The Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota
and northeastern Wyoming. The forest has an area of over 1.25 million
acres and is managed by the Forest Service. Forest headquarters are
located in Custer, South Dakota.
After a series of devastating wildfires in 1893, U.S. President
Grover Cleveland created the Black Hills Forest Reserve on February
22, 1897. Upon the creation of the Forest Service in 1905, the
reserve was transferred to the new agency under the United States
Department of Agriculture and redesignated as a National Forest two
years later. Lakota words Paha Sapa meaning "hills that are black"
may be one of the factors in the regions naming.
Predominantly ponderosa pine, the Forest also includes hard woods
like aspen, bur oak, and birch. The lower elevations include
grassland prairie, but the National Forest System lands encompass
most of the mountainous region known as the Black Hills of South
Dakota and Wyoming. Within the forest is Harney Peak which is the
tallest mountain in South Dakota and the highest peak east of the
Rocky Mountains in the United States.
The Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway passes through the forest
in proximity to Mount Rushmore and along with the Spearfish Canyon
National Forest Scenic Byway, provide two of the more scenic drives
in the Country. The George S. Mickelson Trail is a recently opened
multi-use path through the Black Hills and passes just west of this
location. It follows the abandoned track of the historic
north-south railroad route from Edgemont to Deadwood. The train
used to be the only way to bring supplies to the miners in the
Hills. The trail is about 110 miles in length, and can be used by
hikers, cross-country skiers, and bikers.
Although surrounded by Black Hills National Forest, both Jewel Cave
National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial are separate
areas administered by the National Park Service. Wind Cave National
Park, which is another area administered by the National Park
Service, borders portions of the forest in the southeast. Black Elk
Wilderness is a wilderness within the Forest and no motorized
transport is permitted.
(--source for above: Wikipedia)
The cache is located at the National Forest Interpretive Site pullout on South Dakota Highway 89. It's a great place to stop, stretch, let the dog out, or whatever. There's plenty of room for parking. Muggles might be present, so some stealth could be necessary. There is no need to climb on or dismantle anything to find this cache. Please return the cache as you found it, and post no spoilers in your online logs. As always, cache responsibly and CITO if needed.
Thanks, good luck and have fun!
FTF Congratulations to SDRugg!! Thanks for coming down to find it.