Black Hills

The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is somewhat of a geological anomaly. The region is considered sacred by the Native Americans of the plains. It is accurately described as an "island of trees in a sea of grass."

Tourism and Economy

The region is home to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Harney Peak (the highest point in South Dakota), Custer State Park (the largest state park in the US), and Crazy Horse Memorial (the largest sculpture in the world). The Black Hills also hosts the Black Hills, or Sturgis, Motorcycle Rally each August. Started in 1940, the 65th Rally in 2005 saw more than 550,000 bikers visit the Black Hills, and are a key part of the regional economy.

Related Topics:
Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Wind Cave National Park - Jewel Cave National Monument - Harney Peak - Custer State Park - Crazy Horse Memorial

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Today, the major city in the Black Hills is Rapid City, with an incorporated population of 60,000 and a metropolitan population of 85,000. It serves a market area covering much of five states: North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. In addition to tourism and mining (including coal, specialty minerals, and the now declining gold mining), the Black Hills economy includes ranching (sheep and cattle, primarily, with buffalo and ratites becoming more common), timber (lumber), Ellsworth Air Force Base, and some manufacturing, including jewelry (Black Hills Gold Jewelry), cement, electronics, cabinetry, guns and ammunition. In many ways, the Black Hills functions as a very spread-out urban area with a population (not counting tourists) of 250,000. Other important Black Hills cities include Belle Fourche, a ranching town; Spearfish, home of Black Hills State University; Deadwood, a historic and well preserved gambling mecca; its twin city of Lead, home of the now-closed Homestake Mine (gold); Keystone outside Mount Rushmore; Hill City, a timber and tourism town in the center of the Hills; Custer City, a mining and tourism town and headquarters for Black Hills National Forst; Hot Springs, an old resort town in the southern Hills; Sturgis, originally a military town (Fort Meade, now a VA center, is located just to the east); and Newcastle, center of the Black Hills petroleum production and refining.

Related Topics:
Rapid City - Buffalo - Ratites

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