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Details

Distance

5 miles

Elevation Gain

807 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Kaitlyn Janak

This is an amazing hike that takes you to beautiful scenery not as common in the Black Hills. It is truly breathtaking.

After reaching the trailhead, the first couple miles are forest service road. You'll want to follow the main FSR, do not branch off onto any of the smaller dirt roads. The turn off to go down into the canyon is very easy to miss. It will be on your right hand side after a small patch of trees, there are also some fairly large boulders at the turning point, so keep your eye out! 

Once you start down to the canyon, you'll need to watch your footing. Most of the trail is loose rock so make sure you have sturdy hiking shoes. Once you've reached the bottom, you'll start the journey through the canyon. For the first half mile or so the scenery is pretty much the norm for the Black Hills area, which nonetheless is beautiful. Once you reach the true botany canyon, it will leave you breathless. It is so green, it's as if you stepped into a different world!

The tail at this point isn't very traveled so it's harder to scope out. You can continue down the canyon for as long as you'd like and turn around when you're ready to head back up. 

The hike back to the top is a bit more strenuous than the hike down, so make sure you bring lots of water!

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Features

Hiking
Dog Friendly
Forest
Scenic
Wildflowers

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Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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In the Mount Rushmore state, travels to South Dakota are full of one-of-a-kind adventure with wide-open spaces as endless as the horizons. Between legendary landscapes and scenic drives, you can always find space that shifts life into park. When you’re ready, go great places.

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