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{{About|the region in South Dakota|other places}}
{{pp-move-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Infobox mountain range
| name = Black Hills
| photo=Black Elk Wilderness South Dakota 5.jpg
| photo_caption=The Black Hills, South Dakota, United States
| country=United States
| region_type=State
| region=South Dakota
| geology=shale| geology1=sandstone| geology2=limestone| geology3=slate| geology4=quartzite| geology5=granite
| period=Precambrian| period1=Paleozoic| period2=Mesozoic| period3=Cenozoic| period4=Tertiary
| orogeny=Laramide orogeny
| area_mi2=5000
| length_mi=
| width_mi =
| length_orientation=northwest-southeast
| coordinates={{coord|43|59|N|103|45|W|type:mountain_region:US-SD_dim:200000|display=inline,title}}
| highest=Harney Peak
| elevation_ft=7242
| map=Shaded_relief_map_of_Black_Hills,_SD,_Topographic-NatAtlas-BHills-SD.jpg
| map_caption=Satellite image with shaded relief map of Black Hills in west South Dakota.
}}

The '''Black Hills''' (''Pahá Sápa'' in [[Lakota language|Lakota]], ''Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva'' in [[Cheyenne language|Cheyenne]], ''awaxaawi shiibisha'' in [[Hidatsa language|Hidatsa]]<ref>{{Cite web
| title = Hidatsa Lessons Vocab2
| work = Hidatsa Language Program
| accessdate = 2012-07-17
| url = http://www.neiu.edu/~linguist/hidatsa_lessons_vocab2.html#villages_dwellings_and_towns_i
}}</ref>) are a small, isolated [[mountain range]] rising from the [[Great Plains]] of [[North America]] in western [[South Dakota]] and extending into [[Wyoming]], [[United States|USA]].<ref>{{cite gnis|1267020|Black Hills}}</ref> [[Harney Peak]], which rises to {{convert|7244|ft|m}}, is the range's highest summit.<ref>
{{cite ngs
| id = OT0810
| designation = Harney
| accessdate = 2011-05-10 }}</ref> The Black Hills encompass the [[Black Hills National Forest]] and are home to the tallest peaks of continental North America east of the Rockies. The name "Black Hills" is a translation of the [[Lakota language|Lakota]] ''Pahá Sápa''.  The hills were so-called because of their dark appearance from a distance, as they were covered in trees.<ref>[http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/faq/index.shtml#q2 Black Hills National Forest - Frequently Asked Questions<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Native Americans have a long history in the Black Hills.  After conquering the [[Cheyenne]] in 1776, the [[Lakota people|Lakota]] took over the territory of the Black Hills, which became central to their culture. In 1868, the U.S. government signed the [[Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868]], exempting the Black Hills from all white settlement forever. However, when European Americans discovered [[gold]] there in 1874, as a result of [[George Armstrong Custer]]'s Black Hills Expedition, erstwhile miners swept into the area in a [[gold rush]]. The US government re-assigned the Lakota, against their wishes, to other reservations in western South Dakota. Unlike most of South Dakota, the Black Hills were settled by European Americans primarily from population centers to the west and south of the region, as miners flocked there from earlier gold boom locations in Colorado and Montana. 

As the economy of the Black Hills has shifted from natural resources (mining and timber), the hospitality and tourism industry has grown to take its place. Locals tend to divide the Black Hills into two areas: "The Southern Hills" and "The Northern Hills". The Southern Hills is home to [[Mount Rushmore National Memorial]], [[Wind Cave National Park]], [[Jewel Cave National Monument]], [[Harney Peak]] (the highest point east of the Rockies), [[Custer State Park]] (the largest state park in South Dakota, and one of the largest in the US), the [[Crazy Horse Memorial]] (the largest sculpture in the world), and the [[Mammoth Site, Hot Springs|Mammoth Site in Hot Springs]], the world’s largest mammoth research facility. Attractions in the Northern Hills include historic [[Deadwood, South Dakota|Deadwood]] and the [[Sturgis Motorcycle Rally]], held each August. The first Rally was held on August 14, 1938 and the 65th Rally in 2005 saw more than 550,000 bikers visit the Black Hills.  It is a key part of the regional economy. Motorcycle riders are also attracted to the Black Hills simply for the many miles of awe-inspiring scenery.<ref name="Joe Berk">{{cite web|url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/touring-destinations/ride-the-black-hills.aspx|title=Riding the Black Hills|publisher=Motorcycle Classics|accessdate=2009-08-05|date=January/February 2009|author=Joe Berk}}</ref> While not in South Dakota, the [[Devils Tower National Monument]] located in the Wyoming Black Hills is an important nearby attraction. Devils Tower is the nation’s first national monument.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ray H.|last=Mattison|url=http://www.nps.gov/deto/historyculture/places.htm|title=The First Fifty Years|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|year=1955|accessdate=January 19, 2012}}</ref>

==History==
[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] have inhabited the area since at least 7000 BC. The [[Arikara]] arrived by 1500 AD, followed by the [[Cheyenne]], [[Crow Nation|Crow]], [[Kiowa]] and [[Pawnee people|Pawnee]]. The [[Lakota people|Lakota]] (also known as [[Sioux]]) arrived from [[Minnesota]] in the 18th century and drove out the other tribes, who moved west.<ref>"[http://www.pbs.org/buffalowar/buffalo1.html The Buffalo War]". PBS: Public Broadcasting Service.</ref> They claimed the land, which they called ''HeSapa'' (Black Mountains). The mountains commonly became known as the Black Hills. 

[[Image:Custerblackhills.jpg|thumb|left|Gold miners in the Black Hills.]]

The first European explorers to see the Black Hills were probably the French explorers [[François de La Vérendrye|François]] and [[Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye|Louis de La Vérendrye]] in 1743, but it was not until 1823 that [[Jedediah Smith]] traveled through them.{{Copyvio link}}<ref>"[http://www.nps.gov/archive/wica/History_of_the_Black_Hills.htm History of the Black Hills]". U.S. National Park Service.</ref> After the public discovery of [[gold]] in the 1870s, European Americans increasingly encroached on Lakota territory.  The conflict over control of the region sparked the [[Black Hills War]], the last major [[Indian Wars|Indian War]] on the Great Plains.  The 1868 [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)|Treaty of Fort Laramie]] had previously confirmed the [[Lakota people|Lakota]]'s ownership of the Teton Sioux mountain range.  Both the Sioux and Cheyenne claimed rights to the land, saying that in their cultures, it was considered the ''[[axis mundi]]'', or sacred center of the world.

Although rumors of [[gold]] in the Black Hills had circulated for decades (see Thoen Stone and [[Pierre-Jean De Smet]]), it was not until 1874 that Brevet Major General [[George Armstrong Custer]] of the [[7th US Cavalry]] led an expedition there and discovered gold in [[French Creek (South Dakota)|French Creek]].  An official announcement of gold was made by the newspaper reporters accompanying the expedition.  The following year, the [[Newton-Jenney Party]] conducted the first detailed survey of the Black Hills.  The surveyor for the party, Dr. [[Valentine McGillycuddy]], was the first European American to ascend to the top of [[Harney Peak]].  This highest point in the Black Hills is 7242 feet above sea level.

During the 1875&ndash;1878 [[Black Hills Gold Rush|gold rush]], thousands of miners went to the Black Hills; in 1880, the area was the most densely populated part of [[Dakota Territory]].  There were three large towns in the Northern Hills: [[Deadwood, South Dakota|Deadwood]], [[Central City, South Dakota|Central City]], and [[Lead, South Dakota|Lead]].  Around these were groups of smaller gold camps, towns, and villages.  [[Hill City, South Dakota|Hill City]] and [[Custer, South Dakota|Custer City]] sprang up in the Southern Hills.  Railroads were quickly constructed to the previously remote area.  From 1880 on, the gold mines yielded about $4,000,000 annually, and the silver mines about $3,000,000 annually.
[[Image:Inyan-Kara.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Inyan Kara Mountain|Inyan Kara]]'' is a sacred mountain to Lakota.]]
Following the defeat of the Lakota and their [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] allies in 1876, the United States took control of the region, in violation of the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The Lakota never accepted the validity of the US appropriation.  They continue to try to reclaim the property.<ref>{{Cite video
| publisher = Centre Communications ; Irwindale, Calif. : distributed by Barr Films
| title = Eyanopopi: The Heart of the Sioux
| accessdate = 2012-12-03
| date = 1988
| url = http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/how/find/films/indian/e.html
}}</ref>

On July 23, 1980, in ''[[United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians]]'', the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] ruled that the Black Hills were illegally taken and that remuneration of the initial offering price plus interest &mdash; nearly $106 million &mdash; be paid.  The Lakota refused the settlement as they wanted the Black Hills returned to them.  The money remains in an interest-bearing account, which now amounts to over $757 million, but the Lakota still refuse to take the money.  They believe that accepting the settlement would allow the U.S. Government to justify taking ownership of the Black Hills.

In 2012, [[United Nations]] [[United Nations Special Rapporteur|Special Rapporteur]] [[James Anaya]] conducted a 12-day tour of Native Americans' land, to determine how the [[United States]] is faring on the [[United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]], endorsed by the [[Obama administration|administration]] of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] in 2010.  Mr. Anaya met with tribes in seven states on reservations and in urban areas, as well as with members of the Obama administration and the [[Senate Committee on Indian Affairs]].  Mr. Anaya tentatively recommended the return of lands to some tribes, including the Black Hills to the Sioux.  His full official report with recommendations is due in September 2012.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17966113 BBC News - UN official calls for US return of native land]</ref><ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/04/us-usa-indigenous-un-idUSBRE8431Q220120504 Reuters - U.S. must heal native people's wounds, return lands: U.N.]</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/04/us-stolen-land-indian-tribes-un?newsfeed=true The Guardian - US should return stolen land to Indian tribes, says United Nations]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140134/Mount-Rushmore-list-sacred-land-UN-says-returned-Native-Americans.html?ito=feeds-newsxml Daily Mail - Could the U.S. give up Mount Rushmore? Iconic site is on list of 'sacred land' UN says must be returned to Native Americans]</ref>

==Geology==
[[Image:Black-Hills-Road.jpg|thumb|right|The Black Hills are marked by vistas of adjacent prairie and mountains, c. 1990s]]
The [[geology]] of the Black Hills is complex. A [[Tertiary]] mountain-building episode is responsible for the uplift and current [[topography]] of the Black Hills region.  This uplift was marked by [[volcano|volcanic]] activity in the northern Black Hills.  The southern Black Hills are characterized by [[Precambrian]] [[granite]], [[pegmatite]], and [[metamorphic rock|metamorphic]] rocks that comprise the core of the entire Black Hills uplift.  This core is rimmed by [[Paleozoic]], [[Mesozoic]], and [[Cenozoic]] [[sedimentary]] rocks.  The [[stratigraphy]] of the Black Hills is laid out like a target, as it is an oval [[Dome (geology)|dome]], with rings of different rock types [[Strike and dip|dipping]] away from the center.

===Precambrian===
[[Image:Harneygranite.jpg|thumb|left|The granite core of the Black Hills rises {{convert|7244|ft|m}} at [[Harney Peak]]]]
The 'bulls eye' of this target is called the [[granite]] core.  The granite of the Black Hills was emplaced by [[magma]] generated during the [[Trans-Hudson orogeny]] and contains abundant pegmatite.  The core of the Black Hills has been [[Radiometric dating|dated]] to 1.8 billion years. There are other localized deposits that have been dated to around 2.2 to 2.8 billion years.  One of these is located in the northern hills.  It is called Elk Creek Granite although it has been metamorphosed into [[gneiss]].  The other is called the Bear Mountain complex, and it is located in the west central part of the hills.
[[Image:Pcdeadwoodcontact.jpg|thumb|right|Angular unconformity near Rapid City]]
Making a concentric ring around the core is the [[Metamorphic rock|metamorphic]] zone. The rocks in this ring are all very old, as much as 2 billion years and older. This zone is very complex, filled with many diverse rock types.  The rocks were originally [[sedimentary]], until there was a collision between the North American continent and a [[terrane]]. This collision, called the Trans-Hudson Orogeny, caused the original rocks to fold and twist into a vast mountain range. Over the millions of years, these tilted rocks, which in many areas are tilted to 90 degrees or more, eroded.  Today we see the evidence of this erosion in the Black Hills, where the metamorphic rocks end in an angular [[unconformity]] below the younger sedimentary layers.

===Paleozoic===
The final layers of the Black Hills consist of sedimentary rocks.  The oldest lie on top of the metamorphic layers at a much shallower angle.  This rock called the Deadwood Formation is mostly [[sandstone]] and was the original source of [[gold]] found in the [[Deadwood, South Dakota|Deadwood]] area.  Above the Deadwood Formation lies the Englewood Formation and Pahasapa [[limestone]], which is the source of the more than 200 [[caves]] found in the Black Hills, including [[Jewel Cave]] and [[Wind Cave]].  The Minnelusa Formation is next and is composed of highly variable sandstones and limestones followed by the Opeche [[shale]] and the Minnekahta limestone.

===Mesozoic===
The next rock layer, the Spearfish Formation, forms a valley around the hills called the Red Valley and is often referred to as the Race Track.<ref name=redvalley>{{cite gnis|1267034|Red Valley}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-black-hills-national-forest-rapid-city-sidwcmdev_066660.html |title=Black Hills National Forest - Environment |work=http://www.gorp.com |accessdate=2010-07-27}}</ref> It is mostly red [[shale]] with beds of [[gypsum]], and circles much of the Black Hills. These shale and gypsum beds as well as the nearby [[limestone]] beds of the Minnekahta are used in the manufacture of [[cement]] at a cement plant in [[Rapid City, South Dakota|Rapid City]]. Next is the shale and sandstone [[Sundance Formation]], which is topped by the [[Morrison Formation]] and the Unkpapa sandstone.

The outermost feature of the dome stands out as a [[hogback (geology)|hogback ridge]].  The ridge is made out of the Lakota Formation and the Fallriver sandstone, which are collectively called the [[Inyan Kara Mountain|Inyan Kara]] Group.  Above this, the layers of rocks are less distinct and are all mainly grey shale with three exceptions: the Newcastle sandstone; the Greenhorn limestone, which contains many [[shark teeth]] [[fossil]]s; and the Niobrara Formation, which is composed mainly of [[chalk]].  These outer ridges are called [[cuesta]]s.

===Cenozoic===
[[Image:Fallingrock.jpg|thumb|right|Fallingrock cliff on Dark Canyon. It is Paleozoic in age but is capped with a Cenozoic gravel terrace.]]
The preceding [[stratum|layers]] were deposited in a horizontal manner. All of them can be seen in core samples and well logs from the flattest parts of the [[Great Plains]]. It took a period of [[Tectonic uplift|uplift]] to bring them to their present topographical levels in the Black Hills. This uplift, called the [[Laramide orogeny]], began around the beginning of the [[Cenozoic]] and left a line of [[igneous]] rocks through the northern hills superimposed on the rocks already discussed. This line extends from [[Bear Butte]] in the east to [[Devils Tower National Monument|Devils Tower]] in the west. Evidence of Cenozoic [[volcanic]] eruptions, if this happened, has long since been eroded away.

The Black Hills also have a "skirt" of [[gravel]] covering them in areas, which are called [[erosional terrace]]s.  Formed as the waterways cut down into the uplifting hills, they represent the former locations of today's rivers.  These beds are generally around 10,000 years old or younger, judging by the artifacts and fossils found.  A few places, mainly in the high elevations, are older, as old as 20 million years, according to camel and rodent fossils found.  Some gravels have been found but for the most part, these older beds have been eroded away.

==Biosystems==
As with the geology, the biology of the Black Hills is complex.  Most of the Hills are a fire-climax [[Ponderosa Pine]] forest, with [[White Spruce|Black Hills Spruce]] (''Picea glauca'' var. ''densata'') occurring in cool moist valleys of the Northern Hills.  Oddly, this [[Endemism|endemic]] variety of spruce does not occur in the moist [[Bear Lodge Mountains]], which make up most of the Wyoming portion of the Black Hills.  Large open parks (mountain meadows) with lush grassland rather than forest are scattered through the Hills (especially the western portion), and the southern edge of the Hills, due to the rainshadow of the higher elevations, are covered by a dry pine [[savannah]], with stands of [[Mountain Mahogany]] and [[Rocky Mountain Juniper]].  Wildlife is both diverse and plentiful.  Black Hills creeks are known for their trout, while the forests and grasslands offer good habitat for [[American Bison]], White-tailed and Mule [[Deer]], [[Pronghorn]], [[Bighorn Sheep]], [[mountain lion]]s, and a variety of smaller animals, like [[prairie dogs]], [[American Marten]], [[Red Squirrel]]s, [[Northern Flying Squirrel]]s, [[Yellow-bellied Marmot]]s, and [[Fox Squirrel]]s.  Biologically, the Black Hills is a meeting and mixing place, with species common to regions to the east, west, north, and south.  The Hills do, however, support some endemic taxa, the most famous of which is probably [[White-winged Junco]] (''Junco hyemalis aikeni''). Some other endemics are Cooper's Rockymountain Snail, Blackhills supspecies of  [[Red-Bellied Snake]], and a Blackhills subspecies of [[Southern Red-Backed Vole]]. Some birds that are only in The Black Hills and not the rest of [[South Dakota]] are [[Pinyon Jay]], [[Gray Jay]], [[Three-Toed Woodpecker]], [[Black-backed Woodpecker]], [[American Dipper]], [[Ruffed Grouse]], and others.

==Tourism and economy==
[[Image:Black Hills, Mount Rushmore National Park.jpg|thumb|The Black Hills opposite [[Mount Rushmore]]]]
[[Image:Homestake works mine 1889.jpg|thumb|The Homestake Mine in 1889]]
The region is home to [[Mount Rushmore National Memorial]], [[Wind Cave National Park]], [[Jewel Cave National Monument]], [[Harney Peak]] (the highest point east of the Rockies), [[Custer State Park]] (the largest state park in South Dakota, and one of the largest in the US), [[Bear Butte State Park]], [[Devils Tower National Monument]], and the [[Crazy Horse Memorial]]. The Black Hills also hosts the [[Sturgis Motorcycle Rally]] each August.  The Rally was started in 1940 and the 65th Rally in 2005 saw more than 550,000 bikers visit the Black Hills.  It is a key part of the regional economy. Motorcycle riders are also attracted to the Black Hills simply for the many miles of awe-inspiring scenery.<ref name="Joe Berk"/>

The [[George S. Mickelson Trail]] is a recently opened multi-use path through the Black Hills that follows the abandoned track of the historic railroad route from [[Edgemont, South Dakota|Edgemont]] to [[Deadwood, South Dakota|Deadwood]]. The train used to be the only way to bring supplies to the miners in the Hills. The trail is about 110 miles in length, and can be used by hikers, cross-country skiers, and bikers. The cost is two dollars per day, or ten dollars annually.

Today, the major city in the Black Hills is [[Rapid City, South Dakota|Rapid City]], with an incorporated population of almost 70,000 and a metropolitan population of 125,000.  It serves a market area covering much of five states: North and [[South Dakota]], [[Nebraska]], [[Wyoming]], and [[Montana]].  In addition to tourism and mining (including coal, specialty minerals, and the now declining gold mining), the Black Hills economy includes ranching (sheep and cattle, primarily, with [[American Bison|bison]] and [[ratites]] becoming more common), timber (lumber), [[Ellsworth Air Force Base]], and some manufacturing, including [[Black Hills gold jewelry]], cement, electronics, cabinetry, guns and ammunition. 

In many ways, the Black Hills functions as a very spread-out urban area with a population (not counting tourists) of 250,000.  Other important Black Hills cities and towns include:
*[[Belle Fourche, South Dakota|Belle Fourche]], a ranching town
*[[Spearfish, South Dakota|Spearfish]], home of [[Black Hills State University]]
*[[Deadwood, South Dakota|Deadwood]], a historic and well-preserved gambling mecca
*[[Lead, South Dakota|Lead]], home of the now-closed [[Homestake Mine (South Dakota)|Homestake Mine]] (gold) and the [[Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory]]
*[[Keystone, South Dakota|Keystone]], outside Mount Rushmore
*[[Hill City, South Dakota|Hill City]], a timber and tourism town in the center of the Hills
*[[Custer, South Dakota|Custer]], a mining and tourism town and headquarters for [[Black Hills National Forest]]
*[[Hot Springs, South Dakota|Hot Springs]], an old resort town in the southern Hills
*[[Sturgis, South Dakota|Sturgis]], originally a military town (Fort Meade, now a VA center, is located just to the east).  Now famous for one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world.
*[[Newcastle, Wyoming|Newcastle]], center of the Black Hills petroleum production and refining.

==See also==
* [[Black Hills Gold Rush]]
* [[Black Hills Central Railroad]]
*[[Black Hills Land Claim]]
* [[Cypress Hills (Canada)]]
* [[Devils Tower National Monument]]
* [[JoAnn Tall]]
* [[Needles (Black Hills)|The Needles]]
* [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]]
* [[Rosebud Indian Reservation]]

==References==
<references/>
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== External links ==
{{Wikisource1911Enc}}
*{{dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/South_Dakota/Regions/Black_Hills_and_Badlands/}}
*[http://www.sacredland.org/black-hills/ An article about the land the people of Black Hills]

[[Category:Black Hills| ]]
[[Category:Mount Rushmore]]
[[Category:Physiographic sections]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Wyoming]]
[[Category:Regions of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Regions of Wyoming]]
[[Category:Great Plains]]
[[Category:Tertiary volcanism]]
[[Category:Sacred mountains]]
[[Category:Religious places of the indigenous peoples of North America]]
[[Category:Lakota mythology]]
[[Category:Economy of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Great Sioux War of 1876]]