Black Elk Wilderness is a federally protected backcountry area in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest, designated by Congress in 1980 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Named for Black Elk, the Oglala Sioux holy man, it holds particular significance for Native Americans, especially the Sioux. Its rugged landscape includes granite peaks, rocky slopes, and forests, and it contains Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota. Managed under the 1964 Wilderness Act, it allows only limited recreation. By 2010, mountain pine beetles had killed about 80 percent of its trees, dramatically altering the wilderness.

Hill City, South Dakota · USA