Custer State Park - August 8, 2020

The Bison herds in Custer State Park are often found near the park roads.

This invariably leads to "Bison jams"

In December 2017, the Legion Lake Fire burned through parts of the park.  Burned areas were sometimes visible during our drives.

The Pronghorns did not seem to be bothered by vehicles.

This male laid down next to the roadway.

It was nice to get off the paved main roads of the park and onto the unpaved dirt roads which had many fewer cars and none of the many motorcycles in the area for the Sturgis Rally.

A few more of the often seen Prairie Dogs

Bison

Cockleburrs

Blanketflower

Beetle on thistle blossom

Prickly Poppy "eyes"

This bee was busy climbing into these trumpet shaped flowers.

Custer State Park - August 5, 2020

While Prairie Dogs are just another ground squirrel and rodent, we find that they have a definite "cuteness" in their appearance and behavior.

A Pronghorn near the road

One of the the bison herds in the Black Hills area

The afternoon thunderstorm clouds starting to form

Again we saw a variety of wildflowers.

Prairie Coneflowers

Wild Bergamot

Bees enjoying a thistle blossom

Sunflowers

Snow on the Mountain

Petunias?

Another Sunflower

"Photobombed" Prickly Poppy

Needles Highway - August 3, 2020

On August 3rd we drove the Needles Highway, one of the most iconic roads in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Near the beginning of this drive we passed lovely Sylvan Lake.

The Needles Highway is named for the rock spires that this road passes.

 The Harney Peak Fire Tower was built using local stone by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1935 to 1938 and sits at the highest point in the Black Hills.  Harney Peak (now renamed Black Elk Peak) is also the highest point in the USA east of the Rocky Mountains.

A vehicle entering the single lane Eye of the Needle Tunnel.  Tour buses sometimes very carefully navigate through this tunnel!

We also saw a variety of wildflowers.

Broom Snakeweed? (yellow)
Hoary Vervain (purple)

Invasive Canada Thistles

Common Mullein

Wild Bergamot

Bee on thistle blossom

Black-eyed Susans

Joe Pye Weed

Unknown seed pods

Butterfly on thistle