CUSTER, S.D. (AP) — Custer State Park officials have recovered furniture that was stolen from a popular Black Hills hiking spot known as Poet’s Table.
Park officials and Custer County law enforcement on Sunday asked for the public’s help in finding and apprehending those who stole the bright green table from the alcove in the rocks high above Sylvan Lake.
The spot was a secret when the table and chairs were placed there about 50 years ago, but it has since become popular among hikers, including some who have left poems and other writings.
Park officials said the stolen furniture was returned to them on Monday, but it’s unclear when it will be returned to the alcove.
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“Right now, there is no timeline on when they will be put back in the area, but the park’s plan is to return them to their original location,” Custer State Park announced in a statement.
The culprits turned themselves in to authorities on Monday.
Tara Rose Weston, an artist and hiker, said she saw two women on Saturday carrying the table on their backs while she was hiking up the trail leading off from Little Devil’s Tower trail. It had been cut into two pieces. She heard the women had also stolen some of the poetry books left at the site, she said.
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office said it won’t identify the individuals involved in dismantling and stealing the table.