Outdoor Science and Learning
Check out these unique interpretive areas found across the Black Hills National Forest. View wildlife, plants, and scenery while learning about the history and importance of these special areas.
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'76 Trailhead
Looking for a View?The '76 Trail is a 3/4-mile moderate to strenuous trail that takes hikers to a summit offering panoramic views of Spearfish Canyon. It is a steep trail and climbs over 1,000 feet…
Bear Mountain Fire Lookout
Standing tall on a 7,200 ft. mountain peak, the third highest point in the Black Hills, the Bear Mountain fire lookout tower provides strategic views of the southern Black Hills to the Wyoming…
Black Elk Wilderness & Norbeck Wildlife Preserve
Black Elk Wilderness is located in in the center of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve & was designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by Congress in 1980.Within the heart of the…
Breezy Point Overlook & Picnic Area
Hear the winds through the pines while getting excellent views of neighboring granite spires and mountains from a scenic overlook point access by a short cement sidewalk (this short walk is highly…
Bridal Veil Falls
The beautiful (approx. 60 ft. tall) Bridal Veil Falls waterfall can be seen from Highway 14A in Spearfish Canyon and is a popular destination. A platform provides visitors year-round viewing…
Cement Ridge Fire Lookout
The original Cement Ridge Fire Lookout was built between 1911 and 1913. At that time it was a one-room log cabin with a shingle roof. In 1921, a crow’s nest with a glassed-in house was…
Custer Peak Fire Lookout
The Custer Peak Lookout is still in use by the Forest Service as a fire lookout. The first lookout was built in 1911 as a small cabin on a platform. In 1916 it had wrap-around windows installed. In…
Elk Mountain Fire Lookout
OverviewAt an elevation of 5,662 feet, situated near the southwest corner of SD in the Black Hills, the Elk Mountain Fire Lookout stands tall about ½ mile east of the WY state border. The tower was…
Gold Mountain Mine
A Historic PlaceGold Mountain Mine is the only gold mine site left on the Forest with a standing mill frame. It was constructed in the 1920s, operated until 1940 and shutdown in 1941 by a war…
Meeker Ranch
A Historic PlaceVolunteers and Forest Service employees are working to save an important piece of local history. Meeker Ranch, constructed in 1887, is located in a quiet green valley surrounded by…