Hiking is one of my favorite things to do in the Black Hills. It’s easy to do almost any time of the year, you don’t need any fancy equipment, the views are amazing and you never know what you’re going to come across while you’re walking. And then there’s the bit about it being both exercise and fun - any combination like that rates pretty high in my book.
But having lived in the Black Hills for many years, I’m always trying to find new hikes. I mean, you can’t knock the classics (the hike up Harney Peak and along the Flume Trail are practically annual rituals), but it’s always fun to discover something new. Enter the folks at the Black Hills National Forest.
They’ve created a great program called Moon Walks. On one Saturday night each month during the summer, forest rangers take groups on guided hikes somewhere in the mountains. Sometimes they end up in abandoned mining towns, occasionally it’s a cave, or maybe it’s a beaver dam or fire lookout tower. According to the forest service, moon walks are designed to be a family vacation activity that introduces visitors to the cultural and natural history of the Black Hills.
I’d say it’s a big success, too. Rangers say that since 1996, over 6,000 people have attended Moon Walk programs in the Black Hills, with an average of about 100 people at each walk. That’s a nice-sized group: large enough that you can meet new people, but not so big that you feel crowded.
The Forest Service just released the 2008 Moon Walk schedule, which you’ll find below. All hikes are on a Saturday night (as close to the full moon as they can manage) at 7 p.m. They usually last an hour or two, and typically cover about a mile of ground.
May 24 - Amphibian Awareness and Conservation
Rangers say that Kermit the Frog had it right: it ain’t easy being green. The speaker will teach you how to recognize amphibian species by sight and sound, and he’ll discuss what makes these animals important to the ecosystem and how we can help them survive. This walk is located in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.
June 21 - South Dakota’s Wild Turkeys
Although this talk could just as easily be about morning radio show DJs or politicians, I understand the speaker is focusing on the bird. A wildlife biologist and author will discuss the distribution, origin, behavior, ecology and management of turkeys in the Black Hills. This walk is located in the French Creek Natural Area of Custer State Park.
July 19 - Wyoming’s Mount Moriah Cemetery
I’m just as surprised as you. Deadwood’s Boot Hill is pretty well-known, but I’ve never heard of a Mount Moriah in Wyoming. A local historian will connect the lives and names of early homesteaders in the Sundance, Wyoming, area with the names of prominent natural features in the Bearlodge Mountains. Sundance is about 30 miles west of Spearfish along Interstate 90.
August 16 - Pine Beetles and the Next Forest
Ah, the termites of ponderosa forests. Visitors will view the handiwork of the mountain pine beetle on a landscape scale while U.S. Forest Service entomologists discuss the distribution, ecology and management of these forest pests. This walk is located south of Deerfield Reservoir, about 10 miles west of Hill City.
September 13 - Conata Basin Management
You wouldn’t think that bringing the black-footed ferret back from near-extinction would be controversial, but it is. Here’s the deal: ferrets need to eat prairie dogs, and prairie dogs have a tendency to dig holes that can injure unsuspecting cows that wander into them, making them public enemy number one for ranchers. Find out more about this little battle, plus info about a recent land acquisition in the black-footed ferret recovery area and the ecology of the basin in this talk by The Nature Conservancy. This walk is located east of Scenic in the Conata Basin area of Badlands National Park.
Be Prepared: Half of the Moon Walk experience is just getting to the site. Drive slowly and give yourself time to enjoy scenic forest vistas and wildlife. Remember that a 30-mile drive through the forest on gravel roads could take up to an hour of driving time without stopping. Dress in layers because the weather in the Hills is often different than it is in Rapid City. It’s always a good idea to pack water and snacks for the return trip, especially if you’re bringing the whole family. Bring a flashlight for cloudy nights.
You can pick up Moon Walk brochures at any Forest Service office in the Black Hills, or you can get on a mailing list by calling the Mystic Ranger District at 605.343.1567.
The standard Forest Service disclaimer says that all Moon Walk times and places are subject to change due to the weather or other unforeseen circumstances. If in doubt, check a local newspaper or call a ranger office to confirm.
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I read a newspaper article once about a man (in Iowa, I think) who had a truck with a giant vacuum attachment for sucking prairie dogs out of their holes. The slightly dazed prairie dogs would then be transported to a location where they were less unwanted (off the pasture land, that is). I thought this was cute and funny and a lot more humane than, say, flooding them out or poisoning them, but then I found out they were transported to forests where black ferrets lived. Does that count as ordering in…?