A Paddler's Guide to the Streams and Lakes of the Black Hills (2013)

A comprehensive review of paddling opportunities in the Black Hills and on streams and rivers that flow out of that area though the center of the state is offered in this new publication by the Black Hills Paddlers, edited by J. Kelly Lane.  Profiled in this guidebook are 35 lakes in the Black Hills, most of them small lakes and ponds of less than 50 surface acres, some of them only an acre or two in area.  There are also, though, several larger lakes, including the Angostura and Belle Fourche reservoirs. Thirty three streams are identified and described that range from small and fast creeks to the larger waters of the Belle Fourche and Cheyenne rivers.

After a reference chart of the area lakes that provides a quick overview of summary characteristics of the lakes, a descriptive section follows with a narrative and photograph of each lake.  These descriptions are personalized to reflect the history of development, observations of the writer, and access information for potential visitors.  

Justin Herreman, of the Black Hills Paddlers Describing the Book

The guidebook shifts to flowing streams that range from creeks in the area to cruising down the Belle Fourche and Cheyenne Rivers. The Belle Fourche/Cheyenne River system is described in cruising segments that begin at the western ends of these rivers and move on to the confluence of the two rivers, continuing downstream in a northeasterly course past Cherry Creek and on to the Highway 63 bridge where the Cheyenne River intersects with the Missouri.

In addition to describing the lakes, creeks, and rivers, the book provides a wealth of information on safe paddling, best practice in dealing with landowners, essential equipment needed in kayaks and canoes, and tips on boat and park regulations.  All this material is presented in a very personalized style that heightens the sense of camaraderie among paddlers.

I found this to be a delightful book; it made me think about loading up my kayak or packing away my Folbot and heading west to the Hills to explore some of the lakes described.  Many years ago I lived in Ipswich, SD, where a local group of paddlers went on a long river cruise each spring.  During my three years living in that community, we went down the Belle Fourche River one spring and did the Cheyenne River in two segments over two springs. Reading the passages describing these two rivers sent me back to happy memories of those cruises in heavy aluminum canoes during the early 1970s.

I enthusiastically recommend this book.  It is available on Amazon for $34.99 at the following URL:

http://www.amazon.com/Paddlers-Guide-Streams-Lakes-Black/dp/1461119286/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359312969&sr=1-4&keywords=j.+kelly+lane