Black Hills & the Badlands

[Sean]

Cecelia and I toured parts of the Midwest, primarily so that I could visit state capitols, but also to squeeze in some light hiking. We made two such visits in South Dakota, first to the Black Hills.

That little lake trail is right along the road to Mt. Rushmore, where we took the Presidents' Trail to a viewpoint at the base of the debris pile below the monument.

The short trail is paved and includes many steps. It weaves through the beautiful forest and boulders and climbs to a spot where you can look up Jefferson's huge nostrils.

En route to the capitol in Pierre, we also decided to check out the Badlands National Park. This ended up being Cecelia's favorite part of the whole trip. Almost immediately we encountered sheep clinging to some cliffs.

We mostly drove the park road, but got out to walk around a couple of the trails.

The Notch Trail required climbing a ladder from the bottom of a gully to the ridge.

In addition to the spectacular views, we also lucked out and found a benchmark...

...and the road to Bigfoot!

[tekewin]

That is some nice looking country. Is that point at Rushmore called Nostril VIsta?

I know they don't let you climb Rushmore. I've heard they have armed guards there.

Thanks for the report, I might never make it out there.

[Sean]

Yes, Nostril Vista is the unofficial name. It's also referred to as Septum Underlook.

[RichardK]

That ladder looks crazy. I wish we had it on Half Dome 10 years ago.

[JeffH]

You were right next to the highest point in South Dakota, Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak). It's also in the Mt Rushmore area, I'm thinking of going there later this summer.

[Sean]

You were right next to the highest point in South Dakota, Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak). It's also in the Mt Rushmore area, I'm thinking of going there later this summer.

Can't wait to hear about it! I bet the views will be awesome. Unfortunately we didn't have time for much hiking.