Fodor's Expert Review Black Hills National Forest

Hundreds of miles of hiking, mountain biking, ATVing, snowmobiling, and horseback-riding trails crisscross this million-acre forest. The boundaries encompass most of the Black Hills, but there are many "inholdings" —pockets and parcels of privately owned land, most of which are old mining claims that predate the national forest designation. For advice on how to best explore the forest, stop at the visitor centers in Rapid City, Custer, Spearfish, or even Sundance, Wyoming, if you venture across the border on a day trip. There's an additional visitor center open seasonally at the Pactola Reservoir.