Witness the natural beauty and living history of the Black Hills
The mountain range stretches from northeast Wyoming to southwest South Dakota, and is a time capsule of history stretching back thousands of years.
Black Hills in South Dakota boasts spectacular views of America
Black Hills in South Dakota boasts spectacular views of America. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray explores the beauty of the mountain range for National Great Outdoors Month.
BLACK HILLS NATIONAL PARK, S.D. – From its namesake landscape to larger-than-life monuments, the Black Hills is a treasure trove of history and wonder.
The mountain range stretches from northeast Wyoming to southwest South Dakota, and is a time capsule of history stretching back thousands of years.
The land was first visited by humans about 10,000 years ago. Over time, it became a hunting ground and sacred territory of the Western Sioux Indians. Part of the larger Sioux nation, the Western Sioux are also known by the dialect they speak – Lakota.
![Black Hills, South Dakota.]()
Image 1 of 4Black Hills, South Dakota. (Robert Ray)
![Black Hills, South Dakota.]()
Image 2 of 4Black Hills, South Dakota. (Robert Ray)
![Black Hills, South Dakota.]()
Image 3 of 4Black Hills, South Dakota. (Robert Ray)
![Black Hills, South Dakota.]()
Image 4 of 4Black Hills, South Dakota. (Robert Ray)
According to Lakota tradition, the Black Hills were formed as the Native Americans moved across the Great Plans and the trails pushing up the land. In doing so, they created the majestic landscape.
Upon this landscape was born one of the most famous Sioux, the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. According to the National Park Service, Crazy Horse was likely born about 1840, and he became famous for his leadership and prowess on the battlefield.
Construction of the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. Note how his face and left hand are already carved into the mountain.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
His legacy can be found in stone in the Black Hills, where the Crazy Horse Memorial is being carved into the face of Thunderhead Mountain. Dedicated in 1948, the memorial will feature the Lakota warrior riding his horse, measuring 563 feet tall and 641 feet long once completed.
TRAVEL TO MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL
Several miles east, another monumental tribute to history can be found in the Black Hills. Completed in 1941, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial features 60-foot-tall faces of four U.S. presidents, who sculptor Gutzon Borglum believed symbolized what was then the 150-year history of the country.
Mount Rushmore.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
Today, visitors to the Black Hills can see a bit of living history in the town of Deadwood. Located on the northern end of the Black Hills National Forest, Deadwood was founded in the 1800s, serving as both a home and party town for gold miners. Today, it still captures the feeling of the Old West.
Deadwood, South Dakota.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
Similar to the miners who looked to strike it rich out West, the weather in Deadwood and throughout the Black Hills can be just as rowdy. For example, about 16 feet of snow can fall in October, and then two days later, 70-degree temperatures can hit and melt the snow away.
With its wild weather, history of the Old American West and its natural beauty, the Black Hills continue to captivate.