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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Exciting holiday travel news! (yeah, already) Scotts Bluff National Monument is 1 of 24 stops on the 2026 Nebraska Holiday Passport. Visit stops and collect stamps in your booklet from Nov. 13, 2026 to Jan. 10, 2027. Request a booklet: nebraskapassport.com/holiday #VisitNebraska #PublicLands

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Seen foxes on vids snagging prey in snow with MRI-like vision? Check out this video on how they do that with their own 'magnetic' superpower. Our "Secret Life of Mammals" education series continues on 9/26, Public Lands Day, at our Custer Headquarters! blackhillsparks.org/bhpfa-event/...

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A couple weeks ago, paper bags ran out at the Wind Cave park store. Old maps stepped in. Staff folded 2025 Black Hills National Forest maps into bags, so customers postcards were safe and expired maps got a fresh life. A practical bit of reuse from behind the counter. #WindCave #Upcycle

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

David Boye records the sounds of national parks, then writes them into his instrumental guitar music. He's performing at Jewel Cave tomorrow, Thursday Sept 17, 2 p.m. MT. Hear your parks in a whole new way.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Six rock tunnels or a canyon of waterfalls? Sept. 22 is National Scenic Byway Day. Peter Norbeck vs Spearfish Canyon... Which gets your vote? fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills/recreation/opportunities/scenic-drives #BlackHills #NationalScenicBywayDay

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Seats still available: Field Notes is Fri., Sept. 4, 5-6:30 p.m. at BHPFA's Custer, SD Nature Shop. Learn to read animal tracks, calls, and signs with Tom Tonkin. $10, or $30 for a family of 4. blackhillsparks.org/bhpfa-event/... #FieldNotes #NatureObservation

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

At 3:30am, Paul Atkinson got down low on University Hill to photograph a yucca reaching into the Milky Way. The amazing "Prairie Starlight" was the result, from his April Artist-in-Residence stay at Agate Fossil Beds. More: www.patkinsonphoto.com/recent-work IG @patkinsonphoto #DarkSkies

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Cave tours are free tomorrow at both Wind Cave and Jewel Cave for NPS Founders Day. Walk-up only, so get there early and hike the surface trails while you wait. Going another day instead? Recreation.gov presales are the best way to lock in a tour time. #WindCave #JewelCave #FeeFreeDays

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Baby coyotes learning to howl at Wind Cave National Park. One found a pinecone and decided it was gym equipment. Always use telephoto and stay at a respectful distance like Tom does! Wind Cave is in the southern Black Hills, about 20 miles south of Custer, SD.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Every August someone asks whether to skip the Black Hills because of the Sturgis rally. Nah, you should still come. The 86th annual rally is Aug 7-16, but it's based about 90 mins north of the caves. The tours are the same size in rally week as the rest of the year, so you still get the quiet.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Meet Tess, an education intern at Jewel Cave National Monument. Her position is funded by park store purchases. Buy a t-shirt, fund a future ranger. It's really that simple. #PublicLands #NationalParks

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Stretch your arms out as wide as you can. A golden eagle still beats you by about two feet. The new Bird Wingspans display at the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, SD lets you compare. BHPFA funded it through your purchases, memberships, and donations. It's what we do. #PublicLands

Four grassland bird silhouettes cut from flat panel and layered largest to smallest on a cream wall. A dark brown golden eagle sits at the back, a cream red-tailed hawk next, then a dusty rose prairie falcon, with a small dark burrowing owl in front. A printed sign to the right reads Bird Wingspans and lists each span. A kids book rack and a prairie dog mount sit below.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

That pile of shredded pine cones on the trail is not a crime scene. It's a midden. Red squirrels strip cones for the seeds and pile the scraps in the same spot for years. The damp layers underneath keep whole cones fresh until winter. It's no more a crime scene than your kitchen. Oh, wait...

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Turn the new Scotts Bluff tote around and the back is a different scene entirely. Original art, made for this bag, so it exists nowhere else! The other carries Jim Yellowhawk's Wind Cave artwork, and part of each sale funds Native artists. blackhillsparks.org/product-cate...

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Fall weekends in the Hills fill up fast, so here's your two-month warning: Cascade Falls needs about 35 volunteers on Saturday, September 26. Painting shelters, new day-use signs, raking gravel paths. 10a to 3p, or a two-hour shift. www.neefusa.org/npld/cascade... #NPLD #BlackHills

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

No campfires in Black Hills National Forest, including developed campground fire rings! Stage 2 restrictions started 12:01 a.m. July 27 in SD and WY. Gas and liquid stoves are still OK. No charcoal, no wood. No driving off Forest Service roads. fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills/alerts #BlackHills

Black Hills National Forest - Stage 2 Fire Restrictions - No campfires, charcoal or grills, including in developed campgrounds. Propane and liquid gas stoves are still allowed.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Need a free Saturday plan? Junior Caver Day at Jewel Cave, July 25, 10 to 2. Kids get to do hands-on cave science with real rangers and researchers, then come home worn out, proud, and a brain-full of bat facts! #JewelCave #BlackHills

A ranger and young child sit beneath trees, both holding up a paperback storybook with a bat illustration. They smile at each other. Text reads "Junior Caver Day - Saturday July 25th, 10am - 2pm"

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Wise words are wise. Don't drive past the smaller park sites. Your best surprise moments on road trips always happen at these tiny gems. blackhillsparks.org/agate-fossil...

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

This spring six volunteers spent a week at Jewel Cave clearing old concrete, building a retaining wall, clearing culverts, and prepping 600 feet of the Canyons Trail for repairs. Work by a Wilderness Volunteers crew and the park's facilities team keeps it walkable. #JewelCave #PublicLands

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Meet Bark, a Black Hills beaver moved from Rapid Creek to Willow Creek who slowly rebuilds a wetland. She is also a new local kids' book. Matching plush too! Author Eric Zimmer and illustrator Ellen Devine sign copies Sat 6/27 in Custer, Sun 6/28 in Rapid City. blackhillsparks.org/bhpfa-event/...

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Agate Fossil Beds turned 61! The reason it's protected? A pig the size of a bison, named Dinohyus, from 20 mil years ago, along with other amazing creatures. Agate also features an amazing collection of Lakota gifts from Red Cloud to the rancher who lived here. blackhillsparks.org/agate-fossil...

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

It's National Forest Week, and our store inside Pactola Visitor Center is open for the season! Maps, field guides, kids' books, plush, gifts, and Black Hills National Forest motor vehicle use permits. Open 7 days, 9 to 4:30, through Labor Day weekend. blackhillsparks.org #NationalForestWeek

Pactola Visitor Center Store open for the season, with three images of the store interior and expansive views.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

One more retail spot at Wind Cave's park store. Part or full time, $14-15/hr, weekends required, seasonal through October. Immediate start! Apply: hthompson@blackhillsparks.org / 605-745-7020 or learn more at blackhillsparks.org/employment #WindCave #BHPFA #ParkJobs

BHPFA hiring graphic for Wind Cave park store retail associate. Weekends required, $14-15/hr, seasonal through October.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Never been on a Moon Walk? This summer is the year. The 2026 Black Hills NF schedule is out: four free guided night hikes, one Saturday a month June through September. $5 collector pin only sold on the trail, while they last. fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills #BHPFA #PublicLands

Hand-illustrated night-forest poster announcing the 2026 Black Hills NF Moon Walk schedule with pin inset.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Every wild black-footed ferret descends from 18 survivors. 20 generations later, the Conata Basin population is still sustaining. New piece from Nebraska NF&G for Endangered Species Day: blackhillsparks.org/news-events/black-footed-ferret-conata-basin/ #EndangeredSpeciesDay #BlackFootedFerret

blackhillsparks.org

Black-Footed Ferret Recovery on the Conata Basin | BHPFA

Three decades of partnership on Buffalo Gap National Grassland and Badlands have made America's rarest mammal a flagship for recovery.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Who is Bark? You'll find out this week. (Spoiler: he's a beaver.) BHPFA's newest children's book and matching plush hit park stores in a few days. Picture book, plush version, and the full origin story of one very determined dam-builder. bhpfa.org/bark

Cartoon beaver peeks from a pond at dusk with striped tail visible above water. 'SOON' glows in the water reflection.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

1,500 wildflower species bloom in the Black Hills, and over 400 in western Nebraska's Wildcat Hills. Two field guides by Connie McKinney organize them by color and bloom season. Black Hills, $15.99. Wildcat Hills, $13.99. blackhillsparks.org/shop/park-st... #Wildflowers #PublicLands

people kneeling on a Black Hills trail, holding the Wildflowers of the Black Hills field guide open beside blooming plants.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Need a last-minute Saturday plan? Find out why that squirrel is yelling at you. Tomorrow at Wind Cave: 4-hr workshop on alarm calls, wildlife communication, reading the forest by ear. Registration open through tonight. May 9 | 9 AM | $40 blackhillsparks.org/nature-workshops #WindCave

Red squirrel perched on lichen-covered pine branch, looking directly at camera.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Thought extinct in 1981. Back from the brink. The National Grasslands Visitor Center is running a K-12 poster contest for 30 years of black-footed ferret recovery. Deadline June 22. BHPFA prize baskets! www.fs.usda.gov/r02/nebraska...

Close-up of a black-footed ferret in prairie grass. Poster contest celebrating 30 years of recovery, BHPFA prize baskets.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

1,348 visitor interactions in 2025. Up 45% from 2024. That's our great Wind Cave Ambassadors! They're BHPFA volunteers who track trail conditions and answer the real questions hikers have on Wind Cave trails. 2026 season kicks off in May. Thank you, Ambassadors! #NationalVolunteerWeek #WindCave

2025 Wind Cave Ambassador stats, 1,348 visitor interactions, up 45%. Volunteer smiles in green BHPFA shirt on trail.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Saturday closes out National Volunteer Week. If you're near the Black Hills and want to spend it doing something real, Camp Bob Marshall has a work day April 25, 9am-4pm. Raking, brush clearing, chainsaw work (bring gloves). Lunch provided. campbob1@gwtc.net #NationalVolunteerWeek

Volunteers at Camp Bob Marshall in the Black Hills: group shot by the camp sign, and work scenes with rakes at log cabins

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Native prairie doesn't come back on its own. BHPFA volunteers are out there with buckets and seeds making it happen. It's National Volunteer Week. We're sharing their stories all week! #NationalVolunteerWeek #Volunteers #PublicLands

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Only 10 spots for Saturday's animal premium tracking workshop at Wind Cave. Six hours of hands-on field work. Lean to read tracks, scat, bones, rubs. $40/adult | $20/child | $100/family Register in advance. blackhillsparks.org/bhpfa-event/... #WindCave #OutdoorEducation #NationalParks

Collage of animal skulls, tracks in snow, elk antlers, and field photos with text: Nature's Clues workshop

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Free educator workshop, April 24-26 in Custer. Project WILD, AIS, and PLT training for K-12 teachers, homeschoolers, and youth leaders. Walk away with full activity guides. Registration closes April 17. Email bradley.block@usda.gov #EnvironmentalEducation #BlackHills #SouthDakota

Illustrated promotional graphic for a free educator workshop at Black Hills National Forest, April 24 to 26. Two children sit at a table using markers to write messages on leaf-shaped paper cutouts beside pine sprigs. Visible messages include “Save the Pines,” “Learn & Protect,” “Respect Nature,” and “My Forest Pledge.” Large white text on a light blue background reads “Free educator workshop,” with smaller text below reading “Black Hills National Forest April 24 - 26.”

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

2026 Black Hills National Forest motor vehicle use permits are on sale. They're the ultimate after-market accessory for your quads and side-by-sides. 📦 Online for mail: blackhillsbadlands.square.site 🏪 Our Custer store starting 3/30 Physical stickers only. No print-at-home.

Silhouette illustration of a side-by-side UTV on a forested trail among pine trees

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

One paid intern spot left at Jewel Cave National Monument this summer. Lead Scenic and Discovery cave tours, staff the visitor center, help run Junior Caver Day. $16/hr + housing (18+) + uniform allowance Resume to aimee_murillo@nps.gov by April 13. #JewelCave #BHPFA #ParkJobs

Jewel Cave summer internship graphic: lead cave tours, $16/hr plus housing, apply by April 13

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Ever hear coyotes while camping, walking in the evening, or just from your back yard? Wonder what they're saying to each other? Our Education Specialist Tom Tonkin translates yip and howl for you over on our YouTube channel. #ParkChat www.youtube.com/shorts/zAnfC...

youtube.com

Coyote Language Explained: Yips, Howls, and Alarm Calls

YouTube video by Black Hills Parks and Forests Association

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Reposted by Black Hills Parks & Forests Association

Karen (always looking for a road trip) @camarowrx.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

That is horrible. The visitor center at Agate is super important context to why the site is important! Don't get me wrong -- I love me some daemonelices! #ParkChat

A daemonelix along the trail at Agate Fossil Beds NM

The Niobrara River when it's not so wild nor scenic, as it passes through Agate Fossil Beds NM

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

4 positions for people who'd rather be in the Black Hills than a cubicle! Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Pactola + Custer HQ. Weekend availability required. $13-15/hr. Come meet us at the job fair April 8 in Hot Springs. blackhillsparks.org/employment/ #NowHiring #SDJobs #PublicLands

Hiring graphic: four associate positions at Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Pactola, and BHPFA HQ. Job fair April 8.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

BHPFA stores and partner sites are currently open, but the NPS, USFS, and our operations staff are closely monitoring. Staff and visitor safety is all our top priority. Check SD Game, Fish & Parks resources for status of Custer State Park. #custersd #WindCaveNationalPark #QuryFire #DeerFire

Image Description: A square social media graphic providing updates on the Qury and Deer Fires south of Custer, South Dakota. The background is a stylized, minimalist illustration in muted blues, greys, and greens, showing silhouetted pine trees and mountains with distant smoke and small orange glows representing fire. At the bottom, silhouettes of a bulldozer and a water tanker truck are visible.

The text on the graphic is as follows:

Header: Wildfire Information: Qury & Deer Fires. South of Custer, SD.

Operational Status (with icons):

Wind Cave NP Visitor Center: Open Today

BHPFA Store (Inside Visitor Center): Open

US Highway 385 through the park: Open

BHPFA Headquarters Store (Downtown Custer): Open

Safety Warning: IMPORTANT: Fire conditions can change rapidly. For current, real-time updates, please monitor Custer County Sheriff social media and Custer County Emergency Management social media. These are the official sources for timely information.

Footer: THANK YOU, RESPONDERS. With gratitude to our local, state, and federal emergency services for their tireless efforts.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Smiles, new friends, and tutus! It was a fun day of celebrating #InternationalWomensDay and creating community for women in the outdoors at Jewel Cave. Events like these with SheJumps encourage all women and girls, regardless of age or ability, to get outside, break down barriers, and have fun.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Spring break is coming. Summer hours aren't... yet. The forecast looks tempting, but our federal partners across the Black Hills and Nebraska are still in winter mode. Check hours before you drive out. #BlackHills #NationalParks #NationalForests

Current off-season hours. Wind Cave National Park: daily, 8am to 4:30pm, through April 4. Jewel Cave National Monument: Monday through Saturday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, through May 4 Scotts Bluff National Monument: daily, 8:30am to 4:30pm, summit road 9am to 4pm, through May 23. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument: daily, 8am to 4pm, through May 14. NE National Grasslands Visitor Center: Monday through Thursday, 8am to 4:30pm. U.S. Forest Service Offices: Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, closed federal holidays.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Your classroom has walls. This training doesn't. April 24-26 in Custer. Hands-on Project WILD, WET, AIS, and PLT for anyone who teaches kids. Academic credit for recertification. 📞 605-673-9200 | BHNF, SDGFP, Custer State Park & Project Learning Tree of SD #EnvironmentalEducation #BlackHills

Forest-themed graphic announcing Educator Workshop: Hands-on environmental ed training. April 24-26, 2026, Friday through Sunday. BHNF Supervisor's Office, Custer, South Dakota. For K-12 teachers, homeschoolers, scout leaders and youth educators. Call 605-673-9200 for details. Hosted by Black Hills National Forest, SD GFP, Custer State Park and Project Learning Tree of SD.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Black-footed ferrets: once nearly extinct... now back in SD... but still in trouble. Nicole Mittman (Prairie Wildlife Research) talks ferrets at BHPFA's Nature Cabin Chats: 📍 March 5, The Trailhouse, Custer 📍 March 8, Lost Cabin Taproom, Rapid City $10 @ door #BlackFootedFerret #SouthDakota

Black-footed ferret looking over its shoulder toward the camera with an alert, curious expression

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Get the Girls Out is back! BHPFA and SheJumps are hosting a low-key women's outdoor meetup at Jewel Cave on Saturday, March 7, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot cocoa, tutus, bingo, hiking, and an optional cave tour. Come solo or bring a friend. #GetTheGirlsOut #SheJumps #SouthDakota

Get the Girls Out flyer on kraft paper: March 7, 9:30-1 PM, Jewel Cave, with BHPFA and SheJumps logos

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

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

Women in outdoor gear with Thank You text. We raised $1200 for women and girls outdoors. BHPFA, SheJumps, Custer Beacon logos

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

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

Black Hills Sports Show & Outdoor Expo flyer: Feb 13-15, 2026 at The Monument, Rapid City. Hours and ticket prices listed.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

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

Presidents Day fee-free day announcement for free cave tours at Wind Cave and Jewel Cave on February 16

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

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

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

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

Birthday cake on Jewel Cave National Monument table with educational brochures and BHPFA partner recognition sign

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