clothes, and be prepared for snow or hail! 87 Black Elk Wilderness 385 16 16A 87 Norbeck Wildlife Preserve 89 16A Water Streams in the forest may look safe to drink, but usually it is not. Carry at least one quart of water per hiker. Fires Open fires are prohibited throughout the forest at all times. Bicycles and Motors Unless otherwise noted, the trails shown in this brochure are open for hikers and stock users only. Expect and respect other trail users. 16 36 16A To Hermosa Custer Custer State Park 87 To Hot Springs To Newcastle More Information: Supervisor’s Office and Hell Canyon Ranger District 1019 N. 5th St., Custer, SD 57730 (605) 673-9200 www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/blackhills/ recreation Black Hills USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 2016 

TRAIL #2 Lost Cabin #3 Norbeck TRAIL DESCRIPTION One of two National Recreation Trails in the Black Hills, the Lost Cabin Trail starts with a steep climb to the Wilderness boundary. Then during a gradual descent, users are treated to numerous views of Black Elk Peak. This trail is a favorite of many hikers and riders, and is often used as a loop with Trail #9 for a long day outing. Water is available at Nelson Creek and Lost Cabin Creek. This steep and rocky trail provides a great opportunity to experience the solitude of the Black Elk Wilderness. Adventurous users from Iron Creek Horse Camp or the Norbeck Trailhead within Custer State Park use it in combination with Grizzly Bear #7 for a loop hike. Upper portions of the trail have no water or places to camp. #4 Leaving from Sylvan Lake Trailhead or Little Devils Tower Trailhead, users will follow a small drainage with ample wildlife viewing opportunities. As the trail climbs, vistas of granite spires and the town of Custer appear. A side trail leads to Little Devils Tower. #5 Willow Creek Rushmore Riders and hikers often use this trail to access Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It descends west to east, with one creek crossing. #6 Sunday Gulch #7 Grizzly Bear Cr. #8 Willow Cr. Loop Sunday Gulch is a popular spur loop off of the Lakeshore Trail. It winds through a ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forest, crossing a stream in several places. Hikers should be careful of the wet, slippery rocks. Winter travel on ice flows also makes passage challenging. The rugged Grizzly Bear Creek Trail climbs sharply for a 1,500' elevation gain through the most remote areas of the Black Elk Wilderness. It winds through old growth forest, past beaver ponds, and on to towering granite formations and views of Black Elk Peak. Camping spots near water can be found adjacent to the lower sections of the trail. This one-hour loop is a favorite of campers in the area, and is a primary Wilderness portal for hikers and riders. Views of the Black Elk Wilderness are great year-round; in the fall, the hills are gold with aspen. Trail #9 North After traveling a mile through meadows and forest, users will begin to see Elkhorn Mountain, with dramatic peaks and rock outcrops. Climbing steeply, the trail emerges onto a ridge where users can see the back of Mt. Rushmore. Two thirds of the way to the top is a popular overlook and hitching rail. Riders take note - there is only one minor creek crossing where stock can find water. Trail #9 South This is the most popular route to Black Elk Peak - be prepared to encounter many people, especially in the summer. Hikers begin on a roadbed that leads to a fire tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, now on the Register of Historic Places. The trail is steep, but the rewards include stunning views of four states. MILEAGE (one way) TRAIL #14 5.0 Horsethief Lake #15 6.3 Iron Creek #16 2.3 Iron Mountain #89 1.9 Centennial TRAIL DESCRIPTION MILEAGE (one way) The Horsethief Lake Trail wanders through granite peaks and twisting spires that poke through the thick forest canopy. It crosses over two saddles where campers will find sites with sweeping views of the surrounding area. 2.7 The Iron Creek Trail is an easy route, following an old road. There are 11 water crossings as the trail meanders through a forest of ponderosa pine, oak, aspen, and birch. Just outside the southern edge of the Black Elk Wilderness, this is an excellent trail for mountain bikers. 2.4 Iron Mountain Trail is an easy hike providing beautiful views of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and the Black Elk Wilderness. A very unusual feature can be seen from the trail near the Iron Mountain Picnic Ground - follow the signs to "Turtle Rock." There is no water along this trail. 1.4 This trail is a portion of the 111-mile Centennial Trail that travels from Wind Cave National Park, through Custer State Park, to Bear Butte State Park in the northern Black Hills. Designated as a National Recreation Trail, users on this section are treated to beautiful scenery and relative seclusion. 8.9 Picnickers at Iron Mountain Picnic Ground often use this trail to stretch their legs. It is fairly level as it winds through a pungent ponderosa pine forest. 1.7 0.8 #89B 3.2 Centennial Bypass 6.3 Blackberry Trail Located in Mt. Rushmore NM, this trail offers hikers several views of Mt. Rushmore along the way. The trail is rugged and rocky, crossing over streams and up steep steps. Hikers and horseback riders often use this trail to access Mt. Rushmore from the Black Elk Wilderness (there is a hitch rail near the top of the trail). 2.8 Sylvan Lakeshore Trail This lovely and easy trail travels the shoreline of Sylvan Lake. The north side has several rocky steps and a tunnel through the rock formation that forms the Sylvan Lake dam. 1.0 4.7 Cathedral Spires This trail leads to an area of spectacular granite spires which lend the area its name. Pioneer rock climbers Herb