While I love hiking, I am still in the process of discovering how much I enjoy camping. I've only done it a handful of times in my life, and so far it seems like a necessary evil to be close to some of the more remote hikes I want to do. That's been a sufficient …
Mid-week we finally had a day where the temperature was less than 100 degrees so we headed for the (Black) hills to hike and camp near Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. We've enjoyed hiking in this area before - notably our recent hike to the top of Black Elk Peak, the highest point in …
Continue reading South Dakota Hikes: Cathedral Spires and Little Devil’s Tower
Fun fact: The highest peak east of the Rockies and west of the European Pyrenees is here in South Dakota! I discovered that yesterday when we reached the summit of Black Elk Peak at 7,242 feet / 2,207 meters. A favored hikes in the Black Hills, Black Elk Peak culminates at an old stone fire …
We've had a hard time getting out to hike thanks to the uncooperative weather in the Black Hills this spring. After passing on day after day of 90+ degree F / 32+ degree C temperatures, 40 mph / 64 kph wind gusts, and scattered thunderstorms, we finally tested our luck on a recent overcast weekday. …
I feel incredibly lucky to live an hour from Badlands National Park, which gives us the opportunity to quickly take advantage of breaks in the weather to explore this beautiful area. Such was the case last week when our January temperatures rose into the upper 50 F / 10 C for a few days. Although …
Continue reading South Dakota Hikes: Badlands Saddle Pass Loop
Our 2025 was filled with new adventures and lots of travel to spend time with loved ones, both domestic and abroad. We started the year with road trips around the Mountain West to visit friends and family in Colorado and Utah and hike in new-to-us national parks in Utah and Nevada, including Capitol Reef, Bryce …
As we continue to explore things to do around our new home in the Black Hills of South Dakota, it's clear we have a lot to learn about caving! We took a guided tour within Wind Cave National Park a couple years ago that introduced us to the expansive cave networks under the hills and …
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Finding direction and purpose on the road, in the outdoors, and on the page
Heather's Compass 