By Clay Bonnyman Evans, 2019 Centennial Trail Thru-Hiker
The Centennial Trail is a 123-mile point-to-point hike in the Black Hills of South Dakota, best hiked from late spring to fall. The trail is mostly well-marked and -graded and can be hiked in 5-10 days.
Region: Plains Midwest (Black Hills, South Dakota)
Length: 123 miles (5-10 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Tread is mostly good, but brief route-finding may be required
- Total elevation gain is 20,000-22,000 feet, depending on direction of travel
- Sustained climbs of 2,000-3,000 feet, rarely steep
- Weather can change quickly
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Transportation options limited
- Resupply options available, but limited
- Water availability varies, depending on year and season
- Dispersed camping allowed along most of the trail
Season: Late Spring, Summer, Fall
Elevation: ~3,300 – 5,856 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~22,000 feet (southbound); ~20,000 (northbound)
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Hiking the Centennial Trail
South Dakota’s Centennial Trail is a little-traveled, beautiful route through the Black Hills, which resemble the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (and with which they share a geological origin). With an average elevation of 4,000-4,500 feet and sustained climbs of up to 3,000 feet, it’s an excellent way to experience long-distance hiking at moderate altitude.
The Centennial Trail offers diverse landscapes and ecosystems over its 123-mile length, from rolling meadows and open grasslands to montane forests, lakes, and streams.
The trail passes through Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park, where hikers are likely to see American bison, and is just a 2-mile (uphill!) hike away from famous Mount Rushmore (and its cafeteria). Hikers not interested in Mount Rushmore can take an alternate route to summit Black Elk (formerly Harney) Peak, South Dakota’s high point. The Northern Terminus is the breathtaking summit of Bear Butte, rising 1,600 feet above the plains. Looking due east, the nearest mountains are in northern Vermont. For centuries a sacred site, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Hunkpapa people still tie colorful cloth prayer bundles to junipers and trees along the steep, spectacular ascent. Buffalo, deer, or elk are often visible on the grassy skirts far below. Hiker-friendly Hot Springs is just a quick hitch from the Southern Terminus.
While generally well-tracked and -signed, the Centennial Trail sees surprisingly little long-distance traffic, so hikers may need to do some minor route-finding in remote areas. The trail is remarkably free of crowds, though hikers may encounter people at U.S. Forest Service campgrounds and certain trailheads.
How to Get to the Centennial Trail
Nearest Major City: Rapid City, South Dakota (33 miles to Northern Terminus)
Nearest Town to Northern Terminus: Sturgis, South Dakota (8 miles)
Nearest Town to Southern Terminus: Hot Springs, South Dakota (7 miles)
Northern Terminus: Bear Butte State Park
Southern Terminus: Wind Cave National Park
For a southbound hike, hikers can fly into Rapid City Regional Airport to access the Northern Terminus. Shuttle services to both Sturgis and Hot Springs are available (though somewhat infrequent) at the airport through Rapid City Airport Shuttles and RapidShuttle. Some hikers fly into Denver and rent a car one-way for the six-hour drive to Rapid City.
After I finished this trail, I hitched out of the park, then used a shuttle to get from the Rapid City airport back to Bear Butte—an additional few miles than the shuttle driver agreed to, but I left him a good tip.
When to Hike the Centennial Trail
Generally speaking, hiking is best from early summer to early fall. The Black Hills and surrounding area are on the high plains, where winter can—and frequently does—push well into spring. Even in early summer the weather can be gorgeous one hour and stormy the next, though overall the climate is dry. Once summer is in full swing, temperatures range from nighttime lows in the 50s to highs in the 80s. Water availability varies, depending on the year, and some streams can go dry in late summer.
I hiked this in late August 2019. In some years, that might mean carrying more water because of dry streams. There was tons of water in 2019, so I never had an issue. My weather was sublime. High 80s during the day, a few rain showers, and in the 50s at night.
Centennial Trail Terrain
The majority of the trail ambles through the south-facing ponderosa-pine and north-facing spruce ecosystems of the Black Hills—the English translation of Pahá Sápa, a Lakota word describing the appearance of the area’s dark evergreen forests from a distance.
But the area around Bear Butte, as well as the southern reaches of the trail through Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park, feature rolling prairie interspersed with forested areas (including treeless stretches due to wildfire). The trail passes by several lakes, both natural and human-made, and crosses many streams. Hikers are likely to see bison, snakes, frogs, toads, and lizards, and may see eagles, hawks, vultures, deer, elk, and mountain goats—as well as plenty of cattle.
Logistics: Camping, Water, Resupply
Permits: Hikers must self-register to enter the Black Elk Wilderness, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park. Pets are not allowed in Wind Cave, Mount Rushmore, or Bear Butte State Park.
Camping: Dispersed camping is allowed along most of the trail. Fees required at U.S. Forest Service campgrounds on the trail.
Jurisdiction: The Centennial Trail crosses land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and state parks. There is a small amount of dirt-road-walking; off-trail vehicles are allowed on 14.4 miles of the trail between Pilot Knob and Dalton Lake.
Water: The trail crosses numerous large creeks and streams, some of which may require hip-deep fording or be dry, depending on precipitation levels and snowpack earlier in the year. The Facebook group Hiking Centennial Trail, administered by the authors of the most detailed guidebook to the trail, is a good resource for water information.
Resupply: The trail is short enough that it’s possible to thru-hike without a resupply. However, it also passes two minuscule towns that have restaurants and adequate resupply options, Merritt and Nemo. Whispering Pines campground, about a half-mile off the trail, offers limited resupply (candy bars, sports drinks, canned tuna, beer, etc.). Snacks and drinks are available at the cafeteria and store at Mount Rushmore.
Know Before You Go
The Centennial Trail is an outstanding, little-traveled trail that offers plenty of challenge, coupled with varied and gorgeous scenery, unusual wildlife, and swimming opportunities. The climbs are substantial, but not onerous, and even in forested areas, views are plentiful. Water may be an issue in dry years, but not so much that caching is required, and resupply options, while limited, are sufficient for the length of the average trip. Northbounders end on the “Katahdin” of the Centennial Trail, a genuinely spectacular jaunt up Bear Butte, while southbounders can wrap up their journey with a visit to famous caves or a soak in a natural hot spring.
Centennial Trail Resources
-Local hikers Cheryl Whetham and Jukka Huhtiniemi’s Hiking Centennial Trail is a detailed guide to the trail itself, tailored to NOBO hikers (though SOBOs can simply read it back-to-front, though it focuses on the route and environment rather than logistics).
-Hiking Centennial Trail Facebook group
-National Geographic Trails Illustrated Black Hills Map Pack Bundle
-Author’s detailed blog about hiking the Great Plains Trail pilot trail, which includes the Centennial Trail
Clay Bonnyman Evans is a freelance writer living in Hilton Head Island, S.C. and his hometown, Boulder, CO. He’s the author of several books, including the Amazon bestseller, Bones of My Grandfather: Reclaiming a Lost Hero of World War II,”and his most recent, The Trail Is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail. He has hiked the Colorado Trail, Appalachian Trail, Foothills Trail, Pinhoti Trail, Centennial Trail, and the Great Plains Trail Pilot Trail, and will start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail on April 7, 2021.