Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [62]
Some park trails were damaged by the Jasper Fire in August 2000, so check at the visitor center or with a park ranger for current conditions.
Canyons Trail
3.5 miles RT. Easy to moderate. Access: Visitor center.
This loop trail provides views of the limestone palisades of Hell Canyon and Lithograph Canyon, and it offers a chance of seeing some of the deer, birds, and wildflowers that live in the ponderosa pine forest through which the trail winds. If you want to experience a part of the Canyon Trail without going the entire distance, you might try the 1.5-mile round-trip between the visitor center and the historic area of the cave.
Walk on the Roof
.25 mile RT. Easy. Access: Visitor center.
While visiting the "roof" of Jewel Cave on this self-guided interpretive walk, you'll learn how the monument's surface and subsurface resources interact. Interpretive trail guides for this walk are available at the information desk in the visitor center.
Guided Tours
Charter bus park tours and guide services are available throughout the area. Gray Line of the Black Hills, P.O. Box 1106, Rapid City, SD 57709 (☎ 800/ 456-4461 or 605/342-4461; www.black hillsgrayline.com), offers bus tours. Jack Rabbit Charters & Tours, 301 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57104 (☎ 800/ 678-6543 or 605/336-3339; www.jack rabbitlines.com), offers 1-day and extended tours. Golden Circle Tours Inc., P.O. Box 454, Custer, SD 57730 (☎ 877/811-4349 or 605/673-4349; www.goldencircletours.com), offers guided van tours of the area. Its office is on U.S. 16A, 1 mile east of Custer. The company rents cars and vans as well.
Sports & Activities
Aerial Tours. If you want to see the Black Hills from above, contact Black Hills Balloons, P.O. Box 210, Custer, SD 57730 (☎ 800/568-5320 or 605/673-2520; www.rapidnet.com/~balloons), which offers flights over the Black Hills, Badlands National Park, and Devils Tower National Monument. Tours run year-round.
Biking. The Black Hills region has more than 6,000 miles of fire trails, logging roads, and other undeveloped roads, and it is quickly becoming a top spot for mountain biking. Custer State Park is a prime destination—most trails and roads are open to bikers. (The Legion Lake Resort in Custer State Park rents mountain bikes; see "Where to Stay," below.)
Fishing. Rainbow trout are stocked at Horsethief Lake, below Mount Rushmore, where there is a Forest Service campground (see "Camping," below). Center and Stockade lakes in Custer State Park are also good fishing spots. Many streams in this area, including Grizzly Bear Creek, behind Mount Rushmore, have good fishing for brook trout. You'll need a fishing license, available at sporting-goods stores and many convenience stores.
Horse-Packing Trips. Several companies offer guided trail rides through the backcountry of the Black Hills, including family-run Dakota Badland Outfitters, P.O. Box 85, Custer, SD 57730 (☎ 605/673-5363 winter; 605/673-2999 or 605/574-2525, ext. 812, summer; www.ridesouthdakota.com). Call for rates, activities, and reservations.
Snowmobiling. The upper Black Hills have hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, and many guest ranches and resorts, such as Deadwood Gulch Resort (see "Where to Stay," below), rent snowmobiles to their guests. You can get more information on trails and companies that rent snowmobiles from South Dakota Tourism (see "Information," earlier in this chapter).
Camping
Although no campgrounds lie within the boundaries of Mount Rushmore National Memorial or Jewel Cave National Monument, there are several campgrounds in Custer State Park and another in Wind Cave National Park, plus those in the Black Hills National Forest and privately operated campgrounds. Many commercial campgrounds offer free shuttle services,