Our Story
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Eddie's Dream Becomes Reality
In her final will, Eddie requested her life’s earnings be turned into a trust to fund the creation of a Rapid City park in honor of her parents, Ed Larsen and Etta Hanson-Larsen. After her passing in 2004, the charitable foundation left by her trust was used to purchase land for the Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park, occupying 300 acres on Cowboy Hill.
Since its creation, HLMP has received national acclaim in Men’s Journal, South Dakota Magazine, and Mountain Bike Magazine. Its trails have been placed among the “best mountain bike meccas of the west. The park provides stunning glimpses of Harney Peak, the start of the Badlands, and Bear Butte.
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Continue Eddie's Legacy
Eddie’s enduring legacy allows thousands of visitors every year to discover the magic of the Black Hills, just as she did 100 years ago.
You are vital in continuing Eddie’s work. Your financial or volunteer support ensures that HLMP will be safely maintained and free to the public for years to come.
Edna Marie “Eddie” Larsen was truly a trailblazer. Her love for the Black Hills intertwined with her entire life.
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Born in 1911, she graduated from Rapid City High School in 1929 before attending both the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and business school in Sioux Falls, rare educational achievements for a woman of her time.
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She went on to work as the only woman in civil service at the Rapid City Air Force Army Base during World War II.
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Later in life, she ran a ranch near Hermosa, SD.
HLMP’s creation is due to one woman’s commitment to creating a Rapid City park
