쉬운 미드 카운티 하이킹 및 워킹 코스

Bear Butte is a beautiful hike and a site of religious significance to the Lakota and Cheyenne tribes. The climb is steep but the rock formations and sweeping views of the Black Hills are well worth it. You may see prayer cloths along the trail—these are offerings from members of local tribes.

Bear Butte is at the outpost of the Black Hills. It is from its summit that the Centenary trail begins. The exceptional view allows you to clearly distinguish the great plains and the ancient traces left by the convoys of European settlers. This hill called Mato Paha, “Bear Mountain” by the Lakotas and Noahvose, “the medicine lodge” by the Cheyennes, is a sacred site where vision quests are practiced. We must be very respectful of the place. The numerous offerings of tobacco wrapped in colorful fabrics are there to testify to the importance of the site. Bear Butte has been a state park since 1961.

The M Hill in Rapid City is linked to the South Dakota Mines. In 1912 the students of the university put up a huge "M" on top of the hill to draw attention to the university. Nowadays, it's a famous landmark of the city.

From the center of Rapid City, Roosevelt Park is located just a little bit to the east, what makes it the perfect location to get "outdoors" without leaving the city. For the younger ones, the park offers a playground as well.

Chuck Lien Family Park covers a similar area as Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park, a little further to the north. Its main highlight is M Hill, but besides that there are a lot of very nice trails to hike in the area!

All trails inside Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park are quite easy to hike, and there is not much gain in elevation. From the northern part of the trail, it's just a very small hike back to the parking lot.

The Outdoor Campus - Rapid City hosts different programs and courses over the year to educate children and adults about hunting, fishing and other outdoor skills. In addition, there are about 1.5 miles of trails to enjoy the park every day.

The Memorial contains different engraved plaques for veterans of different wars (e.g. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam War).