Black Hills National Forest
The Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. The forest has an area of 5066 km ² and is under the direction of the organization Forest Service. The forest has mainly ponderosa pine but also hard wood such as aspen or birch. In the forest there is the Harney Peak, the highest mountain and the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States.
Mountains of the National Park
The Black Hills are often referred to as the Black Hills National Forest and are the oldest mountains in North America. They run in the northern Great Plains over an area of 160 km from north to south and about 80 km from west to east with elevations from 1000 to 2200 m altitude. The highest peak is 2207 meters high Harney Peak. The Lakota Sioux called the mountains because of their dark pine forests " Paha Sapa ", the "Black Mountains". Even before the white man came, they worshiped the Black Hills as a shrine, when they saw the origin of their people here.
Geography
Proportion of the area, the seven counties Pennington, Custer, Lawrence, Fall River, Meade, South Dakota and Crook and Weston, Wyoming. One seventh of the forest area is located in Wyoming. The management of the Black Hills National Forests located in Custer, South Dakota. The Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway goes through the woods in the vicinity of Mount Rushmore and along with the Spearfish Canyon National Forest Scenic Byway offer two tours in the country.
Flora and Fauna
In addition to the ponderosa pine is the most common tree is the spruce in the forest. Elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and white-tailed deer are often seen. Mountain lions are increasing dramatically as a result of the huge herds of deer and elk. Coyotes, bighorn sheep and mountain goats are also frequently seen. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon and another 200 species of birds can be observed in the forest, especially along streams and springs.
Sports
There are a total of 30 campsites and eleven reservoirs that are suitable for sport fishing. There are 750 kilometers of trails and access to the summit of Harney Peak. With over 8000 kilometers of forest road to the Black Hills National Forest is also a paradise for motorized travel.