Backpack in Black Hills and explore Badlands National Park, SD

Backpacking in Black Elk Wilderness:
Distance- 22 miles
Elevation gain- 4,800 ft
Max elevation- 7,241 ft.

Hiking in Badlands National Park:
Distance- 7-10 miles depending how many shorter hikes we do
Elevation gain- 500-800 ft

Please do not sign up if you have not backpacked before. Some of the hikes will be moderate, but the 2nd day will be strenuous due to distance- 12 miles, elevation gain- 2,800 ft and the need to carry water for the whole day, while likely doing the first backpacking trip this year. Everyone will be on a waitlist initially but within a few days, I will start moving some people to the "going" list. The number of people (6-8) will depend on whether some people are willing to share a tent, as camping space might be limited.

The first 2 days and the morning of the 3rd day will be spent backpacking in Black Elk wilderness, including hiking up to Black Elk Peak, the highest point in SD. This granite 7,242 ft mountain is a popular destination for hikers and visiting geologists due to its very unique geological history. You can easily see large pegmatites in this 1.5+ billion year old granite. Black Elk Peak - formerly Harney Peak - honors Black Elk, a noted Lakota Sioux medicine man for whom the Wilderness Area is named.
After that, we will head to Mount Rushmore Memorial and Badlands National Park, where we will spend the 3rd night.
Please be prepared for all kind of weather including rain. Have everything you need for camping unless you make arrangements before the trip to share gear with somebody else.

Day 1: I will meet you in Cheyenne, WY. We will drive to Horsethief Lake, SD (it is about 4.5 hr drive from Cheyenne) and start hiking on Centennial Trail #89/Horsethief Trail #14. We will hike about 8.5 miles and camp near Grizzly Bear Creek at 5,400 ft elevation. Elevation gain for the day is about 1,500 ft.

Day 2: Expect 12 miles and 2,800 ft elevation gain. We likely will need to carry water that we will need for that distance. There is a small stream 10 miles in and I will try to find out if it is flowing when it gets closer to the trip date.
We will continue on Grizzly # 7 Trail for about 3 miles, to the intersection with the trail to Little Devil's Tower. This is an optional side hike, about 2.5 miles round trip and 550 ft elevation gain; we would unload our backpacks for this part of the hike. The highlight of the trip will be Black Elk Peak, 7241 ft high, about a mile from the intersection for the optional hike.
We will be camping in a dry area so a couple from the group will make an about 1 mile trip to get water from the paid camping area at Horsethief lake (sorry, everything is booked so we cannot camp there).

Day 3: Will pack and hike 1 mile to our cars.
Will drive to Mount Rushmore National Monument about 4 miles away to explore the area. In the afternoon, we will drive 1.5 hrs to Badlands National park with a plan to find a campsite near Sage Creek trailhead. When we enter the park, we will stop and explore some areas, based on how much time we have. We might be able to see bisons, pronghorns, bighorn sheep and other animals in the park.

Day 4: We will explore Badlands National park, stoping for a couple of hikes as well as along the road to observe the views and wild animals. One of the hikes will be part of Castle Trail. We will plan to return to Cheyenne by 7 PM.

You can see backpacking portion of this trip on this map:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/black-elk-wilderness-skip-mt-rushmore-in-south-dakota-131f383

You can read about geology of Black Hills here: https://blackhillsvisitor.com/learn/black-hills-and-badlands-geology/

Meeting place: I will meet you in Cheyenne, WY at 7:15 AM. If anybody lives further away and would like to stay in Cheyenne the night before, please let me know. I have an extra bedroom with a queen bed, and a sofa. I can be one of the drivers as I have a "mini lease" car with unlimited mileage.
If you have questions, please call or text me 720-369-8806.

By signing up for this trip you take full responsibility for your safety while on the trip, including getting there and coming back.