Ancient fossils still lie hidden in the bold and bronzen buttes of Badlands National Park, a protected wilderness penetrated by hiking and biking trails.
The Ice Caves Trail leads hikers to the ridgetop of the Big Snowy Mountains, where it intersects with the Crystal Cascades Trail Bypass. The Lake Loop Trail trailhead, located at the north end of the Crystal Lake Campground, takes hikers to Grand View Trail Junction and additional ridgetop views. Both the Ice Caves Trail and Grand View Trail may be impacted by winter snow as late as the first part of July.
The lake freezes over and ice fishing is possible if the ice is thin enough for fish to survive. In summer months, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Kayaking and canoeing is popular.
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