Wildlife
The Black Hills can be one of the most spectacular places to view wildlife and enjoy nature. On the brink of where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains, this area has as many as 16 eco-systems. The best spots to spend some quality time with wildlife and wildflowers are Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and Badlands National Park. Bring your camera, a sketch pad and pen, or just your photographic memory to record your sightings.
Larger animals are obviously easier to spot from the road but the best way to see as many critters as possible is by exploring some of the many trails in the parks. Mule deer, black tailed prairie dogs, bison, coyotes, badgers, foxes, and jack rabbits, as well as birds like grouse, turkey vultures, and eagles are found mainly on prairie lands. Pine forests are home to deer, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goats, marmots, squirrels, mink, muskrats, beavers, mountain lions, and cottontails. If you are staying overnight at a campground keep your eyes peeled for chipmunks, squirrels, jays, and raccoons who have done their fair share of research to find out where they will find best snacks. On the roadways, bison jams are a common phenomenon and although they move slowly to their destination they are anything but boring to watch. Other frequent visitors to vehicles are wild burros who perform frequent car searches, always on the lookout for extra food.
Custer State Park is home to one of the largest herds, over 1,600, of free roaming bison. Bison are always on the move, with the females, cows, as the ring leaders. The male bison, or bulls, can weigh up to one ton. Although they seem to move slowly, they are actually quick creatures, and easy to attack if they feel threatened. Always view these critters from a distance.
The Wind Cave National Park is an intricate landscape of grassy prairie and long complex honeycomb like caves. Originally the park was designed to restore elk, bison, and pronghorn antelope populations, which diminished greatly from over hunting in the late 1800s. This marvelous place joins landscapes, plants, trees, and critters from the eastern and western states. You will find ponderosas with American elms and pinyon jays with eastern bluebirds. Out of the 16 different eco-systems in the area, Wind Cave NP has 9 of them. Plants like cacti, succulents, ferns, grasses, wildflowers, and lichens cover the park. Trees like box elder, ponderosa, and aspens shade the hillsides.
A visit to Badlands National Park is one you won't forget. The prairie covers this land that is to dry for trees to grow and too wet to be considered a desert. It is home to 56 species of grasses, which are the anchors for all plants and animals in the Black Hills. Taller grasses like prairie cordgrass intermix with short grass like blue grama. The Badlands are also responsible for the reintroduction of the endangered black footed ferret.
While in the Black Hills, make sure to enjoy the flora and fauna of the various parks and natural areas. The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary and Reptile Gardens are also great places to take photographs and get up and personal with wildlife.