Workshops
& Hiking Trecx
Trecx Descriptions
Workshop:
RU New2
the Black Hills and Rapid City?
New to the area? Discover the best hidden gems your neighborhood has to offer!
Do you wish you knew more about living in the Rapid City region? This 90 minute explore-your-new-home workshop will give you the tools you need to take advantage of all that living in the Black Hills region offers. We’ll also help demystify local vocabulary—like neighborhood names and key landmarks—to ensure you feel right at home. If you are eager to explore more but aren’t sure where to begin, this workshop will help you get jumpstarted with tips for navigating the Hills, and guide your next steps to hiking, camping, biking, and paddling. This workshop is free (donations accepted), staffed by volunteers as a service to new residents. Registration is required for attendance, and seating is limited.
Workshop:
RU New2
South Dakota?
New to the area? Discover the best hidden gems your state has to offer!
Do you wish you knew more about living in South Dakota? This session, Part II for the RUNew2 series, will give you the tools you need to explore the state of South Dakota. We’ll also help demystify location vocabulary—like statewide names and key landmarks—to ensure you feel right at home. If you are eager to explore more but aren’t sure where to begin, this workshop will help you get jumpstarted with tips for navigating state, and guide your next steps to hiking, camping, biking, and paddling. This workshop is free (donations accepted), staffed by volunteers as a service to new residents. Registration is required for attendance, and seating is limited.
Trecx Difficulty
Easy
Medium/Hard
Difficult Logistics (limited parking, RestR access)
Storybook area & 1972 Rapid City Flood (Cell phone setup required)
Amphitheatre Trail (east Skyline)
Dino trails (west Skyline)
M Hill–Cowboy Hill–Hanson Larson Memorial Park (Above Founder’s Park)
Rockerville Flume Trail (15 minute drive)
Rock Maze (Nemo Road, 35 min drive)
Pactola Osprey trail (Pactola Lake Campground parking pass, 45 min drive)
Centennial Trail near Sheridan Lake (turning Aspens in October, 25 min drive)
Spring Creek (Sheridan Lake, 25 min drive)
Lover’s Leap (Custer State Park fee , 65 min drive)
Bear Butte (State Park fee, 40 min drive)
Poet’s Table (State Park fee, 60 min drive, short but steep, short ladder)
Little Devil’s Tower (State Park fee, 60 min drive, rock scramble at top)
Green Mountain 3rd Highest (70 min drive with gravel, trail not always clear)
Grand Vista (Bear Mountain Fire Lookout 4th Highest, 80 min drive with rough gravel and 5.5 mile hike)
Badlands SaddlePass/Conata (National Park fees, 90 min drive, two hiking areas)
Sylvan Peak (very limited parking-carpool, steep climb, no marked trail)
Trecx: Amphitheater Hike
Amphitheater Trail is one of several dirt trails winding up and down Skyline Wilderness Area (Map and description) Rapid City Parks system. Historically, the amphitheater terraces were built in the 1930’s as an outdoor theater but have become unused and overgrown. The hike is relatively short (1-2 miles) but has a rise and decline of several hundred feet. We will stop at the historical marker and go off the trail at times to look closer at the terraces. The hike includes beautiful vista views of Rapid City’s east side. The trails are unpaved dirt trails with some uneven ground off trail, so you will need to be able walk up non-path inclines. Shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops).
Trecx:
Rapid City Flood Walk
The Storybook/Rapid City Flood Walk focuses on one area, currently a park, that used to be a neighborhood of houses before the devastation of the 1972 Rapid City Flood. We encourage all participants to download a free program Avenza and then download the overhead image after the flood. Using the app on your smartphone as we walk allows you to see how things have changed since that tragedy. Next we will work our way over to the Mary Hall trail maintained by Kiwanis, then end up back at Storybook. This walk will be a mix of open grass areas and paved paths about 3 miles total on reasonably level ground. No loose sandals or flip/flops.
Trecx:
Dinosaur Park Trails
Dinosaur Hill/Park trails are part of the Skyline Wilderness Area (Map and description) on the west side of Skyline. This network of trails cover much more than Dinosaur Park, but you can climb to the park as part of the journey. The easiest trailhead access is from a parking lot one block off Jackson Blvd near the Baken Park area. You can also climb up to the parking lot of the Amphitheater Trail and cross over to the east side of Skyline. While the thought of climbing up the steep hillside from the bottom may seem daunting, the trails zig-zag in small increments that make the hike very doable. The trails are unpaved dirt trails with some uneven ground. Shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops).
Trecx:
Badlands Saddle Pass & Conata Trails
Badlands Saddle Pass and Conata Trails are two hikes within the Badlands National Park that provide a unique experience. The Saddle Pass is short but steep climb from the base of the badlands to a beautiful vista. The Conata trail is at the base of the western Badlands, that provides a feel for the intermix of prairie with the clay formations. Saddle Pass is a steep trail on the clay formation soil (which can be slick at times as it is less stable than rock), with some sections requiring hands to help climb over hip-high rock steps. On the steep sections, shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops). Total hike distance for both trails is approximately 3 miles. Rattlesnakes are more prevalent in the Badlands. Driving into the Badlands requires a National Park Pass (note there are free military passes).
Trecx:
Rock Maze
Rock Maze is a short off-trail hike to a fascinating maze-like formation of cliffs in a confined area. Great for the curious who like to explore mazes or watch others from above. Shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops). Walking distance is short but experiencing the maze requires use of hands to crawl up and over tall rocks.
Trecx:
Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park
Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park (description and map) is owned by a nonprofit not associated with any government agency. This has a large network of trails over 300 acres. This includes the site of the SD School of Mines and Technology logo and plaques with the names of all the graduates. You begin at Founder’s Park (parking on the south side of the creek or the north side of the creek) to access the trail network. There are beautiful overviews of Rapid City and surrounding area. Rattlesnakes are rare but have been sighted there.
Trecx:
Poet’s Table
Poet’s Table is a hidden gem for locals of the Black Hills. The destination is a shelf on a rock cliff with a beautiful view. The path we take is a loop up to PT and down another path. We will pass by a spring-fed trickle waterfall as we climb through cracks in the cliff wall via a short homemade ladder. The hike is short but steep, needing hands and feet for crawling over logs and scrambling over big rocks (even on the trail), to crawl up through the cliff walls. Shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are highly recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops). Requires a state park pass.
Trecx:
Little Devil’s Tower
Little Devil’s Tower at just under 6900 feet elevation is a mini version of Black Elk Peak nearby, including breathtaking views of Cathedral Spires and surrounding area. Part of the summit includes views over sheer cliffs several hundred feet tall (may not be great for people with fear of heights). The beginning is rocky dirt trail with the last part of the journey turning into a scrambling climb on rocky slopes and crawling over rock shelves at least head height, but the view Is worth the effort. Approximately 3 miles and about 3.5 hours. Shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are highly recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops). Requires a state park pass.
Trecx:
Little Elk Creek Trail
Little Elk Creek Trail is a beautiful canyon hike up and back, with a dirt trail that follows the creek up the canyon. If we go all the way to Dalton Lake, it is about 6+ miles and an elevation rise of up to 800 feet. There are beautiful canyon walls and occasional small creek cascades, but the creek level can vary depending on time of year. The challenge is the elevation rise and keeping up with the group of hikers. Be wary of poison ivy. Shoes with better grip than tennis shoes are recommended (no loose sandals or flip/flops).