Black Hills National Forest

Black Hills National Forest
The Needles from Black Elk Peak in Black Hills National Forest
Location	South Dakota and Wyoming, U.S.
Nearest city	Rapid City, South Dakota
Coordinates	43°56′11″N 103°43′40″W / 43.93639°N 103.72778°W / 43.93639; -103.72778Coordinates: 43°56′11″N 103°43′40″W / 43.93639°N 103.72778°W / 43.93639; -103.72778
Area	1,253,308 acres (5,071.96 km2)[1]
Established	February 22, 1897[2]
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Black Hills National Forest

Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, United States. The forest has an area of over 1.25 million acres (5,066 km²) and is managed by the Forest Service. 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Contents

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  1 History
  


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  2 Geography
  


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  3 Flora and fauna
  


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  4 Recreation
  


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  5 Gallery
  


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  6 References
  


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  7 External links
  

History

Fire tower atop Black Elk Peak

Southwestern South Dakota
Sculptures
Mount Rushmore (National Memorial) Crazy Horse
Geologic and natural history
Badlands (National Park) Mammoth Site Needles Spearfish Canyon
Mountains
Black Hills Bear Butte (National Historic Landmark) Black Elk Peak
Caves
Wind Cave (National Park) Jewel Cave (National Monument)
Forests and wildernesses
Custer (State Park) Black Hills (National Forest) Black Elk (Wilderness) Buffalo Gap (National Grassland)
Lakes
Sylvan Pactola
Scenic byways
Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway Spearfish Canyon
v t e

After a series of devastating wildfires in 1893, U.S. President Grover Cleveland created the Black Hills Forest Reserve on February 22, 1897.^[5] U.S. President William McKinley issued a presidential proclamation on September 19, 1898 appending the Black Hills Forest Reserve geographic boundaries while acknowledging the forest preservation decrees established by the Timber Culture Act and Forest Reserve Act of 1891.^[6] Upon the creation of the Forest Service in 1905, the reserve was transferred to the new agency under the United States Department of Agriculture and redesignated as a National Forest two years later. Lakota words pahá sápa meaning "hills that are black" (literally "black hills" as the adjectives (sápa) follow the noun) may be one of the factors in the regions naming. Early settlers and explorers called the Laramie Range the Black Hills prior to Lt. G. K. Warren's expedition in 1857. Prior to explorations by the La Verendrye brothers in 1742, many tribes frequented the Black Hills including Ponca, Kiowa Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa and Cheyenne for at least the past 10,000 years. The smallpox epidemics of 1771 to 1781 broke the will of the Arikara who prior to that time held the Sioux east of the Missouri. American Horse's winter count of 1775-76^{[dubious – discuss]} is interpreted as depicting the Sioux discovery of the Black Hills.^{[7][verification needed]} The mountains and other key features in and around the Black Hills and now within the Forest were considered sacred to indigenous peoples and many came here on vision quests, for hunting and for trade.

Geography

The forest is located in parts of seven counties in South Dakota and Wyoming. In descending order of forestland area they are Pennington, Custer, Lawrence, Crook, Fall River, Meade, and Weston counties. (Crook and Weston are the only counties in Wyoming; only one-seventh of the forest acreage lies in Wyoming.) ^[8]

The Forest is located immediately west and south of Rapid City and can be accessed from Interstate 90. The forest headquarters is located in Custer, South Dakota. The Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway passes through the forest in proximity to Mount Rushmore and along with the Spearfish Canyon National Forest Scenic Byway, provide two of the more scenic drives in the Country.

Although surrounded by Black Hills National Forest, both Jewel Cave National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial are separate areas administered by the National Park Service. Wind Cave National Park, which is another area administered by the National Park Service, borders portions of the forest in the southeast. Black Elk Wilderness is a wilderness within the Forest and no motorized transport is permitted. Outside of the wilderness, mining, logging, and ranching are permitted on public lands through land leases with companies and private parties, referred to as "permittees."

The Black Hills National Forest encompasses three distinct mountain ranges: the Black Hills and the Elk Mountains in South Dakota as well as the Bear Lodge Mountains in Wyoming. The Black Hills are by far the largest of the three ranges.

Flora and fauna

While ponderosa pine is the most common tree species found in the forest, spruce can be found in the higher elevations. Elk, mule deer, pronghorn and white-tailed deer are commonly seen. Black bears have been spotted in the Black Hills. Cougars are increasing dramatically as a result of prolific herds of deer and elk. Coyotes, bighorn sheep and mountain goats are also frequently seen by visitors. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon and another two hundred species of birds can be found in this forest, especially along streams and near water sources.

Recreation

30 campgrounds are located in the forest and there are 11 reservoirs that are well stocked for sport fishing. 450 miles^{[citation needed]} (725 km) of hiking trails provide access to more remote destinations and to the summit of Black Elk Peak. With over 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of Forest system roads, the Forest is also a haven for motorized travel.

Gallery

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  The Bear and Beaver Gulches Botanical Area
  

  
  

  
  


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  Hikers on the Deerfield Trail
  

  
  

  
  


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  A map of the Ranger Districts
  

  
  

  
  


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  The Cold Springs Schoolhouse in Custer County
  

  
  

  
  


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  Lake Dorn circa 1940
  

  
  

  
  

References

1. 
   ^ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
   


3. 
   ^ USFS Ranger Districts by State
   


4. 
   ^ "Feature Detail Report for: Harney Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
   


5. 
   ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Grover Cleveland: "Proclamation 392 - Withdrawal of Lands for the Black Hills Forest Reserve, South Dakota," February 22, 1897". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.
   


6. 
   ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "William McKinley: "Proclamation 425 - Enlarging the Black Hills Forest Reserve in the States of South Dakota and Wyoming," September 19, 1898". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.
   


7. 
   ^ Raymond J. DeMallie, Jr., 2006.
   


8. 
   ^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007
   

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Black Hills National Forest.

• 
  Black Hills National Forest travel guide from Wikivoyage


• 
  "Black Hills National Forest". U.S. Forest Service.
  

v t e Protected areas of South Dakota
Federal	National Parks Badlands Wind Cave National Historic Sites and Memorials Minuteman Missile NHS Mount Rushmore NMem National Monument Jewel Cave National Forests Black Hills Custer National Grasslands Buffalo Gap Dakota Prairie Fort Pierre Grand River National Historic Trail Lewis and Clark National Recreational River Missouri National Wildlife Refuges Huron WMD Karl E. Mundt Lacreek Lake Andes Madison WMD Sand Lake Sand Lake WMD Waubay Waubay WMD National Wilderness Areas Badlands Black Elk National Wild and Scenic Rivers Missouri River
State	State Parks Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve Bear Butte Custer Fisher Grove Fort Sisseton Good Earth Hartford Beach Lake Herman Newton Hills Oakwood Lakes Palisades Roy Lake Sica Hollow Union Grove State Recreation Areas Angostura Beaver Creek Big Sioux Big Stone Island Burke Lake Buryanek Chief White Crane Cow Creek Farm Island George S. Mickelson Trail Indian Creek LaFramboise Island Lake Alvin Lake Cochrane Lake Hiddenwood Lake Louise Lake Poinsett Lake Thompson Lake Vermillion Lewis and Clark Little Moreau Llewellyn Johns Mina Lake North Point North Wheeler Oahe Downstream Okobojo Point Pease Creek Pelican Lake Pickerel Lake Pierson Ranch Platte Creek Randall Creek Richmond Lake Sandy Shore Shadehill Snake Creek Spirit Mound Historic Prairie Springfield Swan Creek Walker's Point West Bend West Pollack West Whitlock

v t e National Forests of the United States
Allegheny Angeles Angelina Apache-Sitgreaves Apalachicola Arapaho Ashley Beaverhead-Deerlodge Bienville Bighorn Bitterroot Black Hills Boise Bridger-Teton Caribou-Targhee Carson Chattahoochee-Oconee Chequamegon-Nicolet Cherokee Chippewa Choctawhatchee Chugach Cibola Clearwater Cleveland Coeur d'Alene Coconino Colville Conecuh Coronado Croatan Custer Daniel Boone Davy Crockett De Soto Delta Deschutes Dixie Eldorado Finger Lakes Fishlake Flathead Francis Marion Fremont–Winema Gallatin George Washington and Jefferson Gifford Pinchot Gila Grand Mesa Green Mountain Gunnison Helena Hiawatha Holly Springs Homochitto Hoosier Humboldt-Toiyabe Huron-Manistee Idaho Panhandle Inyo Kaibab Kaniksu Kisatchie Klamath Kootenai Lake Tahoe Basin Lassen Lewis and Clark Lincoln Lolo Los Padres Malheur Manti-La Sal Mark Twain Medicine Bow – Routt Mendocino Modoc Monongahela Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Mount Hood Nantahala Nebraska Nez Perce Ocala Osceola Ochoco Okanogan Olympic Ottawa Ouachita Ozark-St. Francis Payette Pike Pisgah Plumas Prescott Rio Grande Rogue River-Siskiyou Roosevelt San Bernardino San Isabel San Juan Sabine Salmon-Challis Sam Houston Samuel R. McKelvie Santa Fe Sawtooth Sequoia Shasta–Trinity Shawnee Shoshone Sierra Siuslaw Six Rivers St. Joe Stanislaus Sumter Superior Tahoe Tombigbee Tongass Tonto Talladega Tuskegee Uinta Umatilla Umpqua Uncompahgre Uwharrie Wallowa–Whitman Wasatch-Cache Wayne Wenatchee White Mountain White River Willamette William B. Bankhead
Full Detailed List former list

v t e Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming
Attractions	Bear Butte Black Elk Wilderness Black Hills Central Railroad Black Hills National Forest Black Elk Peak Black Hills Playhouse Chapel in the Hills Crazy Horse Memorial Custer State Park Devils Tower Dinosaur Park Flintstones Bedrock City Homestake Mine Jewel Cave National Monument Mammoth Site Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Mount Rushmore National Memorial Mystic Miner Ski Resort Needles Pactola Lake Reptile Gardens Rushmore Cave Sheridan Lake Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Sylvan Lake Terry Peak ski area Wind Cave National Park with bison herd
Scenic routes	Roads Norbeck Scenic Byway Iron Mountain Road Needles Highway Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway Trails Mickelson Centennial Trail
Populated places	Cities Belle Fourche Buffalo Chip (legal status undetermined) Central City Custer Deadwood Edgemont Hot Springs Hill City Lead Newcastle Rapid City Spearfish Sturgis Whitewood Towns Buffalo Gap Fairburn Hermosa Keystone Pringle Sundance Unincorporated Dewey Four Mile Galena Hanna Johnson Siding Nemo Rochford Rockerville Silver City Three Forks
History and people	Native American Cheyenne people Lakota people Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) established the Great Sioux Reservation Black Hills War, or Great Sioux War (1876) Black Elk Sitting Bull Crazy Horse Lone Horn Red Cloud Spotted Tail Old West Dakota Territory (1861–1889) Black Hills Expedition (1874) Black Hills Gold Rush (1874) Newton–Jenney Party (1875) Cheyenne-Black Hills Stage Route (1876-1887) Sidney-Black Hills Stage Road (1876-1887) Rapid City, Black Hills and Western Railroad (1893–1947) Seth Bullock and Martha Bullock General George Armstrong Custer Dora DuFran Wild Bill Hickok Calamity Jane Historian Doane Robinson Sol Star Al Swearengen Charlie Utter Ghost towns Addie Camp Bismuth Blacktail Burdock Cambria Carbonate Etta Flatiron Greenwood Maitland Myers City Nahant Novak Pactola Sheridan Spokane Terraville Tigerville Tinton Trojan Modern Fossil Cycad National Monument (1922-1957) Stratobowl (1934-1959) Black Hills flood (1972) Sculptors Gutzon Borglum and Lincoln Borglum Author Joseph Bottum Politician Francis H. Case Poet Charles Badger Clark Historian Watson Parker
Road junctions	Carlile Junction Cheyenne Crossing Four Corners Four Mile Keystone Wye Maverick Junction Mule Creek Junction
Related	Mount Rushmore in popular culture

Authority control	WorldCat Identities GND: 4477007-8 LCCN: no2006041028 NARA: 10042786 VIAF: 137573154

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