 Sheriff George’s Edgemont Page
Let
me tell you about Edgemont. Edgemont is a small town – less than 900 people –
in the very southwest corner of the Black Hills of South Dakota. You probably
already know that the Black Hills area is most famous for Mt. Rushmore and
the buffalo of Custer State Park. I really like the Black Hills area because
it’s a great place to go chasing rabbits and hiking in beautiful forests with
canyons and hills and mountains.
I should tell you that Edgemont is very far from
things like shopping malls, traffic lights (we don’t have any!), and traffic
jams. And just between you and me, I think there are more cattle around here
than people. But, Edgemont is way cool, because everyone is friendly, and
they all know me, George the Basset Hound or sometimes as I am known, Sheriff
George. And I really like walking downtown Edgemont because I can stop at the
Edgemont Post Office and get a treat,  stop at Edgemont City Hall and get a treat, stop at the Edgemont City
Library and get a treat, stop at the Edgemont Herald-Tribune office for a
treat, stop at the Trails Trains and Pioneer Museum for a treat…okay, I’ll
admit that I am a little obsessed with treats, but my point is that here in
Edgemont you’ll find warm, friendly folks, who take the time to chat with you
and enjoy your company.
There
are a lot of animals that visit Edgemont because ranches and  forests surround the town. Some people ride horses
through the town. There are also mule deer that will come into my backyard. And
sometimes wild turkeys walk right down the street in front of my house.
Sometimes I’ll look up the hill near my house and see whitetail deer looking
down at me. I really like pronghorn antelope in the High Plains around
Edgemont. Of course there are other animals in the environs for me to get
excited about such as prairie dogs, coyotes, elk, some mountain lions, a few
bobcats, and the occasional badger. And on those calm days you might sight a
Bald Eagle soaring gracefully overhead or a Golden Eagle diving into the
grass and rising into the air with a snake in its talons.
 Now, you’re probably thinking that there is
nothing to do in Edgemont because it is so small. Well, I guess it depends on
what you like to do. If you like outdoors stuff like hiking, camping,
mountain biking, exploring the Mickelson Trail, hunting, riding horses,
taking pictures of beautiful scenery, or looking at old  Native American art on canyon walls,
then you’ll find a lot to do in and around Edgemont. Some fun things in
Edgemont that I like to go to. We have rodeos (Little Britches Rodeo in
August is my favorite). There is the county fair in late July or early August
(I like eating hotdogs!). Don’t forget our Edgemont Dinner Theatre (great
steaks, funny plays). And there is this big motorcycle rally called Sturgis
in August. Sturgis is 100 miles away from Edgemont, but so many motorcyclists come to the
Black Hills during Sturgis week, that even Edgemont sees a lot of motorcycles
for about two weeks. So Edgemont makes for a really neat place to visit
during Sturgis week when you feel like getting off the  beaten track (take the old Highway 18 from Minnekahta Junction to Edgemont for
spectacular scenery on a quiet road with lots of curves!). Yep, I ride my own
motorcycle.
And
don’t forget to stop in at Edgemont’s museum, the Trails Trains and Pioneer
Museum. Which reminds me if you are a train buff then after your visit to the
museum, walk out into the Edgemont City Park to watch a parade of BNSF trains
stop and start from the Edgemont BNSF crew change station. The BNSF tracks
through Edgemont carry some of the highest annual tonnage in the world, and
there’s plenty of action and plenty of photo spots!
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