Doggin' The Black Hills: 15 Cool Things To See While You Hike With Your Dog

"If your dog is fat," the old saying goes, "you aren'tonly be 5,760 feet high but what it lacks in height, it
getting enough exercise." But walking the dog need notmakes up in difficulty. Your reward for a grueling climb
be just about a little exercise. Here are 15 cool thingsis 360-degree vistas at the summit.LOGGING
you can see around the Black Hills while you hike withFLUMES.
your dog.ABANDONED MINES.Water flumes served two purposes in the Black Hills:
The old rail lines-turned trails are good places to seeto transport logs to railheads or to move water into
vestiges of old mines. Along the Deerfield Trail you canisolated areas for hydraulic gold-mining. The latter is
see the remains of the Black Tom Mine and there arebest exemplified by the Rockerville Flume, that
traces of several mines on the Mickelson Trail. Chiefoperated in the 1880s. An 11-mile trail (the flume was
among them are the White Elephant Trail, where20 miles long) in the Black Hills National Forest now
feldspar was pulled from the ground, and the Waspfollows the route of the wooden flume. Remnants of
Mine, that collapsed on the rail line in 1927.BISON.the Warren-Lamb flume used to float logs can still be
When hiking the prairie trails through the Black Hills itseen along the Deerfield Trail.MOVIE SETS.
won't be long until you see North America's largestFor the 1990 Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves,
land animal. Herds that once numbered in the millionsstar/director Kevin Costner filmed the Indian winter
were reduced to as few as 15 animals in the 1880scamp was set up in Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills
before conservation efforts began. Now Custer StateNational Forest; the exact spot of the final scene
Park is home to more than 1,500 free-roaming bison,where Costner and Mary MacDonnell leave the tribe
one of the world's largest public bison herds. Anotherwas once marked by signs but have long since
small herd is in Bear Butte State Park.BRIDGES.succumbed to souvenir-hunters. The opening
Railroad builders used bridges to level out thesequence, where Costner receives his orders at Fort
rollercoaster terrain of the Black Hills. There are moreHays to travel to Fort Sedgewick, was filmed on a
than 100 wooden trestles on the Mickelson Trail alone.private ranch east of Rapid City. Two of the set
The largest was the Sheep Canyon Trestle, 126 feetpieces, the major's house and the blacksmith shop
high and 700 feet long. Therickety trestle washave been moved to this tourist spot known as the
considered so dangerous that engineers andFort Hays Film Set (four miles south of Rapid City).
brakemen would walk over the bridge instead of ridingThe Sage Creek Wilderness Area in the Badlands
the train.COLD WAR RELICS.National Park was the backdrop for the wagon trip
In Memorial Park in Rapid City stands America'sthrough Sioux Indian country to Fort Sedgewick.OLD
largest exhibit devoted to the Berlin Wall - doubleFORTS.
12-foot segments of the concrete wall. On the groundAs you hike through Fort Meade Recreation Area
on either side of the Wall are tank traps. Photos andyou can still see stone jumps used to train horses in
interpretive panels tell the story of the dominantthe old cavlary outpost. If you look closely, you may
symbol of the Cold War. Memorial Park is on thealso notice some circular depressions in the hillsides
Rapid City Recreation Path.DAMS.created by exploding shells from artillery practice. The
Flood control has been a theme in the Black Hills sinceOld Fort Meade Cemetery is still on the grounds as
the 1930s. Dams across streams and rivers havewell.PRESIDENTIAL FOOTSTEPS.
spawned water recreation areas that are favoriteCalvin Coolidge became the first United States
destinations for an outing with the dog. The largestPresident to spend the summer west of the Mississippi
such lake in the Black Hills is the Pactola ReservoirRiver, selecting the State Game Lodge in Custer State
with trails along much of its 14 miles of pine-scentedPark for his "summer White House." Today, the Grace
shoreline. Others include the dam at Cold Brook LakeCoolidge Walk-In Fishing Area is an easy three-mile
Recreation Area on the Fall River and thewalk on a dirt path along a creek to Center Lake.
Cottonwood Springs Dam.FAMOUS CABINS.Earlier Theodore Roosevelt was a frequent visitor to
The Badger Clark Historic Trail in Custer State Parkthe Black Hills and a short trail leads to Friendship
starts at the former home of Charles Badger Clark,Tower on Mount Roosevelt, named in his honor. Alas,
South Dakota's first poet-laureate. Clark rook fivedogs are not allowed on the trails at Mount Rushmore
years to build the stone-and-frame cabin and livedand can experience this presidential memorial only
here for 30 years. He also laid out most of thefrom the car.PUBLIC ART.
footpath. In Wyoming, along Sand Creek, publisherAs you walk your dog around Belle Fourche you can
Moses Annenberg built historic Ranch A, now used forsee bronze statues of some of the famous rodeo
meetings and classrooms. Canine hikers can view theperformers - human and animal - that have visited
log home at the Dugout Gulch Botanical Area.GHOSTtown. The favorite subject in Deadwood is Wild Bill
TOWNS.Hickok and you can see his likeness several times as
Mining towns came and went very quickly in the goldyou hike through the historic gaming town.RAILROAD
rush days of the 1880s in the Black Hills. The mostSOUVENIRS.
intact deserted town in the region is Tinton, visited onAnyone can appreciate obvious reminders of the
the Big Hill Trails. There is an old miner's hall, a postrailroad age in the Black Hills like the caboose in
office and the Black Hills Tin Company store toEdgemont Park but a more discerning eye can see
explore. At the Mystic Trailhead on the Mickelson Trailmore fascinating relics. For instance, on the Mickelson
is theMystic Townsite, where seven buildings and 14Trail near the White Elephant Trailhead, a canine hiker
foundations remain from a gold miningcan see a sign with a "W" emblazoned on it. This is
community.HISTORIC BUILDINGS.one of four places in the more than 100 miles of track
Hikers can check out the Bulldog Ranch on Rochfordthat engineers were instructed to blow their whistles to
Road that was a favorite stopping point for travelerswarn people and animals. And near a bridge trestle
in the late 19th century. Proprietoress Sarah Anne Erbeyou can see one of the original mile marker signs
was known as "Madame Bulldog" for two dogs shemade of heavy metal and painted white with a
kept died up out back to dissuade chicken thieves.numeral that pinpointed a train's location on the line to
Another building from that era that can be inspected.01 of a mile. Only a few of these old markers
up close is the Kroll Meat Market and Slaughterhouseremain.copyright 2006I am the author of over 20
in Spearfish City Park.LOFTY PEAKS.books, including 8 on hiking with your dog, including the
There are many mountaintops in the Black Hills thatwidely praised The Canine Hiker's Bible. As publisher
can be reached with your dog. Harney Peak, at 7,242of Cruden Bay Books, we
feet, is the highest and Bear Mountain (7,153 feet) isproduce the innovative A Bark In The Park series of
right behind. Ski enthusiasts have carved 16 miles ofcanine hiking books found at
year-round trails at Bear Mountain. The craggy peak ofDuring the warm months I lead canine hikes as
Flag Mountain serves up expansive views, including atour leader for tours, leading packs of dogs and
long look to the east of Reynolds Prairie, the largest ofhumans on
three open grasslands in the vicinity. Crow Peak mayday and overnight trips.