BLACK HILLS NATIONAL PARK, South Dakota

The Black Hills National Park is an area still used for logging. There are countless trails which are not necessarily marked clearly and a number of private properties are scattered throughout the forest. A map can be obtained at ABC Outfitters in Deadwood. Due to a big fire last year some of the trails in the Deadwood area are closed.

We approach the the forest from Sturgis in the north, follow a dirt road into the forest and start exploring. A local 4-wheeler tells us that the area around Kirk Hill is very nice, so we decide to check it out. Most of the roads we take are in very good shape - graded and easily accessable by any type of vehicle. This means they are in way too good a condition for what we are looking for. After a few inclines and winding trails we reach a mountain top which rewards us with a beautiful 270 degrees view. As said before the trails are not really marked but with the map it is easy enough to get around. Soon we discover that some trails are not shown on the map but that makes the exploring even more fun. You need some flexibility.
At one point we discover a trail heading up a mountain and we follow it. It climbs steep up to the top and reveals a gorgeous view. The trail becomes narrower and squeezes between trees. After a tight turn avoiding to hit any trees we drop down the other side of the mountain and snake down the loose gravel to a spot to a point which seems too narrow for our Cherokee but after some nagotiating working one rear view mirror at a time we actually make it through. This trail we believe is part of the Jamboree which, according to a local 4-wheeler, is held here.
We cruise along some other dirt roads, climb a few more mountain tops and enjoy the scenic surrounding. Whenever we come across a trail which looks challenging we take it and also try our luck on a logging trail climbing up on loose terrain and over many logs.

This national forest is a lot of fun especially if you enjoy exploring but not really suited for the hard core rock climber (at least in the areas we found).

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Directions:
The forest is south of Sturgis on I-90 and east of Deadwood. There are several dirt roads leading into this area. Get a map and just go exploring...