Those of us who lived through that horrible night will never forget—and we hope that others will be prompted to remember the date of June 9, 1972. The morning of June 9th dawned with a humid and foggy haze covering much of the eastern Black Hills and plains to the east. That hot, humid Friday in early June eventually turned into a night that Black Hills residents would never forget; a night in which over 238 persons would not survive.
Over the centuries, the geologic formation known as the Badlands has been described as the closest thing to a lunar landscape that can be found on Earth, a scenic marvel.
Bear Butte is a laccolith located on the northeastern slope the Black Hills, an area of uplifted Precambrian formation. It is made of magma which never reached the surface to generate an eruption. The magma intruded to a shallow level and then stopped, cooled, and solidified. Erosion then wore the overlying layers of rock away.
The unique and varied landscapes of the Black Hills and Badlands region are a geology student’s dream. The following is a general overview of the four geologic formations that make up the Black Hills region. Examples of these formations are evident in may areas of the Hills: the walls of Spearfish Canyon; Harney Peak, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorials; Devils Tower, the Needles; Bear Butte; and the Badlands to name only a few of the most obvious examples.
Originating from a legend, Black Hills Gold Jewelry has ultimately become one of the Black Hills region’s most recognized and collectible products. The familiar tri-colored leaf and grape design of Black Hills Gold has become a symbol for the area over the past century, and into the new millennium.
Are you a hiker? Do your kids love to ride mountain bikes? Is fishing more to your liking? Do you like to ski down challenging slopes and snowmobile over remote trails? Or, do you just want to sit back and watch those deer and antelope do whatever it is the old song says? If any or all of these apply to you, then the Black Hills is your kind of place!
Belle Fourche has been “doing it up right” for over eight decades, and this year will be no exception. The Black Hills Roundup will take place along the Belle Fourche River as it has since its inception in 1918.
The greater Black Hills area is wonderfully abundant in wildlife, and even more remarkable in the amount of public access allowed for viewing creatures in their native habitat. This is nowhere truer than at a significant preserve dedicated to the famed Western wild horse – The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary – located southwest of Hot Springs, South Dakota.