<P> The Black Hills ( Lakota : Ȟe Sápa , Cheyenne : Moʼȯhta - voʼhonáaeva , Hidatsa : awaxaawi shiibisha ) are a small , isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming , United States . Black Elk Peak ( formerly known as Harney Peak ) , which rises to 7,244 feet ( 2,208 m ) , is the range 's highest summit . The Black Hills encompass the Black Hills National Forest . The name `` Black Hills '' is a translation of the Lakota Pahá Sápa . The hills were so - called because of their dark appearance from a distance , as they were covered in trees . </P>
where are the black hills located in south dakota
the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota