Wind Cave Backcountry: Highland Creek and Centennial Loop

Wind Cave National Park (near Hot Springs)

Wind Cave National Park is known for the cave, but its prairie and pine above ground also hold a backcountry where you can camp. Backpacker’s Korey Peterson, who wrote this loop up in 2018, noted that “this national park isn’t celebrated for what lies above ground,” which makes for quiet trails and plenty of bison.

Backcountry camping is allowed only in the park’s northwest area, and this 23.2-mile lollipop reaches it from the south.

The hike

Backpacker’s route starts at the park’s southern boundary, on the East Bison Flats Trail off US 385, about seven miles north of Hot Springs. It heads 3.5 miles north, turns east on the Wind Cave Canyon Trail for 0.6 mile, then turns north on the Highland Creek Trail to reach the start of the loop at mile 6.5.

The 10.2-mile loop runs clockwise on the Lookout Point, Centennial, Sanctuary, and Highland Creek trails. Backpacker’s first campsite, at mile 9.9, is on a grassy knoll near the Centennial and Highland Creek junction, above Beaver Creek. Its second, at mile 14, is in a ponderosa grove on a butte south of the Sanctuary and Highland Creek intersection, which Backpacker says has the hike’s best view east. From the loop, it’s 6.5 miles back to the trailhead.

Hiking Project describes much of the same country on a shorter, 11.2-mile loop from the Sanctuary trailhead: rolling prairie with old homesteads and prairie dog towns, a descent to Beaver Creek on the Centennial Trail, where ponderosa pines provide shade, and a steep climb back out of the valley on the Highland Creek Trail. Its author lists bison, prairie dogs, elk, pronghorn, and birds of prey.

The park is open to off-trail hiking, according to NPS, which also warns that cell service is very limited and water sources are few. Treeline Review, writing about the Centennial Trail, warns that summer heat can top 95 degrees on the shadeless prairie. Backpacker suggests April through October.

Bison are the main hazard. NPS says to stay at least 25 yards from all wildlife and “strongly recommends” more distance from bison, which can seem tame but may charge without warning.

The Centennial Trail continues north from the park through Custer State Park; see the Centennial Trail from Big Pine to Wind Cave.

Tips

Get your free permit at the visitor center information desk before you start.
Fill up at Beaver Creek. Backpacker calls it the last reliable water on the loop.
Call ahead about Highland Creek, which Backpacker says is unreliable.
Don’t park overnight without a permit; NPS doesn’t allow it.
Leave dogs at home. Pets aren’t allowed in the backcountry.

Camping

A free backcountry permit is required for all backcountry camping and is available at the visitor center. Camping is allowed only in the northwest area of the park. Sites must be at least a quarter mile from and out of sight of any road, and 100 feet from any trail or water source. Campers are limited to two nights per site and seven nights per trip. Open fires aren’t allowed, so cook on a self-contained stove, and pets aren’t allowed in the backcountry.

Inside Intel: Backpacker’s two picks are the grassy knoll above Beaver Creek, near the Centennial and Highland Creek junction (and the last reliable water), and a ponderosa grove on a butte south of the Sanctuary and Highland Creek intersection, for the best view east on the hike.

Trail facts

Distance: 23.2 miles (Backpacker), including a 10.2-mile loop
Route type: Lollipop
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: Dispersed in the northwest area; Backpacker suggests miles 9.9 and 14
Water: Beaver Creek (year-round per Backpacker); Highland Creek unreliable; treat all water
Permits: Free backcountry permit from the visitor center
Fires: Not allowed; stoves only
Dogs: Not allowed in the backcountry
Trailhead: East Bison Flats, off US 385 north of Hot Springs
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

A ponderosa butte above the Wind Cave prairie:

Backpacker's second camp sits in a ponderosa grove on a butte with the hike's best view east. See the sleeping bags testers rate for a night up high.

See the picks →

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.