Event Calendar & Registration

Join Black Hills National Forest and BHPFA for a series of nature programs! Programs could involve hiking up to 2 miles on uneven terrain. Please come prepared with layers, closed-toed hiking shoes or boots, sun protection, water & snacks.

June 7 National Trails Day 9-11 am

Hell Canyon District, Horsethief Lake

Sounds of Nature 

Celebrate National Trails Day and learn how to interpret the sounds of nature while you hike! Have you ever wondered how to tell if a hawk or coyote is near, or when a deer is quietly slipping away, just by listening to the sounds of nature? On this hike, participants will learn how to tune into animals’ communication systems to understand what’s happening around them—even when the creatures are out of sight

Join us for a fun day on the prairie!

9:30-11:30 Hike with a Ranger. Explore the prairie and fossil quarries.

10:30-11:30 Ranch/Roping demo on the lawn. Learn what the life of a cowboy is like from a real cowboy.

11:30 Cake and lemonade.

1:00-2:00 Repeat of Ranch/Roping demo on the lawn.

2:30-3:30 Archeologist Talk. The Archeology of the Nebraska Sandhills and Panhandle.

9:30-4:30 Martin Red Bear will be the featured cultural demonstrator.

Join Jeff Barnes for his engaging presentation "Marking Nebraska: Our (Mostly) Hidden Historical Monuments". This program is a review of the state’s earliest historical markers, from setting its borders to marking its trails to honoring its people. Drawing from his site visits and photographs collected from across the state, Barnes shares some of the more interesting, colorful, and even controversial ways Nebraskans told their stories through boulders, tablets, plaques, and statues. 

Barnes is a two-time recipient of the Nebraska Book Award and the author of The Great Plains Guide to Custer, The Great Plains Guide to Buffalo Bill, Extra Innings: The Story of Modisett Ball Park and 150 @ 150: Nebraska’s Landmark Buildings at the State’s Sesquicentennial. A new edition of his first book, Forts of the Northern Plains, was published in 2024 by the University of Nebraska Press’s Bison Books.

A fifth-generation Nebraskan and former newspaper reporter and editor, Barnes writes and lives in Omaha and is the first Humanities Nebraska speaker to present in all 93 counties. He is a past trustee of the Nebraska State Historical Society, present trustee of the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, a former chairman of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, and past board member of the Union Pacific Museum Association.

Field Note Presentations: 

Black Hills Parks and Forests Association invites you to this presentation that will ignite your curiosity and spark your sense of wonder! Through pictures, videos, and stories, you’ll have the chance to learn about naturalist skills, tracking, survival techniques, and gain a deeper insight into our local flora and fauna. Test your knowledge as we dive into questions about the natural world and uncover the hidden meanings behind animal signs and calls! Plus, we’ll share how you can support our public lands alongside the Black Hills Parks & Forests Association!

Learn more about our programs here! 

Native Plant Dyes
Madi Mazur (Crawford) / Botanist
Mystic Ranger District - Boulder Hill Trail

The flora of the Black Hills showcases a range of beautiful colors, including the deep greens of the ponderosa pine, vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the autumn aspen trees, and purples, blues, and pinks of the flowering plants. With a little bit of botanical knowledge, we can harness the colors of nature around us to dye natural materials such as wool, silk, and cotton. Join Forest staff on a family-friendly walk to become one with nature and learn which native plants yield beautiful dyes.

This is a paid workshop, registration required

Secrets of Wind Cave’s Prairie: An Ecological Adventure

Explore the hidden treasures along the trails in Wind Cave National Park. There are countless worlds of struggle and beauty, hidden in plain sight. In this course, participants will explore some of the most fascinating ecological stories and processes that make Wind Cave National Park’s prairie ecosystem unique. Through classroom instruction and exploration in the field, participants will learn about a wide range of topics in natural history and ecology, and see how careful attention can bring new depth to your experience of the natural world. 

Join writer and songwriter Deb Carpenter-Nolting for Heart's Compass: Women on the Trails, an account of pioneer women crossing the Plains in the 19th century. Carpenter-Nolting  presents original poems, songs and stories, as well as actual diary entries of women who journeyed on the Oregon Trail.

Deb Carpenter-Nolting has published articles in Nebraska Life Magazine, Colorado Life Magazine, Plains Song Review, and Cattle Business Weekly. Many of her stories and poems can be found in anthologies. She has recorded several poems and songs. Some of her work has been featured on radio and television programs. Her most recent album is Windblown, produced by Martin Gilmore in 2012. Deb has performed at a variety of venues, including libraries, museums, festivals, schools, poetry gatherings, brandings, cancer walks, conferences, banquets, and private events. She also conducts workshops for all ages. She has taught all grades, from one-room schools in rural Nebraska to high schools in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, to a tribal college in South Dakota and Chadron State College in Nebraska. Deb holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature and a Masters of Arts in Education. 

A free mini workshop in animal tracking and signs! Great for all ages

Join Rangers and Volunteers for an evening event.

7:00-9:00 Hike with a ranger to explore the evening prairie sights and sounds.

9:00-10:00 View the alignment of the moon with the planets.

Wear layers as temperatures cool into the evening. Bug spray is recommended. Bring a red flashlight or a regular one that a ranger will adapt to a red one for you. A camp chair or blanket is recommended for the dark sky portion of the evening.

Questions? Contact the park: 308-436-9776