Black Hills National Forest
Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, United States. This one stands 8 mi west of Hill City. Its history begins in 1897.
A national forest, 8 mi west of Hill City
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 11°, with about 67" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Hill City is the nearest base
Hill City is 8 miles east, with 38 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1897
Black Hills National Forest dates from 1897. About ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 70–80°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Here is how the weather at Black Hills National Forest changes month by month.
Black Hills National Forest
Black Hills National Forest is located in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, United States. The forest has an area of over 1.25 million acres (5,066 km2) and is managed by the Forest Service. Forest headquarters are located in Custer, South Dakota. There are local ranger district offices in Custer, Rapid City, and Spearfish in South Dakota, and in Sundance, Wyoming.
Predominantly ponderosa pine, the forest also includes hard woods like aspen, bur oak, and birch. The lower elevations include grassland prairie, but the National Forest System lands encompass most of the mountainous region known as the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Within the forest is Black Elk Peak which is the tallest mountain in South Dakota and the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States.
- Type
- National forest
- Established
- 1897
- Area
- 1,958 square miles
- Wikipedia readers
- 11K a year
Towns to stay in near Black Hills National Forest
Lodging nearby is in Hill City (38) and Custer (42).
Hill City
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
938 people
8 mi east of Black Hills National Forest
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Black Hills National Forest | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill City | 8 mi east | 10 min | 38 16 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 938 | $286K | — |
| Custer | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 42 14 hotels · 3 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 14 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 1,803 | $236K | — |
| Keystone | 15 mi east | 25 min | 32 16 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 268 | $264K | — |
| Rapid City | 27 mi east | 40 min | 76 58 hotels · 8 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 80,589 | $299K | D− |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 21 mi east | 30 min | 10 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 2,609 | $407K | — |
| Johnson Siding | 18 mi northeast | 25 min | 6 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 campgrounds | 704 | $472K | — |
| Lead | 29 mi north | 45 min | 21 6 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 13 lodges & cabins | 3,064 | $189K | B+ |
| Newcastle | 24 mi west | 35 min | 12 3 hotels · 5 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 3,349 | $179K | B− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Close to Black Hills National Forest
You can reach each of these within 67 miles.
Big draw114 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw29 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
Big draw67 mi National MonumentDevils Tower National Monument515K visitors a year
311 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
63 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
420 mi State parkCuster State Park
529 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a year615 mi National MonumentJewel Cave National Monument111K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Devils Tower National Monument: Ealdgyth, CC BY 3.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Questions about Black Hills National Forest
What town is Black Hills National Forest near?
Hill City, SD, about 8 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Black Hills National Forest?
June, July, August and September, with highs of 70–80°.
What is the closest airport to Black Hills National Forest?
Rapid City Regional (RAP), about 34 miles away.
Where should I stay near Black Hills National Forest?
Hill City (8 mi, 38 places to stay), Custer (13 mi, 42 places to stay) and Keystone (15 mi, 32 places to stay).
Tips from Hill City
Be the first to share a tip in Hill City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.