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WG40 WESTERN GUIDE TO SNOWMOBILING South Dakota may not be able to claim the biggest mountains in the West, but to someone who has been driving over the pancake-flat Great Plains from the Midwest and then see the Black Hills begin to rise off the prairie floor, they're plenty impressive. e Black Hills are the first real mountains (and the only mountain range in South Dakota) sledders from the Midwest see when they head west to ride. While mostly in western South Dakota, the Black Hills do spill over into eastern Wyoming. Having terrain that changes more than a few hundred feet is one of the reasons the Black Hills are so popular as a winter destination, especially among snowmobilers. Elevations are moderate, from 3,200 feet to 7,000 feet. Other sled-attraction features include impeccable trails, decent snow and a history-laden past. e vast majority of trail mileage is in South Dakota, but part of the system also includes parts of eastern Wyoming. In all, there are 350 miles of groomed trails and numerous more ungroomed paths that can keep you busy for several days. e extensive trail system can be accessed from numerous parking areas spread out over South Dakota and Wyoming. Trails stretch from Lead, Deadwood and just south of Spearfish in the north to near the Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park in the south and from near Galena in the east to close to Buckhorn in eastern Wyo- ming. All riding is on the 1.2 million- acre Black Hills National Forest. ere are several places to bail off the trails into powder-filled meadows. ose elevations are plenty big, though, to have plenty of fun. south dakota tourism—www.travelsd.com south dakota Game, Fish and parks—605-773-3391 south dakota snowmobile Association—www.itctel.com/sdsa Groomed trails—1,613 Highest point—Harney Peak (7,242 ft) record Winter snowfall—Lead 324 in. Guide soutH dAKotA destinAtions LOCATION ELEVATION SNOWFALL GROOMED FULL-SERVICE NEAREST INFORMATION INCHES TRAILS TOWN AIRPORT 1) Black Hills 3,200-7,000 140-160 300 miles (SD), Lead, SD; Newcastle, WY Rapid City (35 miles) South Dakota Tourism 800-SDAKOTA, 40 (WY) Lead AreaChamber of Commerce 877-428-5590, Newcastle AreaChamber of Commerce 800-835-0157 Black Hills Photo by South Dakota Tourism Western Guide To Snowmobiling SOUtH DAkOtA SOUtH DAkOtA