| "If your dog is fat," the old saying goes, "you aren't | | | | only be 5,760 feet high but what it lacks in height, it |
| getting enough exercise." But walking the dog need not | | | | makes up in difficulty. Your reward for a grueling climb |
| be just about a little exercise. Here are 15 cool things | | | | is 360-degree vistas at the summit.LOGGING |
| you can see around the Black Hills while you hike with | | | | FLUMES. |
| your dog.ABANDONED MINES. | | | | Water flumes served two purposes in the Black Hills: |
| The old rail lines-turned trails are good places to see | | | | to transport logs to railheads or to move water into |
| vestiges of old mines. Along the Deerfield Trail you can | | | | isolated areas for hydraulic gold-mining. The latter is |
| see the remains of the Black Tom Mine and there are | | | | best exemplified by the Rockerville Flume, that |
| traces of several mines on the Mickelson Trail. Chief | | | | operated in the 1880s. An 11-mile trail (the flume was |
| among them are the White Elephant Trail, where | | | | 20 miles long) in the Black Hills National Forest now |
| feldspar was pulled from the ground, and the Wasp | | | | follows 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 it | | | | seen along the Deerfield Trail.MOVIE SETS. |
| won't be long until you see North America's largest | | | | For the 1990 Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves, |
| land animal. Herds that once numbered in the millions | | | | star/director Kevin Costner filmed the Indian winter |
| were reduced to as few as 15 animals in the 1880s | | | | camp was set up in Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills |
| before conservation efforts began. Now Custer State | | | | National 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. Another | | | | was 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 the | | | | sequence, where Costner receives his orders at Fort |
| rollercoaster terrain of the Black Hills. There are more | | | | Hays 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 feet | | | | pieces, the major's house and the blacksmith shop |
| high and 700 feet long. Therickety trestle was | | | | have been moved to this tourist spot known as the |
| considered so dangerous that engineers and | | | | Fort Hays Film Set (four miles south of Rapid City). |
| brakemen would walk over the bridge instead of riding | | | | The 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's | | | | through Sioux Indian country to Fort Sedgewick.OLD |
| largest exhibit devoted to the Berlin Wall - double | | | | FORTS. |
| 12-foot segments of the concrete wall. On the ground | | | | As you hike through Fort Meade Recreation Area |
| on either side of the Wall are tank traps. Photos and | | | | you can still see stone jumps used to train horses in |
| interpretive panels tell the story of the dominant | | | | the old cavlary outpost. If you look closely, you may |
| symbol of the Cold War. Memorial Park is on the | | | | also 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 since | | | | Old Fort Meade Cemetery is still on the grounds as |
| the 1930s. Dams across streams and rivers have | | | | well.PRESIDENTIAL FOOTSTEPS. |
| spawned water recreation areas that are favorite | | | | Calvin Coolidge became the first United States |
| destinations for an outing with the dog. The largest | | | | President to spend the summer west of the Mississippi |
| such lake in the Black Hills is the Pactola Reservoir | | | | River, selecting the State Game Lodge in Custer State |
| with trails along much of its 14 miles of pine-scented | | | | Park for his "summer White House." Today, the Grace |
| shoreline. Others include the dam at Cold Brook Lake | | | | Coolidge Walk-In Fishing Area is an easy three-mile |
| Recreation Area on the Fall River and the | | | | walk 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 Park | | | | the 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 five | | | | dogs are not allowed on the trails at Mount Rushmore |
| years to build the stone-and-frame cabin and lived | | | | and can experience this presidential memorial only |
| here for 30 years. He also laid out most of the | | | | from the car.PUBLIC ART. |
| footpath. In Wyoming, along Sand Creek, publisher | | | | As you walk your dog around Belle Fourche you can |
| Moses Annenberg built historic Ranch A, now used for | | | | see bronze statues of some of the famous rodeo |
| meetings and classrooms. Canine hikers can view the | | | | performers - human and animal - that have visited |
| log home at the Dugout Gulch Botanical Area.GHOST | | | | town. 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 gold | | | | you hike through the historic gaming town.RAILROAD |
| rush days of the 1880s in the Black Hills. The most | | | | SOUVENIRS. |
| intact deserted town in the region is Tinton, visited on | | | | Anyone can appreciate obvious reminders of the |
| the Big Hill Trails. There is an old miner's hall, a post | | | | railroad age in the Black Hills like the caboose in |
| office and the Black Hills Tin Company store to | | | | Edgemont Park but a more discerning eye can see |
| explore. At the Mystic Trailhead on the Mickelson Trail | | | | more fascinating relics. For instance, on the Mickelson |
| is theMystic Townsite, where seven buildings and 14 | | | | Trail near the White Elephant Trailhead, a canine hiker |
| foundations remain from a gold mining | | | | can 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 Rochford | | | | that engineers were instructed to blow their whistles to |
| Road that was a favorite stopping point for travelers | | | | warn people and animals. And near a bridge trestle |
| in the late 19th century. Proprietoress Sarah Anne Erbe | | | | you can see one of the original mile marker signs |
| was known as "Madame Bulldog" for two dogs she | | | | made 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 Slaughterhouse | | | | remain.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 that | | | | widely praised The Canine Hiker's Bible. As publisher |
| can be reached with your dog. Harney Peak, at 7,242 | | | | of Cruden Bay Books, we |
| feet, is the highest and Bear Mountain (7,153 feet) is | | | | produce the innovative A Bark In The Park series of |
| right behind. Ski enthusiasts have carved 16 miles of | | | | canine hiking books found at |
| year-round trails at Bear Mountain. The craggy peak of | | | | During the warm months I lead canine hikes as |
| Flag Mountain serves up expansive views, including a | | | | tour leader for tours, leading packs of dogs and |
| long look to the east of Reynolds Prairie, the largest of | | | | humans on |
| three open grasslands in the vicinity. Crow Peak may | | | | day and overnight trips. |