The Absurdly Beautiful Winter Hike In South Dakota That Will Make You Feel At One With Nature

Winter is one of the best times to get out and explore South Dakota on foot. The hiking trails are less crowded, and you'll truly find some peace and solitude. Take a look at this pretty hike that will make you feel one with nature...and appreciate our state's history too.

You'll find the trailhead on the southeast shore of Sheridan Lake. It's considered a moderately difficult trail, mostly due to the elevation change of up to 1,322 feet.

The trail has three sections, for a total of around 13 miles. You can choose to hike for as long as you'd like, then head back the way you came.

This trail is listed as a National Recreation Trail because of its history. The trail follows the Rockerville Flume, which carried water all the way from Spring Creek to the Rockerville diggings. More than $20 million in gold was mined thanks to this flume.

Along the way, you'll find several tunnels. Some are rather long, and it's a good idea to have a flashlight or headlamp to navigate through them.

Other tunnels are so short that you can see right through them to the other side of the trail.

You'll find the original rock walls inside these tunnels, though they've been shored up with bolts and wire since they were built in the 1800s.

You'll come across many historic artifacts along the way. Leave them untouched so that future hikers may enjoy them as well.

Parts of this trail are steep and rocky. If there's snow or ice on the ground, it might help to have some traction cleats for your hiking boots.

The views along the trail are beautiful. From this vantage point, you can see Spring Creek, which was frozen when this photo was taken during a hike in January.

Sheridan Lake is located southwest of Rapid City, in the Black Hills, near Keystone and Rockerville.

Click here for the map and directions.

Have you ever hiked the Flume Trail in the winter? Give our readers some more tips in the comments.

Looking for a good spot for some winter relaxation in the Black Hills? Check out Hot Springs.