If motorized transportation is more your style, ATVs and off-road vehicles are welcome in most regions of the Black Hills National Forest. Autumn trips along the back roads of the northern Hills are amazing in their beauty and diversity. Mule deer and elk are common in the region, and the simple beauty of an Alpine meadow sometimes makes you feel as though you're hundreds of miles from civilization. If you're in the mood, set up camp and stay a while. Winter visitors will also find the region to their liking as Deadwood is home to South Dakota's two largest ski areas, Terry Peak and Deer Mountain.
Deadwood is also the center of snowmobile activity in the region.
The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks marks and maintains almost 400 miles of snowmobile trails in the Black Hills, and several businesses in Deadwood cater to the winter crowds. The trails are clearly marked and it's no trouble gliding from business to business as you tour the winter landscape by snowmobile. While snowmobilers might love the groomed trails, backcountry skiers and snowshoe hikers will find the call of the wild too much to resist. Here, you could go for days trekking through the pine cathedral of the Black Hills National Forest. You can make your trip as mild or as wild as you like by cruising marked trails or heading off on your own in search of adventure.