Centennial Trail, Lookout Point Loop, Wind Cave National Park, August 2024 The main draw of Wind Cave National Park in western South Dakota, of course, lies underground. But when the caverns are closed (as they were in summer 2024), the primary attraction becomes the twisting canyons and vast prairies on the surface. This is not …
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Black Elk Peak, Black Elk Wilderness, Black Hills National Forest, August 2024 At 7,241 feet, Black Elk Peak is South Dakota’s highest point and the tallest peak in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. The mountain (formerly known as Harney Peak) was a sacred place for the native Lakota and tops a band …
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Tower Trail, Devils Tower National Monument, August 2024 From the Bighorn Canyon area, I set out across the Bighorn Mountains and visited Little Bighorn Battlefield before leaving the Rockies behind. Traversing a whole lot of nothing between Buffalo, Wyoming and the Black Hills, I made it to Devils Tower National Monument in the late afternoon. …
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Cottonwood Creek Trail, BLM Lands (Wyoming), August 2024 After my afternoon in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, I went in search of a camping spot and settled on the modest (but free!) BLM campground at Cottonwood Creek, on the east side of Bighorn Lake. After sleeping amid the sagebrush, I ventured out in the morning …
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Barry's Island Trail, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, August 2024 Barry’s Island Trail, situated at the end of the paved road in Bighorn Canyon, was my third hike of the day and second in the park. I added a foray into the Medicine Creek/Davis Creek drainage, which was terrific but not recommended for those without …
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Rangers Delight Trail, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, August 2024 After the disappointing failed trek up to Pine Creek Lake, yours truly was in a bit of a rotten mood, but spirits were lifted after reaching Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, a charming and uncrowded park on the Montana-Wyoming border. Here I did a couple …
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Pine Creek Falls, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, August 2024 The real reason for my foray into Yellowstone National Park the previous day was to eventually end up at Pine Creek Campground in the Absaroka Mountains. Here I planned to spend the hike and take on the challenging 9.5-mile hike to Pine Creek Lake the following morning. But …
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Wraith Falls, Yellowstone National Park, August 2024 After spending much of the afternoon on the nearby Bunsen Peak Loop, I had a little time left in the day for a short walk. After recharging at Mammoth Hot Springs, I ventured partway east on Grand Loop Road and settled on this brief jaunt. In a park …
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Bunsen Peak Trail, Yellowstone National Park, August 2024 Heading south and east from the Bitterroot Range, I spent the night at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park and then--in a rather spontaneous move--set out for a day in Yellowstone, America’s first national park. The park, of course, is massive, so I bit off only a …
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Baker Lake, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Bitterroot National Forest, August 2024 After dropping Lisa at the airport in Missoula, I was riding solo for the rest of the cross-country trip, and after the 2.5 days in Glacier National Park, I set off southwards to explore a few other mountain ranges in Montana. After spending a stormy night …
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Live and Let Hike 