| "If your dog is fat," the old saying goes, | | | | three open grasslands in the vicinity. Crow |
| "you aren't getting enough exercise." But | | | | Peak may only be 5,760 feet high but what it |
| walking the dog need not be just about a | | | | lacks in height, it makes up in difficulty. |
| little exercise. Here are 15 cool things you | | | | Your reward for a grueling climb is |
| can see around the Black Hills while you hike | | | | 360-degree vistas at the summit.LOGGING |
| with your dog.ABANDONED MINES. | | | | FLUMES. |
| | | | |
| The old rail lines-turned trails are good | | | | Water flumes served two purposes in the |
| places to see vestiges of old mines. Along | | | | Black Hills: to transport logs to railheads |
| the Deerfield Trail you can see the remains | | | | or to move water into isolated areas for |
| of the Black Tom Mine and there are traces of | | | | hydraulic gold-mining. The latter is best |
| several mines on the Mickelson Trail. Chief | | | | exemplified by the Rockerville Flume, that |
| among them are the White Elephant Trail, | | | | operated in the 1880s. An 11-mile trail (the |
| where feldspar was pulled from the ground, | | | | flume was 20 miles long) in the Black Hills |
| and the Wasp Mine, that collapsed on the rail | | | | National Forest now follows the route of the |
| line in 1927.BISON. | | | | wooden flume. Remnants of the Warren-Lamb |
| | | | flume used to float logs can still be seen |
| When hiking the prairie trails through the | | | | along the Deerfield Trail.MOVIE SETS. |
| Black Hills it won't be long until you see | | | | |
| North America's largest land animal. Herds | | | | For the 1990 Oscar-winning Dances With |
| that once numbered in the millions were | | | | Wolves, star/director Kevin Costner filmed |
| reduced to as few as 15 animals in the 1880s | | | | the Indian winter camp was set up in |
| before conservation efforts began. Now Custer | | | | Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills National |
| State Park is home to more than 1,500 | | | | Forest; the exact spot of the final scene |
| free-roaming bison, one of the world's | | | | where Costner and Mary MacDonnell leave the |
| largest public bison herds. Another small | | | | tribe was once marked by signs but have long |
| herd is in Bear Butte State Park.BRIDGES. | | | | since succumbed to souvenir-hunters. The |
| | | | opening sequence, where Costner receives his |
| Railroad builders used bridges to level out | | | | orders at Fort Hays to travel to Fort |
| the rollercoaster terrain of the Black Hills. | | | | Sedgewick, was filmed on a private ranch east |
| There are more than 100 wooden trestles on | | | | of Rapid City. Two of the set pieces, the |
| the Mickelson Trail alone. The largest was | | | | major's house and the blacksmith shop have |
| the Sheep Canyon Trestle, 126 feet high and | | | | been moved to this tourist spot known as the |
| 700 feet long. Therickety trestle was | | | | Fort Hays Film Set (four miles south of Rapid |
| considered so dangerous that engineers and | | | | City). The Sage Creek Wilderness Area in the |
| brakemen would walk over the bridge instead | | | | Badlands National Park was the backdrop for |
| of riding the train.COLD WAR RELICS. | | | | the wagon trip through Sioux Indian country |
| | | | to Fort Sedgewick.OLD FORTS. |
| In Memorial Park in Rapid City stands | | | | |
| America's largest exhibit devoted to the | | | | As you hike through Fort Meade Recreation |
| Berlin Wall - double 12-foot segments of the | | | | Area you can still see stone jumps used to |
| concrete wall. On the ground on either side | | | | train horses in the old cavlary outpost. If |
| of the Wall are tank traps. Photos and | | | | you look closely, you may also notice some |
| interpretive panels tell the story of the | | | | circular depressions in the hillsides created |
| dominant symbol of the Cold War. Memorial | | | | by exploding shells from artillery practice. |
| Park is on the Rapid City Recreation | | | | The Old Fort Meade Cemetery is still on the |
| Path.DAMS. | | | | grounds as well.PRESIDENTIAL FOOTSTEPS. |
| | | | |
| Flood control has been a theme in the Black | | | | Calvin Coolidge became the first United |
| Hills since the 1930s. Dams across streams | | | | States President to spend the summer west of |
| and rivers have spawned water recreation | | | | the Mississippi River, selecting the State |
| areas that are favorite destinations for an | | | | Game Lodge in Custer State Park for his |
| outing with the dog. The largest such lake in | | | | "summer White House." Today, the Grace |
| the Black Hills is the Pactola Reservoir with | | | | Coolidge Walk-In Fishing Area is an easy |
| trails along much of its 14 miles of | | | | three-mile walk on a dirt path along a creek |
| pine-scented shoreline. Others include the | | | | to Center Lake. Earlier Theodore Roosevelt |
| dam at Cold Brook Lake Recreation Area on the | | | | was a frequent visitor to the Black Hills and |
| Fall River and the Cottonwood Springs | | | | a short trail leads to Friendship Tower on |
| Dam.FAMOUS CABINS. | | | | Mount Roosevelt, named in his honor. Alas, |
| | | | dogs are not allowed on the trails at Mount |
| The Badger Clark Historic Trail in Custer | | | | Rushmore and can experience this presidential |
| State Park starts at the former home of | | | | memorial only from the car.PUBLIC ART. |
| Charles Badger Clark, South Dakota's first | | | | |
| poet-laureate. Clark rook five years to build | | | | As you walk your dog around Belle Fourche |
| the stone-and-frame cabin and lived here for | | | | you can see bronze statues of some of the |
| 30 years. He also laid out most of the | | | | famous rodeo performers - human and animal - |
| footpath. In Wyoming, along Sand Creek, | | | | that have visited town. The favorite subject |
| publisher Moses Annenberg built historic | | | | in Deadwood is Wild Bill Hickok and you can |
| Ranch A, now used for meetings and | | | | see his likeness several times as you hike |
| classrooms. Canine hikers can view the log | | | | through the historic gaming town.RAILROAD |
| home at the Dugout Gulch Botanical Area.GHOST | | | | SOUVENIRS. |
| TOWNS. | | | | |
| | | | Anyone can appreciate obvious reminders of |
| Mining towns came and went very quickly in | | | | the railroad age in the Black Hills like the |
| the gold rush days of the 1880s in the Black | | | | caboose in Edgemont Park but a more |
| Hills. The most intact deserted town in the | | | | discerning eye can see more fascinating |
| region is Tinton, visited on the Big Hill | | | | relics. For instance, on the Mickelson Trail |
| Trails. There is an old miner's hall, a post | | | | near the White Elephant Trailhead, a canine |
| office and the Black Hills Tin Company store | | | | hiker can see a sign with a "W" emblazoned on |
| to explore. At the Mystic Trailhead on the | | | | it. This is one of four places in the more |
| Mickelson Trail is theMystic Townsite, where | | | | than 100 miles of track that engineers were |
| seven buildings and 14 foundations remain | | | | instructed to blow their whistles to warn |
| from a gold mining community.HISTORIC | | | | people and animals. And near a bridge trestle |
| BUILDINGS. | | | | you can see one of the original mile marker |
| | | | signs made of heavy metal and painted white |
| Hikers can check out the Bulldog Ranch on | | | | with a numeral that pinpointed a train's |
| Rochford Road that was a favorite stopping | | | | location on the line to .01 of a mile. Only a |
| point for travelers in the late 19th century. | | | | few of these old markers remain.copyright |
| Proprietoress Sarah Anne Erbe was known as | | | | 2006I am the author of over 20 books, |
| "Madame Bulldog" for two dogs she kept died | | | | including 8 on hiking with your dog, |
| up out back to dissuade chicken thieves. | | | | including the |
| Another building from that era that can be | | | | |
| inspected up close is the Kroll Meat Market | | | | widely praised The Canine Hiker's Bible. As |
| and Slaughterhouse in Spearfish City | | | | publisher of Cruden Bay Books, we |
| Park.LOFTY PEAKS. | | | | |
| | | | produce the innovative A Bark In The Park |
| There are many mountaintops in the Black | | | | series of canine hiking books found at |
| Hills that can be reached with your dog. | | | | |
| Harney Peak, at 7,242 feet, is the highest | | | | During the warm months I lead canine hikes |
| and Bear Mountain (7,153 feet) is right | | | | as |
| behind. Ski enthusiasts have carved 16 miles | | | | |
| of year-round trails at Bear Mountain. The | | | | tour leader for tours, leading packs of dogs |
| craggy peak of Flag Mountain serves up | | | | and humans on |
| expansive views, including a long look to the | | | | |
| east of Reynolds Prairie, the largest of | | | | day and overnight trips. |