The Black Hills National Forest is an area steeped in rich cultural and historical importance. Archaeologists have found evidence of human activity in the area 10,000 years ago. It later served as a peaceful meeting place for warring tribes of natives.

Many fur traders and trappers used the area in the 1840s, and an Army expedition led to the discovery of gold in 1874.

Subsequently, it experienced a “boom” as settlers traveled here to strike it rich on Gen. George Custer’s find, despite a treaty with Native Americans that banned settlers from the area.

As the Sioux were outraged at the disregard for the recent treaty, twenty-thousand Native Americans showed up to meet commissioners sent from Washington, scaring them into abandoning all hope for securing the land. Instead, they asked to obtain mineral rights for the gold. The Native Americans refused—they wanted all settlers off their land.

In winter of 1875, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs issued a head-count of all natives in the area. The Sioux that did not meet the deadline were considered “hostile” and became a target for attacks. This hostility led to the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, only one year later.

Following severe forest fires in 1893, President Grover Cleveland created the Black Hills Forest Reserve in 1897, protecting the forest against fires, wasteful lumbering practices, and timber fraud. In 1907, it was renamed Black Hills National Forest after transferring control to the USDA Forest Service. Today, the land is used for recreation, water production, livestock grazing, and timber harvest, including 11 reservoirs, 30 campgrounds, 2 scenic byways, 1,300 miles of streams, 13,605 acres of wilderness, and over 450 miles of trails.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Hayley Benton.