South Dakota - Black Hills Attractions

Black Hills

The Black Hills, now mostly a National Forest, are a fairly isolated range of hills in the northern Great Plains and on the border between the states of South Dakota and Wyoming, some 125 mi. east of the Rockies as the crow flies.

The highest point is Harney Peak (7242 ft). The crystalline rock is rich in minerals, particularly gold and silver. The Black Hills are also of interest for their flora, lying as they do on the boundary between the western (Pacific) and eastern (Atlantic) plant worlds. By far the commonest conifer is the western yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa).

Indian country to the western Dakota Indians (Teton-Sioux or Lakota) the Black Hills are a sacred region, the place of origin of their people.