Secret Trail in South Dakota

A few years ago I was on a business/leisure trip in South Dakota. I was looking for new destinations and other places to add to the offerings on our student travel and bus tours web sites for groups. I decided to take a side trip to a lake I had discovered back in 1986, my first year as a teacher. The place was Sylvan Lake located on a scenic road called Needles Highway in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore.

I remembered how beautiful the lake was and how great it was for taking photos. It seemed to yield perfect camera shot opportunities with the sky and the gigantic granite boulders mirroring off of the calm lake waters.

To nobody's surprise the lake was filled with tourists and vacationers everywhere. There were the boulders at the far end of the lake and it was a picturesque as ever. We decided to take a hike to the far end of the lake, away from the crowds on the other side. It was so neat to see all of the gigantic boulders lined up like pieces of a puzzle. I had never gone to this side of the lake and it was satisfying to see.

The path we were on took us right up to the tallest boulders which formed the rear of the lake. There was one little detail I caught, though. Between two of the massive boulders was a man-made dam. It was not very large and there was a small bridge across it to the other side. My little ones decided to explore it for a few minutes but got bored and we started back. But before we had gone too far, I noticed that there was a narrow space between two of the towering boulders to the left of the lake. My curiosity got the best of me so I investigated. To my delight, the narrow passage between the boulders led to the back of the lake. I called for my family to join me and we were all very satisfied. There behind the lake was a beautiful meadow and a waterfall coming over the the dam from the lake. It was another great photo spot.

My children decided that they wanted to explore a little more so they headed off to the north following the newly discovered path. Just a short hike away was a fabulous view! Opening up below the descending path was a gorgeous valley with another mountain beyond! Now that we were filled with the spirit of exploration we decided to move on. It was a neat path that criss-crossed a stream as it descended. The climbing was somewhat rigorous and was not for the faint of heart. The path went lower and lower toward the valley and offered numerous photo opportunities. The trees were delightful and the stream was cold. It was as if we were miles away from civilization, even though scores of vacationers were only a few hundred yards away. It was so peaceful and the rugged trail kept a sense of excitement.

Finally, after a long descent, the path began to wind back and forth toward the valley floor. Each turn is preceded by the anticipation that you are finally at the bottom and we were fooled many times. The path crossed a stream in many places and there were several giant rocks along the way that we had to climb over. It was really neat.

After 45 minutes of descending the path and winding through the trail, we came to a really neat area. It was like a broad sandy area protected by a high, over-hanging cliff. It provided a great resting place and had plenty of unique rocks for the children to examine.

What a fantastic find! We were hungry for some adventure and this secret trail provided more than we could have hoped for. Though not for everyone, this natural path is worth it for the adventurous. Of all of the trails I have traveled, this one is at the top of the list.

James Rider is the President of Adventure Student
Travel and Exploring America. He
has served as a teacher in both the public
schools in Indiana and Missouri. He has traveled
with his students and family to every state and
four other countries.