Dark Canyon
Is The Best Walk in South Dakota’s Black Hills?
I started with a map from the rental car service which clearly differentiated the Black Hills areas from the Plains. The perfect area would be a spot that I could get to quickly and have enough time for a good walk. This would have to occur after work and before darkness set in. I picked Thunderhead Falls, a tourist attraction in the town of Hisega. Hisega is on Route 44 just outside Rapid City and just inside the Hills. So after work the first day, I was on my way.
I found Thunderhead Falls was well marked and easy to get to, but it was closed. From what I could see, this place was too bounded by private property for a good walk. I walked for a while longer and then went on to find another spot. On my drive out I remembered seeing a very scenic spot off of Route 44, so I drove in that direction. When I saw the scenic area again, I turned onto a dirt road bearing the name “Falling Rock Road”. The road had a couple of turn around areas which would make a good spot to leave the car. I stopped at the second one and took a path leading into the woods.
The path took me up a slight incline but for the most part I was walking in a straight line. In less than five, I was walking up a small hill. At the top was a memorial to a child who had died here. From there I looked around and there it was – a magnificent canyon. It was picture perfect with steep cliffs, a river running through it (Rapid Creek), and various shades of green in every direction. Noticing the time was about 7:30pm, I wondered how much the day’s earlier sunshine added to the beauty. I maneuvered around to different vantage points and could see that on one side it was a long straight drop. Instinctively, I looked back at the memorial.
I thought about following Falling Rock Road for a while, but it would be dark soon and I was alone – I didn’t even see another hiker. During the drive back to town a plan was starting to form. I would return to this spot, go down into the valley and spend a few hours hiking through it. But unfortunately, my job situation didn’t allow me the time.
That night I did several internet searches to find out more about the area I was at. “Dark Canyon” came up a couple of times, but it was inconclusive. The next day I was able to check with a couple of Rapid City “old timers” and get a confirmation – I was definitely at Dark Canyon! I also learned that a few years back there was a party there and it became somewhat out of control, resulting in… the memorial. What I found intriguing was that there were few who knew of the canyon by name or location. However, one of the outdoors men explained it to me: “The scenery you saw is all through The Black Hills. You don’t need a map or directions to find it. There are canyons, cliffs, and waterfalls in every direction. You only saw a tiny fraction of what’s out there.” His last sentence resonated with me because I now know The Best Walk is out there – somewhere.
Filed under: South Dakota on June 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »
Due to business travel, I often find myself in Rapid City, South Dakota. During each stay work pressure competes for all of my time making walking a challenge. This is a shame because this state is nothing less than a paradise for walkers who enjoy great natural scenery. And I have taken some great walks here. However, most of my walks are at a Canyon Lake Park out of convenience. It’s a good park with walk ways and plenty of parking. The scenery is pretty good too, but it’s a distant second place to the beauty of the Bad Lands and the Black Hills. So when I leave work with an hour or two of spare time, Canyon Lake Park works just fine.
Rapid City is a very walker friendly place. There are paved and natural walkways all over the city. Most are in parks and offer good scenery, parking, picnic areas, and restrooms. Many of the parks connect through walk ways to other parks. Because Rapid City sits in the foothills of the Black Hills, the most of the scenery is inherent, but it is not without a few man made enhancements such as gardens and bridges.
Canyon Lake Park is easy to drive to. Just pull in and start walking. The Lake is in view as are the ducks in abundant supply. The area’s around the lake are well kept. You’ll find gardens, various recreation areas, streams, and woods. At the center of the lake is a gazebo reachable by causeway. General there aren’t any boats in the lake other than an occasional paddle boat. The walkways do not go completely around the lake. On the far side of the Lake there is a campground and a residential community. So it’s best to park at one end, walk to the other, then walk back.
This post is being written from Rapid City. So far I’ve been one walk at Canyon Lake, and have another planned after work tomorrow. It’s a good walk, but not the best. The Best Walk in South Dakota will be written about in another post. Please stay tuned.
