French Creek Natural Area

Custer State Park (near Custer)

French Creek cuts a gorge through Custer State Park, and the park has set aside about 2,200 acres around it as the French Creek Natural Area. It is the one place in the park where backpackers can camp outside a campground.

There is no marked trail. You follow the creek, wade it when you have to, and camp on the canyon floor.

The hike

The route runs between the natural area’s East and West trailheads, each with a self-registration station. The park’s 2020 trail pocketbook and a 2008 National Geographic Adventure piece both give it as 12 miles one way, while another park trail guide lists the French Creek Trail at 17.4 miles and rates it moderate to strenuous.

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks says plainly that “there is no marked trail through the natural area,” and that “hikers make their own way along the creek,” crossing it many times. National Geographic Adventure’s advice was to “follow game paths and keep the stream in view.” It describes open prairie, narrow canyon sections, and a lush riparian zone with trout in deep pools.

From the east end, the park notes, the first mile can be a dry streambed in drier months. Treeline Review, describing the Centennial Trail where it passes through the area, calls French Creek a shaded, wooded creek corridor and warns of abundant poison ivy.

The Centennial Trail has a French Creek Trailhead in the park, and Treeline Review says the natural area is the only place in Custer State Park where Centennial hikers can camp in the backcountry. Adventures of Lupe, walking the Centennial south from the horse camp in 2023, drank from French Creek at the start and found almost no water for the next several miles.

The park is home to a free-ranging bison herd, which National Geographic Adventure put at about 1,500 animals, along with elk, deer, and bighorn sheep. A park trail guide asks hikers to stay at least 100 yards from buffalo.

The southern Black Hills had a large wildfire in March 2026. KOTA reported that the Qury Fire, which grew past 9,000 acres and reached Mount Coolidge on the park’s west side, led the park to close Lower French Creek Road and the Centennial Trail, among others. Rapid City Post reported on March 23, 2026 that Lower French Creek Road was set to reopen, and the park’s trails page listed no closures in mid-October 2026, but no official reopening notice was found. Confirm that the area is open before you plan a trip.

To combine French Creek with a longer walk, see the Centennial Trail from Big Pine to Wind Cave.

Tips

Self-register at the East or West Trailhead station before camping.
Expect wet feet. The route crosses French Creek many times.
Carry a map and stay near the creek; there’s no marked trail.
Watch for poison ivy along the creek.
Keep far from bison, at least 100 yards.

Camping

Camping is allowed anywhere in the canyon bottom of French Creek Natural Area, according to the park, but campsites must be at least 50 feet from the stream, and open fires are strictly prohibited. Campers must self-register at the East or West Trailhead station, where a camping fee is collected. Elsewhere in Custer State Park, camping is allowed only in designated campgrounds.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific site in the natural area were found.

Trail facts

Distance: 12 miles one way (park pocketbook; National Geographic Adventure); 17.4 miles (another park trail guide)
Route type: Point to point between the East and West trailheads, or out and back
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Anywhere in the canyon bottom, 50 feet from the creek
Water: French Creek; first mile from the east end can be dry; treat it
Permits: Self-registration at either trailhead (fee)
Fires: Prohibited
Trail: None marked; follow the creek
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Choosing a spot in French Creek's canyon:

You can camp anywhere in the canyon bottom here, 50 feet from the creek, so site choice is up to you. Our side-sleeper fixes include picking flat, soft ground.

See the fixes →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.