Centennial Trail

Hike Name: Centennial Trail Location: west SD Length: 116 Submitted by: Jerry Schneider/Ernie Ficek Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more South Dakota trail reviews South Dakota national parks South Dakota state parks
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Description
The Centennial Trail is a moderately strenuous hike through the scenic Black Hills that can be completed in seven to nine days. The trail stretches from Wind Cave in the south to Bear Butte in the north with 20 to 30 trailheads and several campgrounds along the way. The rolling terrain varies from open prairie to thick forest with an elevation of 3200 to 5600 feet. The trail is generally well marked, however, there are enough exceptions to warrant the need for good navigational skills on an almost daily basis. The trail crosses 50 or more small streams, however, drinking water is a problem throughout most of the trail, plan on utilizing some form of water purification system. There are buffalo likely to be on or near the trail at several places along the hike, exercise caution and give them a wide berth.

Directions to Hike
The southern end of the Centennial Trail is the Norbeck Dam Trailhead located ten miles north of Hot Springs, SD on US Highway 385. The northern end of the trail is Bear Butte State Park located nine miles northeast of Sturgis, SD on South Dakota Highway 79. There are numerous trailheads along the 116 mile trail.

Contact Information
Forest Supervisor
Black Hills National Forest
RR2, Box 200
Custer, SD 57730
(605)673-2251

Suggested References: Exploring the Black Hills and Badlands by Hiram Rogers. Published by the Johnson Printing Company, Boulder, CO, 178 pages, 1993 copyright. A good trailhead to trailhead guide of the entire Centennial Trail.

Centennial Trail User's Guide, U. S. Government Printing Office. This brochure is a good general overview of what can be expected on the trail and includes a map with location of the trailheads, mileage between trailheads and other pertinent information.

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