This collection consists of extensive aerial photographs documenting western South Dakota, with particular focus on the Black Hills region. The images span various dates and locations, including Meade and Pennington counties, and were taken primarily during the summer and fall months. Many of the photographs were created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some as part of efforts to monitor environmental conditions such as mountain pine beetle infestations.

The collection includes individual and sequential image sets identified by flight lines, roll numbers, and dates. Several groups of photographs are infrared and color aerials, some annotated or indexed, and are organized by geographic location or agency designation. Accompanying materials include photographic indexes, flight maps, USDA parameters, and some duplicate negatives.