South Dakota's Centennial Trail: A Journey Through the Heart of the Black Hills

The South Dakota’s Centennial Trail is an approximately 111-mile continuous footpath that runs north to south through the Black Hills, from Bear Butte to Wind Cave National Park. It was completed in 1989 and commemorates South Dakota 100th anniversary of statehood.

Those who hike the trail’s entirety get to experience:
Bear Butte State Park- https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/bear-butte-state-park/
Fort Meade National Recreation Area- https://www.blm.gov/visit/fort-meade-recreation-area
Black Hills National Forest- https://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills
Custer State Park- https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/
Wind Cave National Park- https://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm

If you are looking for people to give you a ride from Hot Springs or Wind Cave to Bear Butte or to aid with other transportation or supply needs, email LakotaMade@Gmail.com to discuss terms and logistics. They were a big help to me and made for great, interesting conversation too.

This video is not intended to act as a how-to guide. Always properly plan and prepare before going into the backcountry. Below are some excellent reference points to help with a section or thru hike of the Centennial Trail:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5194547.pdf
https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Centennial-Trail-Guide-Dakotas/dp/1984954741
https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/centennial-trail
https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/beginners-guide-backcountry-hiking-prep

If you would like to see more of Stylo and Slider’s awesome adventures (and my less adventure-y adventures), feel free to check us out our Instagram accounts:
Me - @OhioMike27
Stylo - @ZeusTheGreat7
Slider - TromboneAndHike

All background music by Lobo Loco. You can find more of his awesome work at:
https://www.musikbrause.de/
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lobo_Loco

Here is a list of nearly all the gear, minus food and basic clothes, I brought on the trail, as well as their corresponding weight and costs:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w7-J_7OXLzKAuT1SGII_wqxz-9X2mZuLHPSteCtB_p8/edit?usp=sharing

I am an ardent supporter and practitioner of Leave No Trace principles. Let us maintain nature’s beauty and splendor for ourselves and future generations by packing out everything we pack into the backcountry:
https://lnt.org/

Public lands are nothing short of sacred to me—and make up the vast majority of South Dakota’s Centennial Trail. Please consider visiting and supporting The Trust for Public Land:
https://www.tpl.org/

I am far from an expert, but I had a few conversations with local Native Americans about how much deep meaning Bear Butte, Wind Cave and the Black Hills holds with them. Always be respectful to Native beliefs and customs and remember you are traversing land they still hold sacred. Again, not an expert, but this is perhaps a good source to learn some basics:
http://sites.coloradocollege.edu/indigenoustraditions/sacred-lands/the-black-hills-the-stories-of-the-sacred/

The Black Hills also has a colorful frontier history worth exploring:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Black-Hills

I spent a few days in Hot Springs, SD, located just south of Wind Cave National Park. It is one of my favorite small towns in the world and has a fair amount of its own attractions. Best yet, every local I met was incredibly nice. Consider a visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=74&v=-rcZz9qVk1k
http://www.hotsprings-sd.com/

While I packed enough food to last me a week, it was awesome eating at restaurants during and after the hike. Here are the establishments I ate at and thoroughly enjoyed, listed in the order they appear in the video:
https://www.thebrandiniron.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BlackHillsSugarShack/
http://rubyhousekeystone.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beggingburro/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
https://www.silveradofranklin.com/food-drink/legends-steakhouse.html

Watching the YouTube channel Darwin On Trail helped immensely in preparing me for a week-long hike, especially in terms of gear. I strongly recommend you peruse his channel to better prepare yourself for hikes and backcountry camping trips of any nature:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18exdGWh7piVWisrnDXiZg

Many people do not know of the public lands are right in their own back yards. This is an excellent tool for finding these magical, nearby places:
https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/find-a-forest

Enjoy road trips but, like me, want to cut costs where possible? This has helped me on the gasoline front:
https://www.gasbuddy.com/

I knew I wanted to do an approximately 100-mile trail but did not know of any. I scanned this list and landed on Centennial:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-distance_trails_in_the_United_States

National Parks are often referred to as “America’s Best Idea.” It’s also a good idea for you to look into these national treasures ASAP:
US National Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

Видео South Dakota's Centennial Trail: A Journey Through the Heart of the Black Hills канала Two Far Gone Backpacking