If you've ever thought about attempting a long-distance thru-hike but the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trail feels like too big a leap, the Centennial Trail in South Dakota's Black Hills might be the answer. One hiker recently completed the 125-mile route in about five days and came away convinced it's an ideal entry point into multi-day hiking.
The trail links Wind Cave National Park in the south to Bear Butte State Park in the north, climbing through terrain that feels more mountain than hill — elevations sit mostly between 3,000 and 5,000 feet. Hikers pass through Custer State Park and the Black Elk Wilderness, with Ponderosa pine forests, rocky ridgelines, meadows of wildflowers, and constant rolling ups and downs that the writer compares to sections of the Appalachian Trail.
The wildlife is a highlight and a hazard. Bison, elk, prairie dogs and turkeys roam freely in the national and state parks, and the hiker emphasises giving bison a very wide berth — wandering animals often force you off the trail, so good navigation matters. Notably, the Centennial Trail isn't on the FarOut app, so this hiker built a custom map in CalTopo with mileage markers, water sources and campsites before setting out.
Water planning deserves attention. A late-September trek brought regular rain, making creek and lake water easy to find, and campgrounds and horse camps offer pumped potable water. In the hot summer months, though, water becomes unreliable — there's a known 24-mile dry stretch near Elk Creek Trail Head that demands serious carrying capacity. On the food side, many hikers leave a resupply box at Whispering Pines Campground around mile 60, or at Nemo Mercantile further north; there are also off-trail food stops at Mount Rushmore, the Sugar Shack and Legion Lake depending on the season.
One honest caveat: a stretch around the two-thirds mark heading north involves 15 to 17 miles of ATV and off-highway vehicle tracks — muddy, eroded, noisy and poorly blazed in places. The local trail community is discussing a reroute, but for now hikers should expect that section to test their patience.
Logistics are straightforward. Most people arrange a one-way shuttle from Rapid City to one terminus and hike to their parked car — Bear Butte State Park charges a small cash-only multi-day parking fee. The trail was quiet, too: the hiker met just a handful of horse riders and one other thru-hiker over five days. Finishing at the top of sacred Bear Butte, with a 1,000-foot climb in just over a mile, makes for a memorable finale. And if you drive in, Badlands National Park is only an hour east of Bear Butte — a natural add-on for a couple of days of camping among the striped buttes.
For anyone with a bit of backpacking experience who wants to graduate to a proper long-distance hike, the Centennial Trail packs mountains, bison country, wilderness and even a national monument into a manageable week. Source: The Trek.
