Buffalo Gap National Grassland
Managed by United States Forest Service
15,966 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Pi3.124 · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Scenic Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Scenic Township
37% of Scenic Township’s land is conserved, about 31,384 acres. 6,859 acres are parks and preserves, 129,411 per 1,000 residents. 5.7 miles of mapped trail cross Scenic Township.
Conserved land
37%
31,384 acres · of 134.1 sq mi of land
Trails
5.7 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,859 ac
129,411 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
7%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,015 ft
Heck Table
Lakes & rivers
1
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Badlands National Park
Managed by National Park Service
14,301 acres
Dogs usually limited
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Badlands Wilderness
Managed by National Park Service
7,528 acres
Dogs usually limited
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
31,384 conserved acres
37% of Scenic Township’s land. Who manages Scenic Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service15,955 ac
National Park Service14,324 ac
State land board654 ac
Bureau of Land Management452 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land12 ac
National Grassland · 15,955 acNational Park · 14,312 acState Resource Management Area · 654 acNational Public Lands · 452 acConservation Easement · 24 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 11 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Gap National Grassland National Grassland | U.S. Forest Service | 15,955 | Open |
| Badlands National Park National Park | National Park Service | 14,312 | Open |
| Sd Public Land State Resource Management Area | State land board | 654 | Open |
| South Dakota Field Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 452 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Scenic Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Scenic Township
Heck Table3,015 ft elevation · In Badlands National Park
DirectionsSeventyone Table2,877 ft elevation
DirectionsQuinn Table2,841 ft elevation
DirectionsKube Table2,782 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Josef and Marie Kudrna Homestead and RanchDistrict · listed 2015
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Scenic Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 68 | 79 | 87 | 87 | 78 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
December is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 3.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Scenic Township →
Next door
Scenic Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenic Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Imlay Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Crooked Creek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Scenic Township
Are dogs allowed on Scenic Township’s trails?
Buffalo Gap National Grassland and Badlands National Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Scenic Township?
139,249 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Scenic Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 22,585 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Scenic Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →