Happy Valentine's Day. We love this community! Last night's Girl Winter Film Fest raised $1,200 for women's outdoor programs in the Black Hills and Nebraska. Next up: Get the Girls Out at Jewel Cave, March 7. #BHPFA #JewelCave #WomenOutdoors #PublicLands

Going to the Sports Show this weekend? So are we! Booth 134 at The Monument, Rapid City. Black Hills National Forest is next door at 135, and your support helped get them there. Outdoorsy people, meet outdoorsy preparation success 🎣 #BHPFA #BlackHills #PublicLands

Free cave tours Monday, Feb. 16 for Presidents Day at Wind Cave and Jewel Cave! Online free tickets nearly gone on recreation.gov. But first-come, first-served tickets will be available both visitor centers Monday morning right at open. Get there **EARLY**. #PresidentsDay #NationalParks

A South Bronx teacher. 33 peaks. Solo. That's one of six films this Friday at the Girl Winter Film Tour. Preview the lineup: girlwinterfilmtour.com/2025-films Feb 13 | 6-8PM MT | Custer Beacon | $15/$10 youth Get your tickets now: www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x... #GirlWinterFilmTour #BHPFA

In 1908, the government bought Jewel Cave for $750 and called it "small." 220+ miles later, it turned 118 yesterday. We brought the cake. Because birthdays are always better with cake. Forgot a gift? Belated donations welcome 🎂 blackhillsparks.org/donate #JewelCave #NationalParks #PublicLands

Girl Winter Film Tour returns Feb 13 🎬 Six films and a Yeti cooler raffle at The Custer Beacon. Hosted by BHPFA x SheJumps | 6-8PM MT | Custer, SD | $15 / $10 youth. Everyone's welcome. Grab tickets ↓ #GirlWinterFilmTour #BlackHills #SouthDakota www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x...

In 1987: 18 black-footed ferrets left. Today: ~500. Goal: 3,000. You can help. $35 gets you a ferret plush or hat, and $20 of it funds fieldwork like vaccinations and population monitoring. blackhillsparks.org/shop/park-st... #BlackFootedFerret #Conservation

Started our Homeschool Nature Adventure program series today! 15 kids ages 5-12 came to learn basics of being a naturalist. Last Thursdays Monthly through May: 9am-Noon. $10/child (members get 15% off). blackhillsparks.org/news-events/field-school/homeschool-nature-adventures/

Since the Winter Solstice, we've gained about 50 minutes of daylight. Research shows 20-30 min outside lowers cortisol and improves mood. The world feels heavy. Getting outside helps. Learn more about the science: blackhillsparks.org/science-of-g... #parkchat #NationalParks #ParkRx

South Dakota Volunteer Naturalists are still accepting apps for their 2026 cohort. But time's a-wastin'. 40+ hours of training, Zoom classes Tuesday nights March-May, field trips statewide. Deadline: February 2. Apply: sdvolunteernaturalists.org

Holiday pop-up worked, so we stayed. BHPFA store in Custer now open year-round. Topo maps, field guides, trail books, Smokey gear. Every purchase funds programs in Black Hills and Nebraska parks and forests. 📍 833 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Mon-Fri 9am-4pm Or online: bhpfa.org/shop

82% to goal ($86,125 of $105,000). Every donation matched = double impact. More youth science programs. More trail maintenance. More Junior Ranger badges. We're close! bhpfa.org/donate #PublicLands #BlackHills #NationalParks

May-Sept gig: $600/week + housing included. Your office view? Pactola Reservoir at sunset. Student Conservation Association wants a Visitor Center Coordinator for Black Hills National Forest's Pactola VC. Ages 16-30. Apply: myjobs.adp.com/scacareers/c... #BlackHills #SCA #SummerJobs

Ya know... Wind Cave and Jewel Cave are the same temperature underground year round*. Just sayin'. #parkchat * Your parking lot to visitor center temperature experiences may vary.

Six films. One night. One purpose. Catch the Girl Winter Film Tour at The Custer Beacon, Feb 13, 6–8pm. Your ticket supports nature access for women and girls... plus, raffle included! www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x...

We put the "Outdoor" and the "Education" in "Outdoor Education." Kids aged 5 - 12 explore the wild through hikes, stories, and journaling. Drop-off sessions, last Thursdays of the month Jan–May in Custer. $10 each. Register now: blackhillsparks.org/news-events/... #BlackHills #HomeschoolLife

Host the desk with the best view. Help visitors explore public lands by volunteering at Pactola Visitor Center in the heart of the #BlackHills of South Dakota. Apply here → www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-... #NationalForests #Volunteer

Nature leaves clues. Become the wilderness detective who can read them. Join our BHPFA Education Specialist Tom Tonkin (30+ yrs experience) to learn how to read animal signs like a pro. Sun Jan 11, 11am, Lost Cabin Taproom in Rapid City. $10 at the door. #BlackHills #NationalParks #NatureClass

Trying to hike your way to your New Year’s resolution? Wind Cave NP + Black Hills NF trails are HEAVILY storm-damaged from last month's winds. Don't start 2026 with a bonk on the head or worse. Respect closures, pack smart, and stay safe. #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalParks

We don’t always know their names. Until we do. They loved these lands. Then asked others to give in their name. This New Year’s Eve, we honor their memory. The names of several from the last few years in the comment below. #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalParks #parkchat

Rankin Ridge is out. Prairie Vista is in. Storm damage changed plans, but still join us for a 1-mile New Year's Eve hike at Wind Cave! Cocoa at the finish line: BYO mug. No pets. Trail is uneven with 150 ft gain. Meet at the Visitor Center to head out at 9am! #BlackHills #NationalParks #NYEHike

Field Notes 2025, Day 5: Boxing Day thanks to the people who think about the box, argue with the box, live the box. Our retail ops team turns inventory, shipping, and logistics into steady support for parks and forests, all year long. Cardboard with a mission!

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Hills, support for our parks never paused or stood still. The gifts you gave, thoughtful and true, keep programs and parks moving all year through. Thanks for growing our online sales 62% this year! #YearInReview #parkchat

Field Notes 2025 Day 2: Half the park is after dark, and you helped keep it magical. From Agate After Dark programs to a new telescope at Wind Cave to Moon Walks with Black Hills National Forest, your support helped protect and interpret the night. bhpfa.org/donate #NationalParks #YearInReview

Field Notes 2025: 2 miles of trail work = 10 amazing new leaders. In October, ten women trained in safety and crew leadership while improving Trail 9 South. Now, the new crew leads head to public lands nationwide to pay it forward. 2026 project sched drops Jan 14. #BlackHills #NationalForests

CLOSED: Wind Cave and Jewel Cave on Friday, Dec 19, 2025 Let our ranger friends do their ranger things to get things running again. Stay out of closed areas.

Got time, a camper, and love for public lands? Black Hills NF + Nebraska NF & Grasslands need seasonal volunteers near Custer + Hot Springs. Host a site. Meet folks. Get hookups (umm.... for your RV, obviously). www.volunteer.gov/s/voloppreco... #BlackHills #NationalForests #VolunteerOpportunity

A Senate vote to gut parks could happen today. Amendment 3972 allows the administration to close or transfer NPS sites like Jewel Cave, Agate, & Scotts Bluff. In SD? Call Sen. Rounds now: DC 202-224-5842 RC 605-343-5035 Other states: www.senate.gov/senators/sen... #NationalParks #ParkChat

Where can you get free food, merch, and water wisdom? At the Environment & Water Gathering, Dec 17–19. 12–6 PM at Mother Butler Center in Rapid City. Show up, listen, and build lasting connections. #BlackHills #NationalGrasslands #WaterRights

Sunrise hikes > your snooze button. At least this once. Join our Custer, SD sunrise hike with SheJumps and BHPFA. Dec 20. 6:30 am. 1 mile & 300 ft elevation gain. Free w/ registration. Coffee + reflection after. Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x... #BlackHills #NationalForests #SheJumps

Scotts Bluff turns 106 today. Its meaning runs far older. The Pawnee, Lakota, Cheyenne, and others called this area home since long wagon ruts and Pony Express riders. Thanks to the rangers honoring all chapters, because Indigenous history is American history. #Nebraska #NationalParks #parkchat

This is the way. bhpfa.org/shop

Thanks for reminding me to check out your online store to finish up my shopping! #ParkChat

You can't fit the Black Hills in a stocking. We've tried. But bison plushies + Smokey = perfect fit. Give the gift of wonder. Shop before shipping gets tight. bhpfa.org/shop #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalParks

Bird calls. Survival smarts. Craft beer. As the meme says, "You had my curiosity, now you have my attention." BHPFA's own Tom Tonkin's winter Cabin Nature Chats series just made the news. Turns out nature talks are better at a brewery. Who knew? www.newscenter1.tv/news/local/b... #parkchat

What if you were the local nature nerd? Train as a Volunteer Naturalist with scientists and naturalists across SD. Apps open now for 2026 class. sdvolunteernaturalists.org #SouthDakota #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalGrasslands

Years and years worth of stories, from the Miocene mammals of Agate Fossil Beds to the Holocene bison of Hudson-Meng. Your Giving Tuesday / Annual Campaign donation will help tell the story for at least one more year. blackhillsparks.org/donations-vo...

Wind Cave connects bison to karst. Jewel Cave shelters bats in the dark. Your donation can connect both to the entire world. Support education and cave conservation this Giving Tuesday. Matched all month up to $50K! blackhillsparks.org/donations-vo... #WindCave #JewelCave #GivingTuesday

During the shutdown, the bluff stayed put. But our stores couldn't. This #GivingTuesday, help us make up the shortfall. Give to support interpretation, rangers, and history at Scotts Bluff. Matched up to $50K through Dec 31. blackhillsparks.org/donations-vo... #NationalParks

The shutdown's effects linger. Trails stayed open. Our stores didn’t. It's #GivingTuesday, and your gift today is doubled up to $50K. Support visitor services, maps, and youth programs in the Black Hills National Forest. blackhillsparks.org/donations-vo... #BlackHills #NationalForests #ParkChat

No gear. No matches. No problem. “Intro to Survival” with outdoor edu pro Tom Tonkin is back. Dec 4th (Trailhouse, Custer) & 7th (Lost Cabin Taproom, Rapid City) $10 at the door. blackhillsparks.org/bhpfa-event/... #BlackHills #NationalForests #CabinNatureChats

"Smokey Slippers are Best Slippers. Change our minds." Just kidding, you won't be able to change our mind on this one. blackhillsparks.org/.../smokey-b...

Christmas Tree time in the Black Hills! Permits are $10 per tree at BHNF offices or Recreation.gov. Hot cocoa & knit hats not included, but gift ideas are: Smokey Bear, maps, plush critters and more are available at our BHPFA ranger district stores. #getoutside #findyourforest #BlackHills

Our shelves are stuffed with stuffies! Your stockings should be too. Shop bison, ferrets, prairie dogs, Smokey, and more. Each one supports public lands! 833 Mt Rushmore Rd, Custer SD or bhpfa.org/shop #BlackHills #HolidayShopping #NationalParks

Draw with Artist in Residence Daniel Moore at Agate Fossil Beds! Free workshop Sun, Nov 23, 1–3 PM. Indoor talk + outdoor sketch session. Materials provided. Just bring yourself. And some extra layers. It's the Nebraska prairie: wind guaranteed. #Nebraska #NationalParks #AgateFossilBeds

Hooray for Cooperative Association representation on Bluesky and #Parkchat! This will be tonight at 7pm Mountain!

Meet the 2025 South Dakota Volunteer Naturalists! 12 weeks of training leads to lifelong impact. Want to join this awesome crowd? 2026 applications open in December. #BlackHills #NationalGrasslands #VolunteerNaturalist

The board would be even MORE upset to know I didn't mark this with the #parkchat hashtag after so long doing this week after week.

Thank you to everyone for the fun transportation-themed conversations tonight! The board would be very unhappy if I didn't say... "Need your next map, atlas or passport book for your park road trips, hikes, bike rides or ATV adventures? BHPFA's got ya!" blackhillsparks.org/product-cate...

Thank you to everyone for the fun transportation-themed conversations tonight! The board would be very unhappy if I didn't say... "Need your next map, atlas or passport book for your park road trips, hikes, bike rides or ATV adventures? BHPFA's got ya!" blackhillsparks.org/product-cate...