Big Pine Campground

The Great Outdoors

When all put together, the Black Hills National Forest, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park cover around 1.5 million acres of sheer wilderness. The diverse terrain means there’s something for everyone from mountains to canyons to lakes to prairies. Around 1,000 miles of trails ensures that adventurers will never get bored with the landscape. Many trails are designated multi-use, allowing bikers and horseback riders to join the fun.Fishing, too, is a popular activity in this area. Though the exact species of fish can vary depending on the waterway, anglers can expect to catch brown, rainbow, and brook trout in many streams and rivers. Northern pike, perch, and crappie are common, also. Hundreds, if not thousands, of different animals, make their homes in these hills. A shortlist includes bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goat, bald eagle, and rattlesnake.Mineral searching, panning, and mining are allowed, and it’s also possible to stake a mining claim on a temporary basis. Gold, uranium, quartz, copper, and mica are common finds. Panning for gold is allowed, also. However, there is a catch: collecting from within areas designated “historical” is not permitted. If caught, violators will get a hefty fine. Inquire at the park office for information.When winter rolls around, the fun doesn’t stop Though the lower elevations do not get much snow (typically just a few inches each winter), most of the park is open to snowmobile, fat-bikes, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Snowmobiles must stay on designated snowmobile trails, but don’t worry; there’s plenty of miles to explore. There are an estimated 400 miles of groomed trails open to snowmobiles, and as soon as the lake's ice over, adventurers flock to the chilly surface for skating and ice-sailing. Outdoorsmen desiring fresh fish often will drill holes into the ice with large augurs to ply their trade.Underneath the South Dakota prairie is one of the world’s largest and most complex cave systems. All adventurers wish to explore the underground wonders of Wind Cave National Park must join a guided tour that is provided daily. The tours range from easy to strenuous. Strollers and baby carriers are prohibited. Up on the surface, many prairie critters can be observed roaming the 26,000 acres that make up this park, including a small herd of bison, pronghorn antelopes, and prairie dog towns.To the east, the mix of prairie, eroded buttes, hoodoos, and rock pinnacles is a unique piece of untouched wilderness in the western United States. Encompassing around 240,000 acres, the rugged Badlands National Park provides some of the most challenging terrains for hikers to navigate. Water is precious and rare, and all hikers should be very well prepared for very dry conditions. Fossils of some of the more strange animals have been found in this region, such as camels, three-toed horses, saber-tooth cats, and even rhinoceros. All discoveries should be reported to the park authorities.

Exploring the Area

Though the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse carvings are a popular draw, there’s more to the area than that. With the help of a rental Airstream, explore the handful of small towns nestled in the valleys and gulches of the vast wilderness. The historic town of Hill City boasts architecture that’s straight out of an Old West movie. The town also has a small museum, the Museum at Black Hill Institute, which features dinosaur skeletons and fossils, minerals, and meteorites. Learn what bones and minerals look like on the off chance you spot one outdoors! The State Railroad Museum features a genuine steam locomotive train that visitors can ride. Experience the heart-stopping climbs as the train slowly chugs up a steep mountainside and then snakes its way back down.The Cosmo Mystery Area is a family-friendly challenge for visitors to navigate. Contend with optical illusions that somehow seems to defy the natural law of physics. See water flow uphill, and tall people somehow shrink to become shorter than other people and walk up walls. Cosmos Mystery Area is near Rapid City. When you are ready for high-octane thrilling adventures, Rush Mountain Adventure Park in Keystone, SD, features several roller coaster rides, a Gunslinger “7-D” interactive ride, and more.History, adventure, and fun await you here. Explore it all when you RV camp at Big Pine Campground in South Dakota.