I'm Off Today - Let's Explore

On my days off there is nothing I enjoy more than just getting in my car and going on an adventure. Some days I have no real plans and just drive and see where the day takes me. On this trip I visited Spring Creek Picnic Area, Dakota Point, Sheridan Lake, Highway 385, Pactola Lake, Behind the dam of Pactola Lake, Deadwood, Deadwood’s Welcome Center, Whitewood Creek Trail, and Lead, South Dakota. Everything I did was free, except gambling in Deadwood and I had a fantastic time. I think everyone should take a day trip by themselves and see what adventures they can find.

Spring Creek Picnic Area - nice place to have a picnic.

Driving to Dakota Point Picnic Area and seeing Sheridan Lake.

Love finding animal tracks.

Beautiful even in the winter/spring.

First view of Pactola Lake off Highway 385.

Behind the dam of Pactola Lake.

Geese having fun.

Start of one of the trails for Centennial Trail behind the dam.

Nice view of Pactola Lake.

Walked down to Pactola Lake.

I love old structures. There are so many of them in the Black Hills of South Dakota. These two were on Highway 385 near Silver City Road.

Cool roadside attraction on the way to Deadwood on Highway 385.

Going to stop in Deadwood for a little bit of gambling and lunch.

Love the Franklin Hotel.

Cool guitars inside the Deadwood Mountain Grand.

Love the old buildings in Deadwood.

The occasional win, but in the end the house usually wins.

Walked from the Mickelson Trail parking lot to the First Gold Hotel and then took the Whitetail Creek Trail back - just beautiful.

Stopped in the Deadwood Welcome Center to take some pictures.

Final stop in Lead, South Dakota for some updated pictures. What a fun day.

Nemo Outhouse Races/Chili Cookoff 2025

The Nemo Outhouse Races and Chili Cook-off are every year in Nemo, South Dakota and the money raised goes to the Naja Shrine Kids Transportation Fund. The races are a local favorite and quite entertaining. The chili cook-off is pretty good and for a small fee you can sample different chili recipes and vote for your favorite. There are other events as well like a shovel race. The event is usually held in February, and the local stores are open and sell food, and beer. The town of Nemo is pretty with a church, a school, a post office, a volunteer fire department and some cabins. This town is a favorite with those who like to ATV, and the town is close to the Centennial Trail.

Chili cookoff. This year we got cool cups to bring home.

The outhouses entered in the race.

Toilet paper run around is part of the course.

Shovel races.

This group almost ran into the crowd.

This group was all in - pretty cold day for t shirts and no shirts.

Hiking To Roughlock Falls In Winter

Roughlock Falls is located in Spearfish Canyon off Roughlock Falls Road. The road to the falls is closed in the winter and can only be accessed by walking a 1 mile path just west of Spearfish Canyon Lodge to the falls. It is beautiful and extremely peaceful. We hiked this last weekend and saw two eagles flying above our head. It was truly magical.

Snowmobiling is huge in the wintertime by the lodge.

We crossed over the bridge to start our hike.

Backside of Spearfish Canyon Lodge.

Can you spot the two eagles flying above us?

I’m in total awe.

Looking back east.

Hike up above the falls.

Trail is down below.

So pretty and peaceful.

Christmas Trees at Custer State Park 2024

Christmas Trees - 2024 at the Custer State Park Visitor’s Center - the public gets to vote every year on the best tree. Winner is notified in January.

Kayaking Sheridan Lake

We kayaked Sheridan Lake July 4th weekend and it was so much fun. There was such an abundance of wildlife everywhere you looked. What I really like about Sheridan Lake is all the coves it has where you can sneak away from the larger boats, waves, and people and have the lake to yourself for a while. The turtles, herons, ducks, geese, and fish also like these small hideaways.

Sheridan Lake is located just west of Rapid City, South Dakota. The lake is about 375 acres and offers two swimming beaches, a marina, two campgrounds, and plenty of fishing, picnic areas, and hiking opportunities.  

Found so many turtles everywhere you looked - six right here.

Ducks didn’t seem to mind me.

Lots of Canadian geese.

Here we have ducks and turtles enjoying the day together.

See the heron in the tree.

We kayaked most of the lake. It takes 2 to 4 hours, depending on your shape and how many stops you take along the way.

Nice beach to get out and take a break.

These are all the things I found in the lake for the day, even including a driver’s license which I returned to the owner.

Forks, Corks, And Kegs Festival In Deadwood, South Dakota

The Forks, Corks, and Kegs Festival is every year in April. We went for the 11th annual event in Deadwood this year and had a really good time. The cost in 2024 was $75.00 a person and it is a 2 day event where you can go as much or little as you choose. There are bars/restaurants throughout town where you visit and they give you appetizers and alcohol - wine or beer. On Saturday they have a huge event at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino where venders from all over let you sample their beverages. There is also some limited food at this event. I really enjoyed walking around and getting the samples at the different locations. Sometimes there were very long lines, but they went quickly. While walking around we also gambled here and there which was nice since it let our stomachs settle for a bit. The $75.00 I found was a little steep since we only went one day, and got free tickets as it was. If I was paying full price, I would definitely do both days and maybe stay the night at their discounted hotel rooms for the event.

Nice tickets we got.

The first thing you need to do when arriving at Deadwood is register at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino.

First stop was at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino. We had Southwest shrimp cocktail and wine at Dales.

Next stop was the Martin Mason Hotel and Lee Street Station - we had homemade barbequed pork on Hawaiian slider buns and beer.

We went to the Franklin Hotel and Legends Steakhouse for some shrimp sweet pepper pasta with wine.

Places to go on Saturday. We did not go to Deadwood Gulch or Cadillac Jacks. Also Jacobs Brewhouse didn’t have anything even though they were on the schedule. To get to the casinos off the strip they offer you a free trolley ride.

Next was the Midnight Star and Lil’s and we had angus beef and shitake mushroom won tons with key lime sweet and sour sauce and wine.

Gold Dust Saloon and Mavericks was next with alligator sausage, alligator tail and sirloin steak, and toasted veggies on a skewer with wine.

Bodega/Buffalo had shredded beef sliders with horseradish beer cheese sauce and beer.

Saloon #10 and Deadwood Social Club had crab cake with corn salsa and truffle aioli and wine.

Schedule for Friday night. We did not attend this.

At the Oyster Bar and A&B Pizza we had sausage and kraut and beer.

Map of the all places to go. They also give you a trolley schedule.

At the Badlands and Brothel Bar we had Thai chicken curry over rice and wine.

In between eating and drinking we gambled which was fun and it let our stomach settle.

Between 4 and 6 pm on Saturday we went to the grand tasting event at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Casino and Hotel. It was on the 2nd floor and had a lot of venders and some limited appetizers. It was pretty crowded but there were so many different beverages to experience. The lines were not that long and the people were very friendly.

Here are some of the free items I picked up along the way.

Mardi Gras In Deadwood

Woke up to a beautiful sunrise - it’s going to be a great day.

We are going to Deadwood for the day for Mardi Gras. There will be free food samples at the businesses downtown, and a parade. Later we are going to 1964 The Tribute to the Beatles at the Deadwood Grand. Will be a fun but long day. We started our adventure around noon.

Cold and dreary day in Deadwood.

Only saw a few decorations for Mardi Gras.

People dressed and ready to have a good time.

For Mardi Gras - Cajun cook-off they had 12 business this year in 2024 that participated. There was a lot of food and we definitely were stuffed by the time we got done. Here are the businesses that were in it. It is all free and they also have beer drink specials if you buy their cup. The event lasts through the weekend with different events on Friday and Saturday. The Cajun cook-off was Saturday 2 pm to 4 pm. - Thanks to these businesses.

Paddy O’ Neill’s at Tin Lizzie, Snitches at Tin Lizzie, A&B Pizza at Oyster Bay, Job Corps at Celebrity Hotel, Historic Bullock Hotel, Deadwood Social Club at Saloon #10, Buffalo Bodega Casino, Lil’s at the Midnight Star, Maverick’s at the Gold Dust, Rocksino, Silverado/Franklin Historic Gaming Complex, and Dale’s Bar and Grill at the Deadwood Mountain Grand.

Some of the servers. These two at the Deadwood Social Club above Saloon #10.

These three from the Job Corps at the Celebrity Hotel.

Lots of food throughout town. Here are some of the plates we received.

We went to a total of 11 out of 12 businesses for food. One business ran out and we did not wait since we were so full anyways. Definitely larger portions and more businesses were involved this year.

Later at 7 pm we saw the parade. Although short, I received a ton of beads and some candy.

Got to meet Reba Wood at the Midnight Star who is a contestant on the show Farmer Wants To Meet A wife.

At the end of the night went to this concert which was very entertaining and good.

So many fun things to do in one day. There was definitely some type of activity for everyone to enjoy.

My winter weekend in Sundance, Wyoming

Sundance, Wyoming is a small town just west of the South Dakota border. It was established in 1875 as a trading post. The Sundance Kid took the town’s name as a nickname when he was arrested for a theft he committed in town in 1887. It was the only time he was ever incarcerated. We decided to come here on a warm weekend in January and check it out.

We stayed at the Bearlodge Mountain Resort right in town. It was very nice, pretty reasonable, and we saw the most amazing sunrise. What I really liked was we were able to check in early and then go explore the town.

Our cabin for the night - $116.00 total in January 2024 for 2 people.

We checked out the town. It was pretty quiet with few people roaming around. We went to the Sundance Square and saw The Sundance’s Kid statute. The museum was closed even though on Facebook is said it was open on the weekends.

One day I will get to see the inside of this museum.

Cool old jail.

Beautiful old church in town.

I love checking out old cemeteries in town so I went to 2 - Mt. Moriah Cemetery in town and Miller Creek Cemetery just northwest of town off Highway 14.

Dinner was at the Longhorn Saloon in Sundance. We had already been to this restaurant so we wanted to try something else. Our hearts was set on Uncle Louie’s but they closed at 2 pm. There were limited options in town with Subway and the Turf Bar and Lounge being the only other places that were open past 2 pm on a Saturday night. We found that to be interesting.

We had fish and chips.

We also has the kickin tip sandwich.

We checked out the new Sundance White Ranch Park which consists of new hiking trails. It looked pretty muddy so we passed, but we did see some people hiking the trails. We will be back one day to check it out.

Signs at the beginning of the White Ranch Park hiking trails.

We started heading for the perfect sunset at the Warren Peak Fire Tower off Warren Peak Road. We rushed to get there and when we got pretty close, the road just south of the tower was closed due to winter maintenance. Being in the 40’s and 50’s we just assumed it would be open, so that was a disappointment. We scrambled on where to go next, so we went down Highway 116 and saw some pretty amazing sights.

Warren Peak Fire Tower when it is open.

On Highway 116

So funny thing about buying alcohol. I figured if we wanted a beer or some wine we would just buy it in town. We went to the grocery store and then the gas station. The only place that sells any was the Turf Bar and Lounge as a drive-up, so you may want to consider that if you like to have a glass of wine while enjoying the sunset.

We go back to our cabin for the night and this is the amazing sunrise I see the next day.

After we leave our cabin in the morning we check out the Sundance Campground and trails. There were so many of them, and we only had a small time to walk one which had some pretty good views about .75 to a mile in.

Our last stop today was going to Devil’s Tower which is only about 30 minutes from Sundance, Wyoming. It is something you should not miss and I was so happy with all the improvements they have done since the last time we were here, but that is another story.

Overall, we had a great time in Sundance. There are not a whole not of options when it comes to staying the night, or eating out in the wintertime, but that’s what we enjoy anyways. Some people may think the town is too small. I thought it was wonderful and can’t wait to come back and do some more exploring in the summertime.

Walking the Creekside Trail in Custer State Park

Hiking in Custer State Park is beautiful anytime of year. In the winter though it is usually magical for many reasons. My favorite reason though is you usually have the park to yourself. Even on nice days like last Sunday, there are very few people roaming around. One of our favorite places to walk is the Creekside Trail in Custer State Park. It is an easy walk, you can make it as long as you like, and since the hike is mostly paved, it makes for better walking conditions especially in the winter months. The hike starts from either the Custer State Park Visitor’s Center or the Grace Coolidge Campground, and is 3 miles each way. The cool thing about this hike also, is there are so many things to see along the way.

Start of the hike near the visitor’s center.

Custer State Park Visitor’s Center - From informative displays to a wonderful movie about the park, it’s a perfect place to start your day.

Lots of informative signs along the way.

Creek is pretty anytime of year.

Once you leave the path next to the visitor’s center you cross the road and walk near the Game Lodge Campground. This is one of my favorite campgrounds in the park. You are by so many trails, have access to a lot of activities, and there is a store nearby.

Entrance to the Game Lodge Campground.

Lots of beautiful spots and cabin rentals.

Fun playground and pond for the kids.

Next you pass the famous State Game Lodge where presidents have stayed. This was the summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. It was also visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. Today you can stay at the lodge. There are also cabins, dining, and a beautiful wedding venue. There is a beautiful creek that runs through the area and buffalo and mountain goats are seen quite frequently.

Next you pass the wedding venue and this building. Right behind it is the start of the Lover’s Leap trail which is a gorgeous 4 mile trail that skirts the top of the hill with beautiful views of the valley. It is a harder trail to get to the top, but once up there the hike is quite pleasant.

Right across from the church you can find the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center and the beginning of the Cairn Trail. The Education Center is really fun especially for kids or if the weather is bad. They have a lot of activities for kids.

The Cairn Trail is a little over a quarter of a mile hike above the education center that gives you a couple of nice views.

Bottom of Cairn Trail near education center.

When we got to the church we were at about 1.5 miles and decided to turn around. If we kept going we would have hit the Coolidge General Store and then Grace Coolidge Campground down the road a little bit. Once past the store the trail follows the creek better and it is very peaceful. The Grace Coolidge Campground is a beautiful smaller campground in Custer State Park. It is near the Grace Coolidge hiking trail which is popular with fisherman, and is a good hike for the kids and pets since it crosses the stream a lot. There is also a tent only section at this campground.

Walking our way back to the visitor’s center. What a gorgeous. day.

Walking the streets of Deadwood, South Dakota

Every time I go to Deadwood I am amazed at how much I miss. Around every corner is some sort of history and each time I go I notice something different. This last time we walked around the streets in the day, night time, and even at 5 am in the morning since I’m an early bird. There is something special about seeing the sun rise and being the only one on the streets.

Walked from the Franklin Hotel to capture this sunrise at around 7:30 am. It was very cold to say the least.

These old buildings are very cool.

Never knew this was here before at the school. One of my great discoveries.

Looking up for a change and seeing how old all these buildings are.

Never noticed the cowboys in the windows before.

All by myself - very neat.

Found this at the Bullock Hotel. Great history.

Love my black and white photo of the Franklin Hotel.

Found this under the Fairmont Hotel. Wow.

Beautiful Outlaw Square any time of year.

Another fun time in Deadwood.

The Doors of the Famous at the Franklin Hotel in Deadwood

Built in the early 1900s the Franklin Hotel has entertained the company of famous people such as John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Will Rogers, Casey Tibbs, Buffalo Bill, and Teddy Roosevelt to name just a few. The hotel is located on Main Street in Deadwood across from the Silverado Casino and Outlaw Square. I enjoyed walking every floor looking at the famous doors and people who resided there at one time. The history at this hotel is just amazing. These are the 18 doors I found.

The Doors of the Famous at the Franklin Hotel in Deadwood

Seth Bullock was a prominent citizen of Deadwood. He was a frontiersman, sheriff, U.S. Marshal, and operated the Bullock Hotel in Deadwood. After Wild Bill Hickok was murdered, he became the sheriff of Deadwood. He was appointed a marshal by President Theodore Roosevelt and then later President William Taft. He is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood.

Potato Creek Johnny found the largest piece of gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota and became a local celebrity. His gold nugget is on display at the Adams Museum in Deadwood. Potato Creek Johnny is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood next to Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

Billy Mills was born in 1938 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He won a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan in the 10,000 meter run (6.2 miles) with a winning time of 28.24.4 minutes. It was noted as one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history since Billy Mills was not known at the time. He was also the first non - European to win the Olympic event, and remains the only winner from the Americas.

Casey Tibbs was born in 1929 In Fort Pierre, South Dakota and died in 1990 in Ramona, California. He was a rodeo cowboy, stuntman, technical director, and actor. In 1979 Casey was inducted in the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. He held the World All Around Cowboy Champion title in both 1951, and 1958. In 1949, 1951-1954, and 1959 he won the World Saddle Bronco Riding Championship. In 1951 he won the World Bareback Bronco Riding Championship, and was on the cover of Life Magazine. He is interred in Fort Pierre at the Scotty Philip Cemetery.

Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 and died in 1919. He was an American politician, conservationist, writer, and naturalist. He was the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He was also the 25th vice president under President McKinley and became president when President McKinley was assassinated. Teddy was known for his cowboy persona and robust masculinity. He bought and operated a ranch in the Dakotas. Teddy formed the Rough Riders and fought the Spanish Army in Cuba. His mother and wife died on the same night leaving him heartbroken. Teddy became president at the age of 42. He established national parks and forests. He began the construction of the Panama Canal. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. He is known to be one of the greatest presidents in American history.

Harris Franklin was born in 1849 and began a liquor business on Main Street in Deadwood. He got rich through banking, ranching, and mining. He built the Franklin Hotel in the early 1900’s. The hotel was named in his honor.

Big and Rich is an American country duo who is composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. They are both songwriters, vocalists, ad guitarists. One of their biggest songs is Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. They starred in the television show The Bachelor season 19 episode 6 which was filmed in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Lame Deer was born in Rosebud, South Dakota around 1900. He was a rodeo clown, painter, holy man, healer, social activist, and Native American spiritual leader. He was part of the AIM movement. He died in 1976.

The Josephine door I believe belonged to Josephine (Josie) Arsaga who lived from 1901 to 2001. She was a a dancer for the Old Style Saloon #10 and a local legend. Her fame grew from her spirited dancing. She is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery just outside of the town of Deadwood.

The Governor’s Suite I am assuming belongs to whatever governor is in office at the time. It would be interesting to know how many and which governors actually stayed here at one time.

Known at “The Duke”, John Wayne was an American actor who starred in many western and war movies. He became popular during the Hollywood’s Golden Age. He starred in a total of 179 film and television productions. John Wayne died in 1979 in Los Angeles, California.

Babe Ruth was born in 1895 and died in 1948 of a brain tumor. He played in 2503 games, had 714 home runs, 2,873 hits, and a batting average of .342. He was considered to be the greatest baseball player of all time. He played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves.

William Frederick Cody known as Buffalo Bill was born in 1846 and died in 1917 in Denver, Colorado. He was a showman, bison hunter, and American soldier. He founded the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show in 1883 and toured throughout the United States and Europe. He was in the American Civil War and a civilian scout for the U.S. army during the Indian Wars. Some interesting facts - He killed 4,282 buffalo on a 18 month hunting spree between 1867-1868. He had a 8 hour buffalo shooting match to win the exclusive right of the name Buffalo Bill against Bill Comstock. Buffalo Bill won by killing 68 animals and Bill Comstock only killed 48 animals.

Will Rogers was born in 1879. He was an American performer, actor, and social commentator. He traveled all over the world 3 times in his lifetime. He made 71 films, 50 which were silent films. He wrote over 4000 nationally syndicated newspapers columns. He died in a small plane crash in Alaska in 1935.

Korczak Ziolkowski was born in 1908 and died in 1982 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He had 10 children with his wife Ruth. His notable work is the sculpturing of the Crazy Horse Monument. Korczak won his first prize at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. He was familiar with the Black Hills and that prompted several Lakota Chiefs to write to him about building a monument to honor Crazy Horse. After going to war and being wounded at Omaha Beach in Normandy in 1945, Korczak came back and started looking for a mountain. In 1948 the first blast occurred on a mountain just north of the town of Custer, South Dakota. When completed, the Crazy Horse Monument will be the largest sculpture in the world. The monument has a long way to go and will take many years to complete due to the fact the family will not take any government grants. After both Korczak and Ruth died, the family members have taken over to continue his legacy.

Mary Hart was born in 1950 in Madison, South Dakota. She is an American television personality and was the host of the television show Entertainment Tonight 1982-2011. She was Miss South Dakota in 1970 and in the semi- finals for Miss America in 1971. She was known for her shapely legs and given an endorsement contract with Hanes pantyhose in 1987. Both her legs were insured at the time for 1 million dollars each.

Lawrence Welk was born in 1903 and died in 1992 in Santa Monica, California. He was an American bandleader and hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. He grew up in a homestead in North Dakota which is now a tourist attraction. He was the station band in Yankton, South Dakota for WNAX. He was married for 61 years to his wife Fern until his death.

Jack Hoxie was a rodeo performer and motion picture actor in the silent film era from the 1910 to the 1930s. He was born in 1885 in Indiana Territory and died in 1965. We stayed in his room which was 418. It was interesting to look him up and see who he was and that at one time he was in the same room as us.

Hiking the Needles Highway in Custer State Park in the wintertime

The Needles Highway starts near Sylvan Lake and ends up near Legion Lake, State Game Lodge, or Center Lake and is full of adventure and beautiful scenery whichever way you choose to go.

During the winter the road is closed and people walk the road or cross country ski it. It is just gorgeous and you can get up close with all the majestic spirals. This is one of our favorite trails to do in the winter. Be warned though the road is not plowed in the winter so walking it can be tricky if there has been a lot of snow. I recommend bringing poles.

We do this hike every year and usually we are pretty much alone on the trail. This year we saw about 50 people, 20 dogs, and 3 horses. If you walk to the Needle’s Eye and back it is around 2.5 miles round trip. We hiked to the Cathedral Spires Trailhead and back for a total trip around 4.5 miles.

We did this hike again on January 1, 2024 as part of the winter challenge for Custer State Park.

Today there looks to be a pretty good path which is good because we forgot our hiking poles.

Sylvan Lake Campground - looks sad in the winter.

First sight of some pretty cool rocks.

A couple of long stretches.

Another trail to hike - Little Devil’s Tower.

Getting close to the Needle’s Eye.

Needle’s Eye and picture taken for the winter challenge.

Walking through the Needle’s Eye Tunnel to continue our journey.

Looking back at the tunnel.

Looks like more people continued on the hike as well.

We are not alone.

Coming up on the Cathedral Spires Trail and parking lot.

We made it to the start of the Cathedral Spires Trail.

If you continue on down the road - doesn’t look like many did.

Walking back.

Saw some people on horseback.

Made it back to Sylvan Lake.

For more pictures or information go to our Custer State Park page on our website.

Hiking the Bison Trail/Red Dog Trail in Custer State Park

The Bison Trail/Red Dog Trail is the newest trail in Custer State Park and it is behind the Bison Center off Wildlife Loop Road. The sign splits the trail up in two sections - The Red Dog Trail and the Bison Trail. The sign says the total length to do the two trails is 2 miles and takes about 2 to 4 hours. Both trails are in a loop and can be done together. We did the trail in about 35 minutes and it was only .75 of a mile total, so not sure where the extra mileage is. This trail is also part of the summer and winter challenges for Custer State Park. This trail was pretty nice and has lots of different wildflowers in the summer and gorgeous open blue skies all year long. We did the trail again on January 1, 2024 as part of the winter challenge and we were the only ones there. It was a very pleasant hike.

Just got the new sign up - was not there in the summer.

Love the opening to this hike.

Nice and easy climb.

Found the winter challenge.

Now to take the selfie and get the credit.

This section of the Bison Trail starts to go up - the only slightly hard part.

We are not alone - would be interesting if we saw a buffalo here.

Absolutely love this view.

Buffalo down below.

Almost back to the Bison Center below which is a must see.

This trail is one of my favorites at Custer State Park because it is short, not too hard, and has great views of the prairie. It is also next to the Bison Center where they have bathroom facilities, a store, food, and an information center.

Caching Through The Snow

Caching Through The Snow is a really fun activity to do in the winter time, especially if you have kids. You start at the Visitor’s Center at Custer State Park and they show you what to do. You need to either use your phone or check out a GPS unit they have available for you. Then using a GPS and the coordinates, you walk outside around the visitor’s center looking for the caches. At each cache you get a part of the items you need to build an ornament. Once everything has been found, you return to the Visitor Center to put your ornament together. This took us less than an hour, and I was glad there was no snow when we did it. There was also very little people around, and we were the only ones doing the activity. We did have some mountain sheep and a buffalo that was in the area, so at times we had to walk around them, so use caution.

Different coordinates for different devices.

And off we go.

Trying to find a cache with a buffalo in the background - how fun.

First cache found - pretty easy.

Interesting tunnel to an old mine???

Had to really walk around this guy.

Second cache.

Third cache we had to walk all the way around to get to it since Mr. Buffalo was on our path.

The river was so pretty - fourth cache.

Fifth cache.

Sixth cache.

We found all the caches and the items.

Other animals to be aware of.

Back at the center putting our ornament together.

Not a total Pinterest disaster - our racoon looks pretty much like the original on display.

Custer State Park - Festival Of Trees

The Custer State Park Festival of Trees is open daily 9:00am – 4:00pm at the Main Visitor’s Center. You can come and check out all the beautiful trees and then vote on your favorite. Voting ends January 1, 2024 and the winner will be announced then on Facebook. The Festival of Trees is where local businesses, civic organizations, and individuals display a tree. You will still need a park license to enter the park, and the center will be closed on Christmas Day. This is an annual event which we plan on checking out every year. This year there were 14 trees to vote on.

Finding Sasquatch on the South Dakota Trails

This is a very fun activity to do with the family. You search for Sasquatch on trails throughout the state of South Dakota. There is an interactive map on the website and when you zoom in on it, it shows you where the Sasquatch sightings are. If you zoom even more on it, it gives you an orange line of where the sign is. Usually you have to walk 1 mile or less to find the sign from the beginning of the orange marked line. There are 6 Sasquatch sightings in the Western part of the state. When you spot a sighting you take a selfie and then go to their website, download your photo, and mark off which sign you found. There are small prizes given out depending on how many you find.

For more information go to their website - https://gfp.sd.gov/hike2023/

Sighting along Angostura Lake on the bike path.

Sighting at the Outdoor Campus in Rapid City.

Sighting on the Prairie Trail in Custer State Park.

Sighting on Spearfish Falls Trail at the Spearfish Canyon Nature Area.

Sighting at Bear Butte State Park on the Centennial Trail.

Sighting on the George S. Mickelson Trail near the Englewood Trailhead.

All the different trails and sightings you can do in the whole state.

Prizes -

1 Trail - You will get a sticker.

10 Trails - You will get a window decal.

20 Trails - You will get a keychain.

35 Trails - You  will get a t-shirt.

Backpacking Lost Cabin #2 Trail/Black Elk #9 South and North

Backpacking Lost Cabin #2 Trail and Black Elk #9 South and North

Lost Cabin #2 Trail is a hard, steep trail that goes between Willow Creek and Trail #9 South. It is 5 miles one way and coming from Willow Creek it goes about 4 miles uphill and 1 mile downhill. It can be done as a long day hike or combined with the Black Elk Trail - Trail #9 South and North for a long 15 mile loop hike or backpack trip. We did this trail in the summer of 2023 as a backpacking trip and stayed on the other side of Black Elk. It is not an easy hike, very rocky in places, and the temperatures can go either way very quickly - It started out very hot - 96 degrees, and within hours it was very cold - in the 50s. Be prepared for all sorts of weather.

To get to Willow Creek - it is off Highway 244 just west of Mount Rushmore and across from the Palmer Gulch KOA.

Beginning of the trip - usually all smiles for our big adventure.

Can see Black Elk in the distance - very far away.

Close up of the loop we are doing.

We pass our marker. It only says Trail # 8 Willow Creek on the one side. Turned around after a bit and found Lost Cabin Trail #2 on the other side. My question is why?????

Pretty flower.

The start of Lost Cabin Trail #2 - not so inviting and snakes???

This is a better entrance and start for Lost Cabin Trail #2 at the back of the Willow Creek Campground.

This area is pretty. Can see Black Elk in the distance again.

In the 4 miles to the top, you occasionally go downhill.

Continue here to the left - it also goes to Palmer Creek Trailhead on the right.

After 4 miles going uphill, and reaching this sign, it begins to go downhill.

We reach the Lost Cabin #2 Spur Trail. We decide to continue on the normal trail to get to Black Elk Trail #9 South.

Up again we go for a bit.

We reach Black Elk Trail #9 South and this is our first view - amazing sights and impending storm we kept hearing but couldn’t see.

This trail is much wider and very beautiful. We also now see a lot more people.

This is where the #2 Lost Cabin Trail Spur would have came out if we had taken it. We would have missed some amazing views, so I’m glad we didn’t.

Trail up to Black Elk, or to Little Devil’s Tower.

This is where we sat waiting for a sign what to do next. We have about 1/2 mile to go before setting up camp. We don’t think we are going to make it so we wait.

A rainbow gives us hope we may miss the storm.

Nice place to camp, but too close to the tower so not allowed.

This goes up to Black Elk. We are not going there but continuing on to Black Elk #9 North to set up camp just north of Black Elk.

We get nailed by rain. We are not talking just a little bit. It is pouring, hailing, thundering and lightening all around us. We go down in the trees for a bit a couple of times, because it was scary and dangerous. We finally continue on very wet. Our ponchos only helped a little. As you can see the trail got very wet and muddy as well.

We arrive at our destination. You can only stay .25 miles away from the tower which we were.

The sun comes out for 15 minutes. We get excited and relax.

The storm is not over and will be coming back to get us.

This is where we decided to set up camp since our original spot was too open for more possible lightening. Within the 15 minutes of the sun shining, it started to rain again.

It rained all night pretty bad. We sat in the tent pretty cold and wet. We had one sleeping bag that had not gotten wet, and I was wearing every pair of dry pants and shirts I had. Inside the tent was okay, but the temperature did drop down to the 50’s.

We make it through the night and get up early to walk back. It is still very cold in the morning.

Look at those views.

Black Elk Trail #9 North is extremely rocky. I think it is the hardest trail to Black Elk.

Little bird that came to visit us.

We are getting close - coming up on Willow Creek Trailhead.

You can go either way - to the right is shorter about 1 mile.

Willow Creek Trailhead has some unique rock formations along the way.

We made it back to our car.

My final thoughts on this trip -

1. Check the weather, but do not count on it. The weather said warm and no rain. The Rapid City, Custer, or even Custer State Park weather app is not really reliable when it comes to hiking or backpacking Black Elk. At the top it is always colder, windier, and more unpredictable. I felt heat exhaustion going up to Black Elk and border line hyperthermia at the top. This hike is no joke, and you can get into trouble very fast if you are not prepared.

2. When we got to Trail #9 South from Lost Cabin Trail #2, the sights were amazing, but so was the view of the very dangerous storm coming. I was amazed at how many people on this trail were in flip flops, wearing tank tops and shorts and little else. We mentioned to a couple of people walking up the trail how bad the storm looked and they were like, ‘Huh, yeah we didn’t even notice”. Although Trail #9 South is a little easier, you are still deep in the woods and have to be aware of the dangers and your surroundings.

3. We met some really nice people on the trail. We lost our hiking hat and mentioned it to some people who were hiking up. They happen to be local, work on the same street I live on, and agreed if they found it to take it to their job. The next day I went to their job and there was our hat. What a small world we live in.

4. This is not an easy hike. Lost Cabin Trail #2 goes up for about 4 miles, then you come down for about a mile and then back up again. Once you hit Black Elk #9 South you pretty much go up again till you hit Black Elk. We continued on to Black Elk #9 North and although you go down the rest of the way, it has a lot of switchbacks, is very rocky, and has some big steps. I think Black Elk #9 is one of the hardest trails to the peak. Coming from the other way, which I have, was exhausting.

5. This was a great trip. We had originally gone to check out the stars at night. It was suppose to be one of those nights when all the meteors can be seen. Instead it rained from 3 pm to 6 am. We didn’t see anything, but the top of our tent. In spite of that, I just want to say wow. To live in an area as beautiful as this and within 30 minutes hiking up to a peak that people come from all over the world to see - just amazing.

Summer Challenge for Custer State Park 2023

Summer Challenge Custer State Park - 8 trails to complete before September 9, 2023. When you complete a rubbing at each site of the medallion listed, bring the collection back to the Custer State Park Visitor’s Center for a prize.

1. Legion Lake Trail - Legion Lake Trail is an easy scenic trail that is about 1 mile long and circles Legion Lake. The trail starts at the lake and is an easy hike for the family.

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2. Lovers Leap Trail - The trail is a loop that begins behind the State Game Lodge School House which is across from the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center on Highway 16A. It begins with a pretty steep but not too long of a climb. This trail is 4 miles long and does a nice loop.

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3. The Bison Trail - The Bison Trail is the newest trail in Custer State Park and it is behind the Bison Center. The trail is about 3/4 of a mile long and goes in a loop. Part of the trail is done, but you can tell they are still working on a majority of it. . This trail was pretty nice and had lots of different wildflowers and gorgeous open blue skies.

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4. Centennial Trail - South of Iron Creek Trailhead - goes about 1 mile in on the Centennial Trail which is part of a 124 mile trail that crosses different terrain and counties in the state.

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5. Grace Coolidge Walk-In Fishing Area - Grace Coolidge Trail is a 5.8 mile out and back easy trail in Custer State Park. The hike follows Grace Coolidge Creek and ends up at Center Lake/Campground. The trail is really pretty and there are several lakes near the trail and lots of small bridges to cross over the creek.

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6. Cathedral Spires Trail - Cathedral Spires Trail is a short 3/4 mile one way trail in Custer State Park on the Needles Highway. You can do the trail out and back or meet up with the trail that leads to Black Elk. There is some scrambling to do on this hike and it can get wet and muddy when it rains. The trail goes through the needles and is pretty neat. The parking for this trail is small and around a curve and it can be hard to find a place to park if busy.

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7. Prairie Trail - Prairie Trail is a trail on the west side of Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. It claims to be about 3 miles and goes in a loop. We actually tracked it around 2.1 miles. The trail goes through the prairie and the forest and although there wasn’t anything spectacular on this trail, some of the views were pretty and by the creek was nice. While we were there, the buffalo were far off, but there were buffalo chips everywhere. I would use extreme caution if buffalo are near the trail since you are exposed a couple of times in the prairie with no adequate means of cover if needed.

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8. The Lost Trails - The Lost Trails is a moderate trail that is around 2 miles and circles Center Lake in Custer State Park. The trail also has a separate section where there is a short loop trail that gives you an option to go to a lookout point as well. This adds about another mile to the trail. Both trails start at the Center Lake swimming area on the south side of the parking lot. The trail actually starts by following a gravel road at the west end of the parking lot for a 1/2 mile or so, but we decided to follow the lake shore line instead until we met up with the trail near the spillway on the southeast end. The actual medallion is near the lookout point.

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After turning in our sketches, we received an antelope pin which was really nice. We are collecting different ones each summer and winter.

Winter Challenge for Custer State Park 2023

We did the Custer State Park Winter Challenge again this year and had a blast. Each year it is different and the prize is different as well. We had some challenges with the weather and snow this year making it even more fun. This is a free event every year where you get outside, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and have the park mostly to yourself. You can usually do all the hikes in a weekend, so planning the challenge around the winter can be easier.

Badger Clark Trail

The Badger Clark Historic Trail is a little loop trail in Custer State Park that is about 1 mile in length. The trailhead is 1 mile south of Highway 16 on Badger Clark Road near Legion Lake. Part of the trail was created by Badger Clark himself, a famous writer and poet. Badger Clark lived in the area for over 30 years in a small cabin on site named “The Badger Hole”.  During summer, tours are available through the Badger Hole, where volunteer rangers are there to answer questions. The trail itself is pretty easy and a good place to get out, stretch, and smell the fresh air. If open, the cabin is really cool and full of tons of history. The Centennial Trail also runs along the cabin.

Prairie Trail

Prairie Trail is a trail on the west side of Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. It claims to be about 3 miles and goes in a loop. We actually tracked it around 2.1 miles. The trail goes through the prairie and the forest and although there wasn’t anything spectacular on this trail, some of the views were pretty and by the creek was nice. While we were there, the buffalo were far off, but there were buffalo chips everywhere. I would use extreme caution if buffalo are near the trail since you are exposed a couple of times in the prairie with no adequate means of cover if needed.

Needles Highway

This national scenic byway was considered impossible to construct by some before it was finished in 1922. It is named after the high granite "needles" it winds among. On the highway, you'll drive by the needles eye, around tight turns, through low tunnels and near the Cathedral Spires. One of the most famous parts of the drive is the Needle Eye Tunnel. This one-way tunnel is only  8′ 4″ wide by 12′ 0″ high so make sure your vehicle will fit through before starting up the highway because once you reach the tunnel, there isn't much room to turn around.

The Needles Highway starts near Sylvan Lake and ends up near Legion Lake, State Game Lodge, or Center Lake and is full of adventure and beautiful scenery whichever way you choose to go.

During the winter the road is closed and people walk the road or cross country ski it. It is just gorgeous and you can get up close with all the majestic spirals. This is one of our favorite trails to do in the winter. Be warned though the road is not plowed in the winter so walking it can be tricky if there has been a lot of snow. I recommend bringing poles.

Lover’s Leap Trail

The trail is a loop that begins behind the State Game Lodge School House which is across from the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center on Highway 16A. It begins with a pretty steep but not too long of a climb. About 1/4 mile from the start of the trail, you will come to an intersection - this is where the loop begins. We suggest taking the trail that goes to the left. This way you get most of the uphill out of the way early and you can enjoy the hike the rest of the way. This trail is 4 miles long and does a nice loop.

Snow Shoeing It

We snowshoed the Prairie Trail and that was pretty interesting. Some of the trail had snow, but there was a lot of slush, rocks, and dirt. There were a lot of hills you had to climb and sometimes going down the hills in the snow shoes was hard with all the snow. Picking a trail to do with the snowshoes can be fun since it sometimes can be hard to foresee how the whole trail is going to be.

Mount Coolidge

Mount Coolidge is located on SD 87 between Blue Bell Campground and Legion Lake Campground. The tower is atop a 6,023 foot peak and has some amazing 360 degree views of the Black Hills. From the top with binoculars or a good zoom lens, you can see Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, the Needles, Black Elk Fire Tower, Ellsworth Airforce Base, and the Badlands.

The tower was built in the 1940's by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is now used to spot fires. The road up to the tower is a little steep and winds a lot. Large vehicles and motorhomes should not attempt the drive to the tower since it is narrow, curvy, and has a lot of sharp dropoffs with no guard rails. There is also limited car parking at the top and an outhouse. The tower is only open on good days and is usually closed in the winter due to the road that leads to the tower being slightly dangerous.

Our prize after showing our selfies to the Custer State Park Visitor’s Center.

Boondocking in the Badlands

Boondocking in the Badlands

A couple of weekends ago my husband and I got to boondock in the Badlands National Park. This has been called a top five rated boondock location and it was amazing. It was easy to get to, there were tons of beautiful spots to set up, and the views were out of this world. We never knew this was here, and it is easy to miss if you are not looking for it. The sites are all overlooking the Badlands and it is free. There are no amenities however, and whatever you need you must bring in and bring out. The views from “The Wall” are extraordinary, so be sure to bring your binoculars.

Right up and close to the Badlands.

The site is located about 6 miles south of Wall, South Dakota on Highway 240, and about 1 mile from the Pinnacle entrance to the Badlands National Park. When traveling south on Highway 240 from Wall and I-90, you will see three radio towers up on a hill to the left. You will turn on the dirt road leading to the east and when you get to the “Badlands Wall”, you can decide which way to turn and set up camp. Both directions have tons of spots and amazing views.

We saw lots of flowers and cacti, but no animals. We heard from others that this is a good place to see mountain goats, or bighorn sheep wandering through your camp.

View out our camper door.

Lots of flowers.

And cacti.

We saw all types of camping options, but be aware it can be very windy up there, so placing a tent near the cliff’s edge might not be the best decision.

The golden hour - just gorgeous.

We did not see a good sunrise because it was raining, but the sunset, “Golden hour” was gorgeous.

Lots of spots and lots of room.

The beautiful prairie. So quiet.

So many different spots to camp along the cliff or in the grassy field.

So many cool spots to choose from.

Our view.

All different types of outdoor homes.

Looking out over the horizon.

Looking up at our home from below.

Road on the way in off Highway 240 just before the entrance of the park by the towers.

Enjoying the golden hour.

I was advised this boondocks area is Buffalo Gap National Grassland (USDA Forest Service, Wall Ranger District if anyone has any questions for this land managing agency.