The Black Hills is an isolated mountain range in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, lying largely within Black Hills National Forest. The hills lie between the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche rivers and rise about 3,000 feet (900 metres) above the surrounding plains. They culminate in Black Elk Peak (7,242 feet [2,207 metres]), the highest point in South Dakota. The Black Hills formed as a result of an up-warping of ancient rock, after which the removal of the higher portions of the mountain mass by stream erosion produced the present-day topography. From a distance the rounded hilltops, well-forested slopes, and deep valleys present a dark appearance, giving them their name.
The Black Hills were a hunting ground and sacred territory of the Western Lakota Indians. At least portions of the region were also sacred to other Native American peoples—including the Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapaho—and the area had also been inhabited by the Crow. Rights to the region were guaranteed to Lakota and Arapaho by the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868. However, after a U.S. military expedition under George A. Custer discovered gold in the Black Hills in 1874, thousands of white gold hunters and miners swarmed into the area the following year. Native American resistance to that influx led to the Black Hills War (1876), the high point of which was the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Despite that Native American victory, the U.S. government was able to force the Sioux to relinquish their treaty rights to the Black Hills in 1877, by which time the Homestake Mine had become the largest gold mine in the United States.
Besides the old mining town of Deadwood and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Black Hills’ tourist attractions include the Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Custer State Park, all in South Dakota. Devil’s Tower National Monument is located in Wyoming.
Custer State Park, varied region of prairies and rugged mountains in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, U.S. With an area of 114 square miles (295 square km), it is among the largest state parks in the continental United States. Located about 20 miles (30 km) south of Rapid City and headquartered in Custer, it is bordered to the north and west by Black Hills National Forest and to the south by Wind Cave National Park. It was named for George Armstrong Custer, who led an expedition that discovered gold along French Creek in 1874. The park was designated a game preserve in 1913 and was made a state park in 1919, primarily through the work of Governor Peter Norbeck.
Custer State Park is known for its free-ranging bison herd. With some 1,500 animals, it is one of the largest bison herds in the world. Pronghorn, deer, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, burros, prairie dogs, coyotes, eagles, and wild turkeys are other residents of the park’s variety of habitats. The 18-mile (29-km) Wildlife Loop Road offers views of the animals, and bison often stop traffic as they cross. The Needles Highway is a twisting 14-mile (23-km) route through narrow tunnels and past needle like rock formations, including the Needles Eye, a granite spire some 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 metres) high with a small slit 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 metres) wide. The park offers hiking, biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding and has several resorts. Several hiking trails in the park lead to Black Elk Peak, which rises to 7,242 feet (2,207 metres) and is the highest point in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. The Black Hills Playhouse, affiliated with the University of South Dakota, presents theatrical productions during the summer. The annual Buffalo Roundup, held at the beginning of October, manages the bison population by herding the animals into corrals, where a number are chosen for sale at auction. Nearby are Badlands National Park, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Crazy Horse Memorial.