![]() ![]() We had to detour several times off trail due to male bison who liked the easy walking on the hiking trail.Most anyone who’s visited the Black Hills will tell you the region has charisma galore. We saw prairie dogs and bison on this route. This hike travels primarily through prairie land. This can make finding your next trail marker a little tricky! Make sure you give male bison a wide berth. We spooked a small herd of elk along the Sanctuary Trail and saw numerous deer and bison. This hike offers beautiful vistas, rolling prairie lands, prairie dog towns, and forests. Since we hiked the final leg in the dark, we do not have any pictures for the last leg of our hike. We planned to camp overnight off of the Sanctuary trail, but some bison liked our camping spot, which Mike wrote about in Bison Face Off. We did not encounter any other hikers during our entire 14 mile hike! There are two very steep sections, the hike up Sanctuary trail from Highland Creek Trail and the hike back down Centennial Trail between Curley Canyon and Limestone Canyon. ![]() The combined total mileage is about 14 miles. We decided to backpack this loop and planned to hike it in the order listed. The Centennial Trail travels through a narrow canyon riparian zoneĬentennial – Highland Creek- Sanctuary-Centennial Loop There were several deadfall sections which we were able to cross or follow established go arounds. They were sawing downed trees off the trail the day we hiked it. ![]() The area is also used by horseback riders, who help to keep the trail open. A free Wilderness Use Registration Form is required and can be obtained at the information board at the start of the trail. This easy to moderate 5.1 mile lollipop hike starts and ends in the Black Hills National Forest and enters into the Black Elk Wilderness Area. On all of our other hikes in the region we had one other tick! This was the only hike in the region like this. We would find 5-7 crawling on our pants with each check. When we started flicking them off we began counting and quickly made it to 22 and they just kept coming! We ended up flicking off or removing about 79 ticks during this one hike! The majority came from the canyon bottom’s brushy area. We’ve never encountered that many before and Mike thought they were exaggerating. We had read a review on All Trails from a couple who had hiked it and counted 22 ticks removed. On the day we hiked this trail (early June) it was tick city. Unfortunately I forgot to take the camera and we did not get any shots of this hike. We chose to start through the bottom of the canyon and then follow the bench below the cliffs and come down the steep switchbacks to the parking area. The entire Hell Canyon trail was burnt during the Jasper Fire in 2000. The trailhead is located approximately 13.5 miles west of Custer. Elevation ranges from 5,360 to 5,800 feet. This is a moderate 5.3 mile loop trail with an optional 0.3 mile spur trail to an overlook. There are over 500 miles of hiking trails and other recreational opportunities available in the Black Hills.Īfter a tip from our camp host, we decided to check out Hell Canyon Trail, located near Jewel National Monument. The forest is described as an “Island in the Plains”. The Black Hills National Forest includes 1.2 million acres in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. The Black Elk Wilderness, named for the spiritual leader of the Oglala Lakota, is contained within the Black Hills National Forest. View from Little Devils Tower Trail Black Hills National Forest & Black Elk Wilderness The trail has several moderate incline sections. Hikers start in the river bottom and climb up to high vistas of prairie. This provides an excellent overview of the forest and prairie lands that make up Custer State Park. The trailhead is located on the Wildlife Loop Road, 13 miles from the Visitor Center or 5 miles from the Blue Bell Entrance Station. This 3 mile loop trail is rated moderate. In 2017, the fee for a 1-7 day pass was $20 per vehicle. The park includes prairie, forest and riparian areas. There are large number of bird species, with turkey commonly seen. Stay on the lookout for wildlife, this park is home to a herd of up to 1450 bison, white-tailed and mule deer, pronghorn, elk, coyotes, burros, prairie dogs, mountain lions, bighorn sheep and mountain goats. One of our favorite state parks for hiking, Custer State Park offers 14 trails of varying length and skill level. The construction continues at the memorial Custer State Park ![]()
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