We came to the Black Hills of South Dakota with one thing in mind… Mount Rushmore. Borglums masterpiece did not disappoint, however, it was not the hero of the stay. The real hero of the Black Hills is… the Black Hills. Specifically Custer State Park.
What a beauty the park is. My Aunt and Uncle had told me the week before we left that Custer State Park was nice. I have to admit even still, Kim and I hesitated at the gate to pay the entrance fee (I think it was $15). Boy that was laughable in hindsight. The park is filled with beautiful lakes, the most amazing Ponderosa pine forests, and wildlife galore. We all fell in love with this place. If you think of Babler when you think of state parks, forget everything you thought you knew about state parks! (no offense to Babler fans, it’s nice too) 🙂
This is one place that will be tugging at my heart for years to come. I hope we get to go back someday.
Our first hike in the Black Hills. We were supposed to go 5 minutes up the hill and back, but we ended up hikeing the whole loop. (maybe 2 miles)
We all loved being in this place.
Trail nicely marked with blue blazes.
Kane always ahead looking back.
A rare view through the trees at the top of the hill. These ponderosas are so gorgeous.
Hook’m and Cook’m ranger program at
These kids love to fish. Kane would fish every day if he could.
We took the (very) windy scenic route up to Mt. Rushmore. There are several tunnels carved out along the way whereby you can see the mountain framed up in the tunnel. (and the trees have been trimmed too).
Incredible to catch your first glimpse of these bad boys.
We’re here!
Cool with the storm rolling in. They don’t mind.
You can pick your first President, and you can pick your nose, and you CAN…
The unsung hero of this area!
The deer come out in droves in early evening.
Our first “top-down” drive… the Wildlife Loop in the park.
Nice rack!
Begging Burrows. Evidently when the Burrows rides were shut down, the owner turned them loose in the park. Theire lineage is still there.
We hoped and hoped and waited to see Bison, then over the last hill…
