(S.D.) - Smokey Bear and Fourth Graders Ride 1880 Train

By: John Thayer Posted at: 05/30/2012 02:52 PM

Hill City, SD – A gentle spring rain did not dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of fourth graders riding with Smokey Bear on the 1880 Train.   Smokey and three fourth-grade classes from Newcastle, Wyoming, boarded the 10 o’clock train on Thursday, May 24^th, for the round-trip train ride from Hill City to Keystone.

“This is Smokey’s third trip with grade school classes this spring,” said Gene Bolka, Range Technician on the Mystic Ranger District.  “Smokey rode the train with two groups of students last week. Today’s train ride is our final trip for this spring.”

Travel on the 1880 steam train has become an annual event for Smokey Bear.  Each spring, he joins several school groups for a two hour and fifteen minute round-trip ride from Hill City to Keystone through the scenic Black Hills.

“Smokey enjoys these outings,” said Bolka, “and they provide a fun adventure for the students, as well as an opportunity for them to be photographed with Smokey Bear.”

For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills.

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