Black Elk Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota.
Black Elk Wilderness is a protected area within Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, featuring dense forests, steep canyons, and granite peaks. The terrain varies from forested slopes to rocky outcrops higher up, creating diverse habitats across its expanse.
Congress designated the Black Elk Wilderness in 1980 under the National Wilderness Preservation System, setting aside 13,426 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service within Black Hills National Forest. The area is named after Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux holy man, and is held sacred by the Sioux. Mount Rushmore National Memorial lies immediately to its north.
The wilderness is named after Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux holy man. The 13,426-acre area is held sacred by Native Americans, especially the Sioux. Visitors today walk the same slopes where about 8 miles of the South Dakota Centennial Trail cross the wilderness.
Motorized vehicles and mechanical equipment are not allowed anywhere in the wilderness, so travel is only on foot or horseback. You will need permits for camping and fishing, which should be arranged before your visit.
By 2010, about 80 percent of the trees in the wilderness had been killed by the mountain pine beetle, leaving grey snags among the living ponderosa pine, spruce and fir. Hikers on the way to Black Elk Peak pass these standing dead trees, and the South Dakota Centennial Trail runs roughly 8 miles through the area.
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