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Places We Protect

Whitney Preserve

South Dakota

Landscape view of Falls Canyon at Whitney Preserve.
Falls Canyon Sunrise in Falls Canyon at TNC’s Whitney Preserve in South Dakota. © Marcus Heerdt

A convergence of sage lands, pine forest and grasslands make this area important for conservation.

Overview

Description

Why You Should Visit

Whitney Preserve protects more than two miles of Cascade Creek, an undeveloped warm water system formed by the merging of seven springs in the southern Black Hills, two of which are located on the preserve. Named for Nathaniel and Mary Whitney, conservation leaders in South Dakota, the preserve protects four rare plants that grow along the stream’s banks. During daylight hours, visitors can walk along a nature trail that is one of the best places in the Black Hills to see birds.

Why TNC Selected This Site

The Whitney Preserve is located on the eastern edge of a large, undeveloped landscape where elements of sage lands, pine forest and mixed grasslands come together. The convergence of these habitat types makes this area important for conservation. Ongoing conservation work includes monitoring and management of invasive species, thinning non-native trees, maintaining fencing for rotational grazing, monitoring the health of native plant and animal communities, and partnering with neighbors and local landowners to advance conservation.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Size

4,588 acres

Explore our work in South Dakota

Visit

  • When visiting the preserve, please do:

    • Plan ahead. We advise you to dress in layers, bring plenty of water and protect yourself from ticks, poison ivy or poison sumac by wearing long pants and tall socks.
    • Pack a bag. To get the most of your visit, consider bringing along binoculars, a camera, field guides or other items to enhance your nature experience.
    • Stay on the trail and keep your dog on a leash.
    • Wear bright, visible clothing—especially during hunting season.
    • Close any gates you open.

    Please don’t:

    • Make new trails; use existing trails and fire breaks where present.
    • Use motorized vehicles of any sort, including ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles, except on public roads. At this time, ATVs are permitted on the U.S. Forest Service road. They must stay on the road at all times—no driving off trail and no driving on the marked spur roads.
    • Bike, camp, hunt, ride horseback, start fires or feed animals.

    Read our full preserve visitation guidelines.

  • Plants: The springs support a unique warm riverine system that includes four rare plant species—tulip gentian, beaked spike-rush, southern maidenhair fern and stream orchid—that are found nowhere else in the Black Hills or the surrounding Great Plains.

    Wildlife: Whitney Preserve and the surrounding landscape contain important habitat for turkey, deer, elk, bobcat and mountain lions. The constant flow of Cascade Creek and Cool Creek support deciduous trees that provide important habitat for birds. The nature trail at the Whitney Preserve is one of the best places in the Black Hills for birdwatchers.

    Cascade Creek: Whitney Preserve is situated between the springs that form Cascade Creek and Cascade Falls. Water emerges at seven known discharge locations, flowing at about 150 gallons per second, at a consistent temperature of about 68°F year-round. The unique hydrogeologic features of Cascade Springs provide a unique warm riverine ecosystem, which supports wildlife and several of South Dakota’s rare plant species. The stream’s water is rich in calcium dissolved from rocks in the groundwater flow system; some of the minerals are later deposited on the streambed in the form of travertine.

  • Bev’s Bunkhouse is a multi-purpose building that was designed to provide meeting space for partners, classroom space for school groups and lodging for researchers, work crews, volunteers and staff. We are excited to share this facility with diverse groups that have a nature- or conservation-related focus. Examples of groups that have used Whitney Preserve facilities include the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, SDSU Extension Office, AmeriCorps, Youth and Family Services, local school groups and more.

  • Bev’s Bunkhouse is wheelchair accessible.

  • Portions of Whitney Preserve are enrolled in the CHAP program administered by South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks. Learn more and register online.

A building surrounded by the Black Hills.
Bev’s Bunkhouse At Whitney Preserve in South Dakota. © Julie Brazell

History of Whitney Preserve

Brainerd Indian School

The former site of Brainerd Indian School, which operated from approximately 1946 to 1990, sits within the boundaries of Whitney Preserve. The Indian boarding school was privately owned and operated by the Wesleyan church, which means there is little public information available about the school. There is currently research being conducted in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. This will be shared when it is complete.

Students at Brainerd Indian School lived on the grounds, away from their language and traditional communities. Like many Indian boarding schools, Brainerd was designed to assimilate Native American children into Western culture and instill Christianity. Learn more about the movement for truth, justice and healing for Native peoples impacted by Indian boarding schools.

Cascade Springs

Whitney Preserve is also on the site of the former town of Cascade Springs. In the late 1800s, the town bustled with 400 people and several buildings. It was known for its proximity to mineral-rich Cascade Creek, whose waters were used for medicinal purposes. The town disappeared in the early 1900s when the railroad was constructed through nearby Edgemont. Today, a lone building remains—the town’s bank, now a private residence located across the highway from Whitney Preserve’s public nature trail.

Several people are silhouetted against a dusk sky with a low-setting sun casting an orange glow on the horizon.
People TNC South Dakota supporters at a celebratory gathering. © Karla Suckling /TNC

How we got the land

The Whitneys

Nathaniel and Mary Whitney were conservation leaders in the Black Hills region, helping to establish the South Dakota Chapter of The Nature Conservancy in the early 1960s. Nathaniel Whitney, a pediatrician and avid birder, co-authored “Birds of the Black Hills” and contributed to the “Birds of South Dakota.” To honor Nathaniel and Mary, the Whitney family gave the cornerstone gift to purchase the preserve’s first 1,195 acres of land in 1998. In honor of their generous donation, the preserve was named the Nathaniel and Mary Whitney Preserve at Cascade Creek.

Beverly Paulson

Beverly Paulson had a life-long appreciation of our natural world. She led countless youth groups on nature outings for anywhere from an hour to several days, with field guides always at hand. Camping and canoeing with her family were treasured adventures. Bev and her husband, Lloyd, supplied the funding to purchase the 160-acre Brainerd Indian School campus in 2002 (current site of Bev’s Bunkhouse) for inclusion in the Whitney Preserve. In Bev’s memory, Lloyd provided most of the funding for Bev’s Bunkhouse, completed in 2013, along with a substantial endowment for its future upkeep.

Photos from Whitney Preserve

Explore beautiful vistas, fascinating plants and wildlife, and the local treasure that is Cascade Creek.

Landscape view of Whitney Preserve in the Black Hills.
A rock formation.
Closeup of pine cones on a ponderosa pine branch.
Trees on a hill on a blue sky day.
A small round cactus.
Winter landscape shot of Whitney Preserve at sunrise.
A creek obscured by plants.
View of a canyon with a road running through it. A lone brick building sits along the roadside.
A group of birdwatchers holding up binoculars and looking toward the sky.
Water rushing down Cascade Creek at Whitney Preserve.
Landscape view of Whitney Preserve in the Black Hills.

Whitney Preserve: The Nature Conservancy’s Whitney Preserve in western South Dakota. © Mike Deal

A rock formation.

Rock Formations: Many unique rock formations can be found while exploring Whitney Preserve, such as this sculpted sandstone cliff face. © Marcus Heerdt

Closeup of pine cones on a ponderosa pine branch.

Ponderosa Pine: The main tree species found in the Black Hills, ponderosa pines are well adapted to their environment. © Lane Ketterman/TNC

Trees on a hill on a blue sky day.
A small round cactus.

Cactus: Pincushion cactus (Escobaria vivipara) is just one type of cacti that can be found at the Whitney Preserve. © Marcus Heerdt

Winter landscape shot of Whitney Preserve at sunrise.

Winter: TNC’s Whitney Preserve provides dreamy winter scenes. © Marcus Heerdt

A creek obscured by plants.

Nature Trail: The public nature trail at TNC's Whitney Preserve is a great place to hike and enjoy some peace and quiet. © Marcus Heerdt

View of a canyon with a road running through it. A lone brick building sits along the roadside.

Cascade Springs: The former town of Cascade Springs is located on the southeastern portion of the Whitney Preserve. The only remaining building is the historic Allen Bank (pictured). © Marcus Heerdt

A group of birdwatchers holding up binoculars and looking toward the sky.

Birdwatching: TNC’s Whitney Preserve in western South Dakota is a birder’s delight. © Mike Deal

Water rushing down Cascade Creek at Whitney Preserve.

Cascade Creek: Cascade Creek at Whitney Preserve is part of a geothermal warm water system—meaning the water is heated by the earth before it emerges from the groundwater system. © Julie Brazell

Rare plants at Whitney Preserve

Cascade Creek at Whitney Preserve flows from a warm-water spring. The stream’s water is rich in calcium dissolved from rocks in the groundwater flow system. These unique hydrogeologic features create an environment that supports four rare plants that can be found here at the preserve.

A yellow and pink flower.
A green viney plant with fan-shaped leaves.
A purple, tulip-shaped flower.
A grassy plant next to a creek.
A yellow and pink flower.

Stream orchid: The population of stream orchid along Cascade Creek on and around Whitney Preserve is the only population within 200 miles. © Julie Brazell

A green viney plant with fan-shaped leaves.

Southern maidenhair fern: This rare plant occurs along Cascade Creek at Whitney Preserve. The plant is restricted to moist, warm water, calcareous environments. © Julie Brazell

A purple, tulip-shaped flower.
A grassy plant next to a creek.

Beaked Spikerush: This rare plant thrives in the moist, warm, calcareous environments of Cascade Creek at Whitney Preserve. It has a grassy appearance as it arcs over to re-root at the tip. © Julie Brazell

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

See the Complete Map

Support Our Work at Whitney Preserve

You can help us protect South Dakota’s diverse plant and animal communities. Make a donation now to help us further our work to conserve this iconic place for people and nature.

Donate

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