Trip planned for South Dakota
Aug 17, 2018 15:48:26 #
Perhaps not classic photo sites but worthy of a visit: (1.)Wall Drugs - one side of a city block that sells everything, & (2.) the Reptile Farm just north of Rapid City which supposedly has the greatest collection of venomous snakes in the world but also houses a nice arboretum and some bird shows.
Aug 17, 2018 19:24:20 #
Hi, Steve,
I’ve not read all the responses but I’d emphasize that as you leave the the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) do it by heading northward down Spearfish Canyon toward the town of Spearfish. The canyon has many pull-off with many canyon scenic photo ops.
When you get to Spearfish, take the most direct path to US Route 85 north and head for the Cave Hills in the National Forest north of the town of Buffalo in Harding County, the northwest-most county of our state. You’ll find rustic camping at the Picnic Spring Campground and wonderful hiking along the sandstone cliffs of the extensive mesas and buttes where many pre-tribal proto-indian petroglyphs can be found. Do watch your step: the occasional prairie rattler may be found along the trail, but they are timid and much prefer escape to confrontation. The one thing I am happy to say that you WON’T see are other sightseers. It is all off the beaten trail and gets most visitors during hunting season. Pronghorn “antelope” abound. It is also a great place to see raptors: prairie falcons, merlin’s, red-tails, Cooper’s hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, (and rarely goshawks), ferruginous hawks, harriers, kestrels, golden eagles, and turkey buzzards all nest within a circle of 20 mile radius centered in Schleichert Canyon in the North Cave Hills.
It is a gloriously scenic area generally overlooked by the more frenetic traditional scenic-freaks with a list of the better-known sceric attractions taped to their dashboards to be ticked-off.
Just a thought, if you have the time... and get tired of the press of humanity....
Best regards and have a wonderful trip.
Dave Graham
Estelline, SD
I’ve not read all the responses but I’d emphasize that as you leave the the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) do it by heading northward down Spearfish Canyon toward the town of Spearfish. The canyon has many pull-off with many canyon scenic photo ops.
When you get to Spearfish, take the most direct path to US Route 85 north and head for the Cave Hills in the National Forest north of the town of Buffalo in Harding County, the northwest-most county of our state. You’ll find rustic camping at the Picnic Spring Campground and wonderful hiking along the sandstone cliffs of the extensive mesas and buttes where many pre-tribal proto-indian petroglyphs can be found. Do watch your step: the occasional prairie rattler may be found along the trail, but they are timid and much prefer escape to confrontation. The one thing I am happy to say that you WON’T see are other sightseers. It is all off the beaten trail and gets most visitors during hunting season. Pronghorn “antelope” abound. It is also a great place to see raptors: prairie falcons, merlin’s, red-tails, Cooper’s hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, (and rarely goshawks), ferruginous hawks, harriers, kestrels, golden eagles, and turkey buzzards all nest within a circle of 20 mile radius centered in Schleichert Canyon in the North Cave Hills.
It is a gloriously scenic area generally overlooked by the more frenetic traditional scenic-freaks with a list of the better-known sceric attractions taped to their dashboards to be ticked-off.
Just a thought, if you have the time... and get tired of the press of humanity....
Best regards and have a wonderful trip.
Dave Graham
Estelline, SD
Aug 18, 2018 00:36:28 #
Steve DeMott
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri (Oakville area)
Uuglypher wrote:
Hi, Steve, br I’ve not read all the responses but ... (show quote)
Thanks Dave. I'll check that out. I don't believe anyone has suggested that.
Steve
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