Black Hills Adventures
by T.D. Griffith
The sweet smell of spruce settles on a lone angler waist-deep in the rippling waters of Spearfish Creek. Dwarfed by limestone palisades carved over eons, the fly-fisher targets a hatch of small insects circling just above the gurgling brook. An arc of line settles the pheasant-tail fly perfectly behind the intended rock. A millisecond later a rainbow trout tackles the bait. The hook is set.
Meanwhile, miles away in the highest reaches of this ancient mountain range, a rock climber’s labored breath signals his solitary ascent of the spire’s summit. A new sun warms the rock face. Gentle winds whisper through the ponderosa, interrupted only by the occasional clink of the climber’s carabiners.
This is adventure in South Dakota’s Black Hills, a million-acre playground home to more exceptional escapades per square mile than any other region of the world. From the depths of its vast underground wilderness to giant granite peaks rising like sentinels from the forest floor, this emerald oasis in the middle of the Great Plains remains largely undiscovered.
“It’s no secret that the Black Hills offer some of the most scenic vistas and best attractions anywhere. It’s a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts,” said South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds. “Whether you’re looking for a leisurely stroll along a cool mountain stream or you’re an extreme athlete wanting to dangle hundreds of feet in the air from a sheer rock wall, we have it all.”
“For most Americans who visit the Black Hills for the first time, this region is beyond all expectations,” added Mike Verchio, chairman of the Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association. “Even though these are mountains, they are unlike the ruggedness of the Rockies.” He explained that the user-friendly terrain offers a variety of adventures, including wildlife and nature photography, biking, hiking, caving, ATVing, hunting and fishing, geo-tracking and rock climbing.
Verchio also contends the Black Hills are among the best bargains in adventure travel. Off-season lodging rates can be less than some urban-dwellers spend on dining out, and an entrée in an eclectic mix of Black Hills restaurants can cost less than dessert and coffee in a major metro area, he said.
In the Black Hills it’s possible to sample the highest concentration of parks, monuments and memorials in the world. National treasures include the iconic Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Devils Tower and Jewel Cave national monuments, Badlands and Wind Cave national parks and South Dakota’s crown jewel – the 110-square-mile Custer State Park, home to scenic drives and free-roaming wildlife.
Reaching the Summit
The Black Hills, among the oldest mountain ranges in the world, include 18 peaks exceeding 7,000 feet. It is a place where men carve mountains into monuments and, according to the governor, where those with a penchant for the outdoors can conquer their own summits.
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re becoming a top-notch destination for rock climbing when you consider two of our most famous mountaineers: Gutzon Borglum and Korczak Ziolkowski,” Governor Rounds said of the sculptors responsible for Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument. “If scaling our peaks could inspire those two men, there’s no limit to what others may discover through exploring the Black Hills.”
Daryl Stisser makes his living sharing the Black Hills’ mountaintop experience. The operator of Sylvan Rocks Climbing School & Guide Services said that “I could climb a new route every day for the rest of my life and never run out. I almost take it for granted, but when I take someone climbing from Seattle or New York, they notice the absence of city sounds. It’s so quiet. It’s you and the rock surrounded by Mother Nature and, at night, there are so many stars you can’t imagine it.” Stisser said he never tires of helping clients, particularly families, overcome the imposing challenge of a sheer rock face.
“Everybody has a ‘rad’ experience on their own, but climbing with your kids is a special experience and something you’ll always remember,” Stisser said. “The views are incomparable and the feeling of accomplishment is unforgettable. You get a real feeling of adventure.”
Jim Peterson of Hill City’s Granite Sports said many Black Hills visitors arrive without fully understanding the diversity of outdoor activities that await them. “It’s a great hidden secret,” said Peterson, whose Main Street storefront offers name-brand climbing gear, outdoor apparel and good advice on off-the-beaten-path hiking, climbing and camping. “There are so many outdoor enthusiasts from hikers and bikers to climbers and campers who are just blown away by this place. They fall in love with the Black Hills.”
Backcountry Biking
For thousands of bicycle buffs, the region’s prime attraction is the Mickelson Trail, a 109-mile rails-to-trails conversion, spanning the length of the Black Hills from Deadwood at its northern trailhead to Edgemont at its southern terminus. This ride travels over 100 converted railroad bridges and trestles and through four hard-rock tunnels, sweeping past babbling brooks amid pine and spruce forests.
“The majority of people we see are coming for the Mickelson Trail,” said Corey Kennedy of Two-Wheeler Dealer, an enterprise offering bicycle sales, service and rentals at stores in Rapid City, Spearfish and Sioux Falls. “It’s one of the largest rails-to-trails networks in the U.S.”
Featuring gentle slopes and 14 trailheads along its route, it’s ideal for entire families, explained Dan Pulse of Mickelson Trail Adventures, purveyors of bike shuttles and rentals. One of his most popular offerings includes a shuttle ride to the ghost town of Mystic, followed by an 18-mile downhill coast back to Hill City.
“I’ve never taken anyone out on the trail who didn’t come back happier than when they left,” Pulse said.
Rapid City’s Mountain Magic
Rapid City, gateway to the region, stirs up fresh bicycling opportunities with new special events and trail projects. “Most people wouldn’t think of going mountain biking in South Dakota,” Tim Rangitsch of Acme Bicycles admitted with a laugh. “But those who do, find a terrific undulating terrain, never flat, but never with super-steep, alpine-like climbs.”
Rangitsch is especially enthused about Rapid City’s new Fat Tire Festival. Last year’s inaugural Memorial Day Weekend event attracted more than 300 participants. They took part in mountain bike races, group rides, tours, education sessions and social events. “The Fat Tire Festival will only grow,” he said.
Rangitsch, who has been exploring the Black Hills on two wheels for the better part of two decades, explained that public-private cooperation would soon result in two new trails. The six-mile Buzzard’s Roost Trail west of Rapid City is slated to open in mid-2008. Another major project, the $750,000 non-motorized, multi-use Hanson-Larson Park under construction in Rapid City, will provide 12-15 miles of trails with experiences ranging from “mild to wild,” Rangitsch noted. It’s expected to open to the public in 2009.
“While bikers in many areas of the country are losing access to trails, we have been able to gain mileage,” said Rangitsch. With these new developments, our 1.4 million acres of public land will make us among the best places to bike in the world.”
Black Hills Angling
Blue-ribbon trout streams throughout the American West get a lot of attention. That’s why the Black Hills smaller and less-fished streams are so appealing according to one seasoned guide.
“All places and fly-fishing experiences are different,” said Hans Stephenson, who operates Rapid City’s Dakota Angler & Outfitter. “The Black Hills has a variety of small stream settings that are all unique and are only 30 or 40 minutes apart. It’s all intimate. You can see the fish.”
Stephenson has been fishing the Black Hills for 14 years, the last decade as a guide. He said he’s noticed an increasing trend toward women getting involved in the sport, and the accessibility and close proximity of Black Hills streams makes them extremely popular.
“You can fish in the morning on a small freestone stream and that afternoon be fishing a small spring creek,” he observed. “I think most people enjoy the combination of fishing and the wildlife and scenery they see. There’s much more to fly-fishing than just catching fish—it’s a vehicle that allows anglers to explore areas they might not have otherwise seen.”
The most popular streams in the Black Hills are Rapid, Castle and Spearfish creeks, Stephenson noted, where anglers hook German browns, brook and rainbow trout averaging 8 to 20 inches. “Fly-fishing is a special combination of things,” Stephenson said. “Standing in the water and feeling cool on a hot summer day, watching bugs on the surface in a part of the world that smells really clean from the scent of a pine or spruce forest. In a stream you hear the gurgles and rush of the water as it moves downstream and the sound of a red-tailed hawk or the metallic chirp of a dipper as it flies past. It’s a pleasant place to be.”