Black Hills National Forest

Location: Western SD
Strenuous. 4.7 mi w/ ~2,300′
Front country: tent camping in a designated campground

This is a leader training project is open to women only. Join us for a week of trail maintenance & downed tree removal near Black Elk Peak, South Dakota’s highest point. 

This project is sponsored by:

Service Project Details

This project is open to women only. We will be maintaining Trail 9 North, which provides access to Black Elk Peak, South Dakota’s highest point. Work will include general trail maintenance and removing downed trees from the trail.

This project is grant-funded and scholarships are available to all participants. Please complete a scholarship application here, in addition to applying for this project below. You must complete both a volunteer application and a scholarship application to hold your place on the Waitlist. Once your application is approved, a $100 fully refundable deposit will be due within 14 days. Please contact us at info@wildernessvolunteers.org or carrie@wildernessvolunteers.org with any questions.

This project is part of our grant-funded Empowering Women and Developing Leaders through the National Forest & Grassland Stewardship project and is made possible by support from the National Forest Foundation and Athletic Brewing’s Two for the Trails grant. Through this project, we seek to increase female participation in stewardship and empower women to become leaders in outdoor spaces. By offering women-only projects, we seek to give women a safe space to offer their own ideas, step into leadership roles, and have a stronger sense of accomplishment and ownership over the stewardship projects. 

Receive leader training for future Wilderness Volunteers projects during this project. We are specifically looking for people who are comfortable and competent in outdoor settings, are people-oriented, and feel a strong sense of giving something back. Like a typical project, we’ll conduct four days of service work and a free day with leadership topics covered around the work project and basecamp. Participants will learn about planning and cooking for groups, working with the agencies, managing risks, teaching Leave No Trace and more.

Once you’ve completed this leadership course, you will be eligible to co-lead Wilderness Volunteers projects around the country. After you’ve led your first trip, you’ll also be eligible for a refund of your Leader Training project fee. Volunteer leaders do not pay trip fees on trips they are leading and receive modest reimbursement for travel to the projects they staff.

Our project in Black Hills National Forest focuses on trail maintenance on Trail 9 North, which provides access to Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota. Its sister trail, Trail No. 9 South, is the more popular route up the peak. Trail No. 9N is less traveled, as it is longer, steep, and rugged. The trail has fallen into disarray, as a horse-permitted trail that has been heavily impacted by horse use. Many of the trail’s water bars and erosion control structures have not been maintained and are not functioning properly, causing water damage. Maintaining this trail is a high priority for the Forest, but machinery cannot be used in the Black Elk Wilderness and the trail’s remoteness and ruggedness make it difficult for foot crews to access. 

Work will include trail maintenance, including installing and maintaining water bars, brushing the trail, and removing downed trees from the trail.

Project Leaders: Aidalicia Swertfeger and Andrea Fountain

Agency Website 

Planned Itinerary

Sunday, October 5th. The Volunteer group meets in the afternoon at a time/place TBD. The group will go through check-in, introductions, an orientation, and will help set up camp and prepare for the work week ahead.

Monday, October 6th. Workday.

Tuesday, October 7th. Workday.

Wednesday, October 8th. Day off.

Thursday, October 9th. Workday.

Friday, October 10th. Workday.

Saturday, October 11th. Break down camp, goodbyes, and depart.

Nearest Cities
Hill City, SD
Keystone, SD

Nearest Airports
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) – ~40 miles away
Casper-Natrona County International Airport (CPR) – ~220 miles away
Denver Airport (DEN) – ~365 miles away
Sioux Falls International Airport (FSD) – ~372 miles

Free Time Details

Spend your free day hiking the numerous trails in nearby Custer State Park (across the street) and Black Hills National Forest. We will be a short distance from Black Elk Peak, South Dakota’s highest peak, and many other beautiful trails. Rent a kayak and take it for a spin on Stockade Lake, Sheridan Lake, Pactola Lake, or Sylvan Lake – or take a scenic drive on Needles Highway. We are a short drive to Crazy Horse Monument, Mount Rushmore Monument, Wind Cave, Jewell Cave, and Rushmore Cave. A bit further away is the Mammoth Site (Hot Springs, SD), historic Deadwood, SD, Spearfish Canyon, and Badlands National Park.

Accommodations

Front country: tent camping in a designated campground

Difficulty

Task Details

Equipment List