Railroad Buttes Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A relatively easy cache located 19 miles SE of Rapid City, SD.
Despite it's remote location from the bustle of Rapid City, the area immediately around Railroad Buttes is quite busy as well. There are several shooting ranges, a dirt bike area, and the agate beds that carry it's namesake. So if you are into any of those activities, you can hit the cache and spend the rest of the day doing something else. Me, I am just a hiker and rockhound. I come to the agate beds a lot and my favorite is the blue and white petrified wood. I have put a big bag of examples of this type of rock in the cache. Feel free to take some, even if you have nothing to trade.
To get to the cache, take Highway 44 out of Rapid City, turn off at N43°57.259' W102°51.530' onto the gravel road and go south. From there go to N43°54.583' W102°51.464'. You can stop here at the shooting area or if you are adventurous, try finding your way closer to cache via the off road trail system by 4WD, ATV, or dirt bike. If you are driving the low rider family camper, you're better off just hoofing it from the shooting area parking lot.
The cache is the smaller size green ammo can.
Since this is in the western prairie of South Dakota, you should be warned there are rattlesnakes about. Make sure not to poke around any holes or the underside of rocky ledges that may contain any hiding reptiles. I haven't seen any around this area, but I'm sure there are a few around somewhere.
If you're interested in rock hounding the agate beds, either hike the buttes to the south end or drive down the main road south a mile or two from the shooting ranges. You will know you are there when you see it. Both sides of the road are Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Here's a list the the official rockhounding policy: (visit link) The most important things to remember are to collect only what you can use and don't dig any holes (surface collect only).
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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Treasures
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