Black Hills National Forest Totally Explained

Everything about Black Hills National Forest totally explained

Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. The forest has an area of over 1.2 million acres (4,856 km²) and is managed by the Forest Service. 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 Harney Peak which is the tallest mountain in South Dakota and the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States.

History

After a series of devastating wildfires in 1893, U.S. President Grover Cleveland created the Black Hills Forest Reserve on February 22, 1897. 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 Paha Sapa meaning "hills that are black" 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 small pox epidemics of 1771 to 1781 broke the wall of the Arikara who prior to that time held the Sioux east of the Missouri. American Horse's winter count of 1775-76 is interpreted as depicting the Sioux discovery of the Black Hills (Raymond J. DeMallie, Jr - 2006). 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're 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.) The Forest is located immediately west and south of Rapid City and can 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."

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 don't exist in the Black Hills. Mountain lions are increasing dramatically as a result of prolific herds of deer and elk. Coyote, bighorn sheep and mountain goats are also frequently seen. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon and another 200 species of birds can be found in the 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 (725 km) of hiking trails provide access to more remote destinations and to the summit of Harney Peak. With over 5,000 miles of Forest system roads, the Forest is also a haven for motorized travel.

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