Getting ThereĪccess to the Black Elk Wilderness Area can be from Highway 244 from the north, Highway 16A from the east, or Highway 87 from the south and west. Rattlesnakes are occasionally seen in the Black Hills, though not usually in the higher elevations. While these birds may be more obvious, another 200 species of birds inhabit the area. Large birds frequently seen include bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcons, and wild turkeys. Wildlife found in the Black Elk Wilderness includes mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, foxes, mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons, porcupines, marmots, and white tailed deer. The wilderness is surrounded by the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Custer State Park. The whole area is part of the Black Hills National Forest, and is managed by the National Forest Service's Hell Canyon Ranger District. In 1980, the Colorado Wilderness Act was passed by Congress, which included the establishment of the Black Elk Wilderness Area. The wilderness was first established as part of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, in 1920. The Black Elk Wilderness was named in honor of the Oglala Sioux holy man, Black Elk. They gave the area the name "Paha Sapa", meaning "hills that are black". The mountains were considered sacred to the Native American tribes. After that, the Sioux tribe moved into the Black Hills. The Black Hills were inhabited by many Native American tribes in ancient times, including the Ponca, Kiowa Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Kiowa, up to the late 1700's, when the smallpox epidemic broke the hold of the Arikara tribe. History of the Black Elk WildernessĪ small granite formation near the Horsethief Lake Trailhead There have been some problems with pine beetle infestation in parts of the wilderness, but measures are being taken to curb this and remove destroyed trees from key places. All mechanized forms of travel are prohibited in the wilderness area. There is a great abundance of excellent rock climbing opportunities in the wilderness area. Numerous trails weave through the wilderness, granting hikers and climbers access to this unspoiled area. The entire wilderness area is an incredibly beautiful area of towering granite columns, small streams, and thick forests of ponderosa pines, spruce and aspen. Those would include Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Cathedral Spires, Little Devils Tower, Horsethief Lake, and Sylvan Lake. However, several prominent Black Hills landmarks and features border the wilderness. There are not many other prominent landmarks actually within the boundaries besides Black Elk Peak and Elkhorn Mountain. Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak), the most prominent landmark in the Black Elk Wilderness, is an example of this. Precambrian rock formations, consisting of granites, slates, and schists, form the central core of the Black Hills. The Black Elk Wilderness is a 13,426-acre area at the center of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.
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