M Hill

Dividing Rapid City's East and West sides, the Skyline Wilderness Area is a 150-acre park that features numerous walking, biking and hiking trails. This area can also be enjoyed as a beautiful drive that offers one of the best views of Rapid City.  The road stretches about two miles long and gives countless scenic views of the entire city. There are multiple parking locations and overlooks to ...

The beautiful hike is a tremendous spot to get out of town and enjoy the scenery and a great view of Rapid Creek down in the canyon below.  Parking is right off Falling Rock Rd. then the trail is a very well marked path through the trees, easy to follow, and leads you right to the edge of limestone cliffs! The cliffs offer fantastic views and solitude on the right day. Other days it can be a bu...

The winding trail to the Stratobowl is a gradual and easy hike, which is perfect for the whole family or for a quick excursion if you don't have a lot of time. It is roughly a mile to the Rim overlook, where there is a plaque commemorating the November 11th, 1935 balloon flight that launched 72,395 feet into the stratosphere, which was a world record at the time. There is a smattering of granit...

After reaching the trailhead, the first couple miles are forest service road. You'll want to follow the main FSR, do not branch off onto any of the smaller dirt roads. The turn off to go down into the canyon is very easy to miss. It will be on your right hand side after a small patch of trees, there are also some fairly large boulders at the turning point, so keep your eye out!  Once you start ...

WIth many access points and convenient location to the city, Rapid Creek offers fantastic trout stream fishing. This 86-mile long tributary of the Cheyenne River runs through the Black Hills National Forest, flowing east right through the heart of Rapid City. Anglers fishing Rapid Creek can expect to find a healthy population of Brown Trout, some growing as large as 18 inches, in the three mil...

To get the the trailhead for Rapid Creek you must turn to the east onto Pactola Basin Road or FS road 164 when on Highway 385 crossing the Pactola Reservoir. The road down to the trailhead is steep and can be rough depending on the time of the year. Once at the trailhead there is a parking area, with a map and information of the area. No fee to park, and overnight camping is not allowed. From t...