Beaver Creek Nature Area offers one of the prime hiking
sites around Sioux Falls. My
family and I have hiked the trails of this state owned nature area for over
thirty years, and it remains a favorite of
ours.
Our typical hike at Beaver Creek begins at the shelter on
the east side of the park.
The
Homesteader Nature Trail begins just off the parking lot and moves over an old
bridge across Beaver Creek.
The trail continues along the east and then south side of
the creek, moving along a pathway through the woods and climbing in elevation
over the creek.
This section of
the trail had been closed for the past couple of years after serious bank
collapse following a year of heavy rains.
During the closure, an alternative route was developed, and that route
is still an option for hikers.
I
like the original route, however, with its great view of the creek and the
landscape.
The trail winds steadily along the twisting creek course,
rising in elevation up a reinforced path with an overlook through the trees.
Today, the path was carpeted with
fallen leaves and the sightlines were clear through the bare tree
branches.
There are a couple
of lesser-traveled pathways that also lead up to the highlands overlooking the
creek, but our preferred route is the well-traveled main trail.
Today, we were alone in the park.
It was just Marsha and me and our little miniature
poodle.
Our dog is approaching
fifteen years now and has slowed down a lot.
On our walks, though, he slips back into old habits of
vigor, great energy, and keen interest.
His hearing and sight have deteriorated, and he doesn’t seem to hear our
commands – or he has developed “selective hearing.”
He now seems to race ahead of us and lead us down the
pathways rather than walking close at hand.
Still, these walks are almost a canine fountain of youth for
him.
The pathway moves up to the highlands of the park along a
ridge overlooking the creek and the plain below.
The landscape changes on the ridge so that there is more
open space along one side with the woods on the other.
Continuing along the trail, the path moves back down a
slope, arriving at a suspension bridge over a deep ravine.
The trail then moves up the slope to a point where set-in
steps lead down to the valley floor.
The floor is heavily wooded and has always seemed like a fairyland to
us.
Continuing along the valley floor, the path continues back
to the banks of Beaver Creek where it links up with the trail network and leads
to another bridge over the creek.
Turning left after crossing the bridge, the path leads along
the creek shoreline to a second parking lot where the homesteader cabin is
located.
The cabin is located in a large open area where restrooms
and picnic tables are located.
This area was homesteaded around 1870, and the existing cabin was built
soon thereafter.
A major family-style activity sponsored by the South Dakota
Game Fish and Parks and the Siouxland Heritage Museum is held on this site each
September – Homesteader Day.
This
event usually has music provided by the South Dakota Old Time Fiddlers; lots of
“old timey” crafts, such as candle making and blacksmithing; a show by the
Civil War re-enactors; and tours of the cabin by docents.
It is really a fine activity, and my
family has enjoyed it many times over the years.
The hiking trail is about 1.5 miles long, and doubling back
from the cabin to the east parking lot probably brings the hike up to two
miles. We usually sit around a
picnic table in the cabin area for a few minutes at the end, so our total time
is about an hour and fifteen minutes for the hike.
This dirt trail is classified by the SDGFP as “very difficult, extremely hilly, very uneven
surface.” There
is always the possibility of seeing wildlife along the path. Today we saw a
deer flashing through the woods.
The Beaver Creek Nature Area is very popular with local birders. The YMCA also uses these trails in the
summer for their adventure hikes.
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