Top Backpacking Trails in South Dakota
9 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.
South Dakota’s backpacking on this site falls in two places: the Black Hills in the west and Badlands National Park on the prairie to the east. In the Black Hills, the Centennial Trail (Trail 89) runs from Bear Butte to Wind Cave National Park, and the site splits it into three sections: Alkali Creek to Pilot Knob, Pilot Knob to Samelius Peak, and Big Pine to Wind Cave. Shorter trips include Black Elk Peak, the state’s high point, the trailless creek walk through French Creek Natural Area, and the Highland Creek loop in Wind Cave. In the Badlands, Sage Creek and Deer Haven have no marked trail and no usable water.
Expect ponderosa pine, granite spires, and pine beetle blowdown in the hills, and open grassland with bison and prairie dog towns in the parks. Each land manager sets its own camping rules: dispersed camping in much of the national forest, self-registration in the Black Elk Wilderness and French Creek, a free permit for Wind Cave’s northwest backcountry, and camps at least half a mile from roads and trails in the Badlands. Campfires are banned or limited almost everywhere, so carry a stove.
Most guides cited on these pages point to spring and fall. Summer brings afternoon thunderstorms, and Treeline Review says prairie heat can top 95 degrees. Give bison plenty of room, carry extra water, ask Custer State Park about trails in the area burned by the March 2026 Qury Fire, and wear bright colors during fall hunting seasons.
Quick picks
- Shortest overnight: Deer Haven (Badlands)
- State high point: Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek and Lost Cabin Trail
- Bison and prairie loop: Wind Cave Backcountry: Highland Creek and Centennial Loop
- Trailless cross-country trip: Sage Creek Wilderness (Badlands)
- Longest trip: Centennial Trail: Big Pine to Wind Cave
Badlands
- Deer Haven (Badlands) Badlands National Park, Badlands Wilderness Area (Conata Picnic Area) 5 miles Moderate Open backcountry camping; no permit required; register at the trailhead
- Sage Creek Wilderness (Badlands) Badlands National Park, Badlands Wilderness Area (near Wall) 14 miles Hard Open backcountry camping; no permit required; register at the trailhead
Black Hills
- Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek and Lost Cabin Trail Black Elk Wilderness, Black Hills National Forest (near Hill City) 10 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping; free self-registration at the trailhead
- Black Elk Wilderness Loop via Grizzly Bear Creek Black Elk Wilderness, Black Hills National Forest and Custer State Park (Sylvan Lake) 27.5 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping; free self-registration at trailhead kiosks
- Centennial Trail: Alkali Creek to Pilot Knob Fort Meade Recreation Area (BLM) and Black Hills National Forest (near Sturgis and Nemo) 37 miles Hard Dispersed national forest camping, plus campgrounds at Alkali Creek and Dalton Lake
- Centennial Trail: Big Pine to Wind Cave Black Elk Wilderness, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park 38 miles Hard Dispersed in the national forest and wilderness; French Creek Natural Area only in Custer State Park; free permit for Wind Cave's northwest backcountry
- Centennial Trail: Pilot Knob to Samelius Peak (Pactola and Sheridan Lake) Black Hills National Forest (Pactola Reservoir, Sheridan Lake, near Hill City) 29 miles Hard Dispersed national forest camping away from the reservoirs; designated sites only near developed lakes
- French Creek Natural Area Custer State Park (near Custer) 12 miles Hard Primitive camping anywhere in the canyon bottom; self-registration required
- Wind Cave Backcountry: Highland Creek and Centennial Loop Wind Cave National Park (near Hot Springs) 23.2 miles Moderate Dispersed in the northwest backcountry; free permit required
Backpacking in South Dakota: common questions
Do you need a permit to backpack in South Dakota?
It depends on where you go, because rules vary by managing agency. Wind Cave National Park requires a free backcountry permit from the visitor center, while Badlands National Park says permits are not currently required but asks overnight hikers to check in with the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or Pinnacles Entrance Station. The Black Elk Wilderness uses free self-registration at the trailhead, French Creek Natural Area in Custer State Park requires self-registration and a camping fee at the East or West Trailhead, and no permit was found for dispersed camping elsewhere in the Black Hills National Forest.
Can you camp anywhere in the Black Hills National Forest?
Dispersed camping is allowed in much of the forest, but the Forest Service says to camp at least 100 feet from creeks and half a mile from developed recreation sites, and to use designated campsites only around developed reservoirs and campgrounds such as Pactola and Sheridan Lake. Order BKF-197-2026, issued August 8, 2026, limits camping to 14 days in any 28-day period. In the Black Elk Wilderness, Order 159 (listed through December 31, 2026) bans camping within a quarter mile of the Black Elk Peak summit and within 100 feet of water and caps groups at 25. Next door in Custer State Park, backcountry camping is allowed only in French Creek Natural Area.
Are campfires allowed when backpacking in South Dakota?
Plan on a stove. A year-round Forest Service order (BKF-182-2024) bans fires on the South Dakota side of the Black Hills National Forest except in established fireplaces at designated recreation areas, though gas and liquid stoves are allowed. The forest's Stage 2 restrictions from July 27, 2026 ended on South Dakota lands on September 24, 2026, when a new order kept Stage 2 only in Wyoming. Badlands National Park allows no campfires under any circumstances, and open fires are also prohibited in Wind Cave's backcountry and in French Creek Natural Area.
Where do you get water backpacking in South Dakota?
In Badlands National Park you don't: the park says there is little to no water in the backcountry and what exists can't be drunk or filtered, so carry at least a gallon per person per day. Wind Cave says sources are scarce and to bring all the water you need and treat any you collect. On the Centennial Trail, creeks like Elk Creek can run dry, and Treeline Review warns of a possible 24-mile dry stretch between Dalton Lake and Alkali Creek, so check flows before you go.
Can you bring a dog backpacking in South Dakota?
Not in the national parks: Badlands bans pets on trails and in the backcountry and wilderness, and Wind Cave does not allow pets in the backcountry. In the Black Elk Wilderness, the Forest Service requires dogs to be leashed or under strict voice control, and Bear Butte State Park's trail guide says dogs aren't allowed on its trails at the north end of the Centennial Trail. Rules vary by managing agency, so check before you bring a dog.
Is it safe to backpack in the Black Hills during hunting season?
Fall hunting overlaps prime backpacking months in the Black Hills and Custer State Park. Season dates the Game, Fish and Parks Commission proposed in April 2025 for both 2025 and 2026 included archery deer from September 1 to January 1, Black Hills and Custer State Park elk firearm seasons in October, and Black Hills and Custer State Park deer firearm seasons from November 1 to 30. Confirm current dates and units with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, and wear bright colors in the fall.
Where this comes from
- U.S. Forest Service: Black Hills National Forest alerts
- U.S. Forest Service: Stage 2 fire restrictions in Wyoming (BKF-198-2026)
- U.S. Forest Service: Open fire restriction, Black Hills NF in South Dakota (BKF-182-2024)
- U.S. Forest Service: Black Hills dispersed camping
- U.S. Forest Service: Order 159, Black Elk Wilderness
- NPS: Backcountry camping, Badlands National Park
- NPS: Backcountry camping, Wind Cave National Park
- NPS: Wind Cave permits and reservations
- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks: Custer State Park trails
- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks: Commission April 2025 meeting (proposed seasons)