Roads Less Traveled: Steamboat Rock

Get lost in the natural rock labyrinth of Steamboat Rock in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Rock Maze of the Black Hills can sometimes be an otherworldly, if not eerie experience.

Steamboat Rock Picnic Area is just one of the 26 picnic areas found throughout the Black Hills National Forest. It is a great place to spend an afternoon, enjoy a picnic along Box Elder Creek and then cross the road and explore the natural rock maze.

This is a day use area and requires a small payment per day. The Steamboat Rock area has 21 different picnic sites, plus there are restrooms (well you know, vault toilets) Find yourself a nice picnic table next to Box Elder Creek and let the rest of the world melt away.

Just across the road from the day use area, you will find a bunch of rocks know as the rock maze.

This is a fun area to climb around and explore. The rock are cracked in several places creating a maze effect or natural rock corridors.

You can find the recreation site on Nemo Road, roughly about four miles southeast of Nemo. Watch for the sign.