Does South Dakota already have any wilderness areas?
Two federally designated wilderness areas exist in South Dakota. The Black Elk Wilderness Area was designated in 1980, comprising 13,426 acres within the Black Hills National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Badlands Wilderness Area, established in 1976, includes 64,144 acres located within Badlands National Park, managed by the National Park Service. These two wilderness areas equal only 0.16% of South Dakota’s total land mass.
