Centennial on Northern Hills
Centennial on Northern Hills Trail is a 38.1-mile trail in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, ATV, 4WD over 50 inches and e-bikes.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Black Hills National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 44.3730° N, 103.4894° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 44.2327° N, 103.4759° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 5 segments.
The trail
| Length | 38.1 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 24-36 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 89-NH |
| Forest | Black Hills National Forest (unit 0203) |
| States | South Dakota |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| ATV | Allowed year-round |
| 4WD over 50 inches | Allowed 11/01 to 04/15 (month/day) |
| E-bikes | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
Pilot Knob Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
South Boxelder Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Dalton Lake Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Elk Creek Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedWork Center Rx
23 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedAntihorse Rx
37 mi from the trail midpoint · 804 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for South Dakota and hiking across the country
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
The Forest Service records 38.1 miles under this name in Black Hills National Forest, the sum of 5 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, ATV, 4WD over 50 inches and e-bikes are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail start?
The line begins at 44.3730° N, 103.4894° W and ends at 44.2327° N, 103.4759° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Pilot Knob Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
Dalton Lake Campground (under 0.1 mi), Boxelder Forks Campground (0.5 mi) and Pactola Reservoir Campground (4.2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 4 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
Black Hills National Forest, Forest Service unit 0203. The trail is in South Dakota.
Is there a fire near the Centennial on Northern Hills Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Work Center Rx at 23 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 5 segments named Centennial on Northern Hills in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0203. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.