I love checking out old ruins, especially if there happens to be a great view too. The old Flag Mountain Lookout Tower fits my criteria perfectly. It is located by Deerfield Lake, probably about 20 miles from Hill City. There are great views in all directions – a great place to soak in the beauty of the South Dakota Black Hills. Reynolds Prairie directly to the East of the lookout and several peaks are visible in the distance.
Finding the old Black Hills Fire Lookout Tower is pretty simple. On the northwest side of Deerfield Lake, you’ll want to turn off of Road 306 onto Flag Mountain Road. Continue on Flag Mountain Road until you find Flag Mountain Lookout Road (the second right) – that will take you to the top. Black Hills – Northeast, South Dakota Trails Illustrated Map #751 shows the roads very well and is the map you should travel with in the Black Hills.  Also, keep in mind, the Flag Mountain Lookout Road is very bumpy and I would not recommend taking a vehicle with low ground clearance on it.
Enjoy the video I shot from the top of Flag Mountain.
We were out for a drive in Spearfish Canyon the other day and noticed the chokecherries are ripe. This time of year it seems you can’t drive through the canyon without seeing someone pulled over to pick some of these miniature cherries.
They are plentiful in the along Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. There were so many on BHNF road 222 just past Roughlock Falls that we didn’t even have to get out of the car to pick them in some spots. Picking berries has been a long time favorite activity of locals – the train used to drop people off in the morning, then pick them up in the evening with their baskets of berries.
The 2011 Kool Deadwood Nights are just getting started. The big Main Street Concerts are Friday and Saturday night. Enjoy music from The Kid & Nic Show, DD and the Fayroh’s, the Spinners and the Drifters.  A whole weekend packed with classic cars and great entertainment.
This may be the largest Deadwood event of the year, however that doesn’t mean the fun will be over until next year. The Deadwood Jam is coming up September 16th and 17th. Oktoberfest is September 20th through October 1st. And, the South Dakota Festival of Books will be held in Deadwood this year October 7th, 8th and 9th.
I’m not sure if all the hotels in Deadwood are booked but the town sure is filling up.
