Veterans Point
Veterans Point Trail is a 0.6-mile trail in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.
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 | 44.0821° N, 103.4937° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 44.0795° N, 103.4939° 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
| Length | 0.6 miles, all of it evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 4, highly developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | asphalt |
| Typical grade | 0-5 percent |
| Typical tread width | 48-60 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 56 |
| 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 04/16 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | 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
Veterans Point Trailhead Open January | 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
- PrescribedAntihorse Rx
27 mi from the trail midpoint · 804 acres
- PrescribedWork Center Rx
34 mi from the trail midpoint
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 Veterans Point Trail?
The Forest Service records 0.6 miles under this name in Black Hills National Forest, the sum of 1 segment. All of it is evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Veterans Point Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Veterans Point Trail start?
The line begins at 44.0821° N, 103.4937° W and ends at 44.0795° N, 103.4939° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Veterans Point 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 Veterans Point 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 Veterans Point Trail?
Pactola Campground (1 mi), Bear Gulch (1.6 mi) and Pactola Reservoir Campground (2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.
How developed is the Veterans Point Trail?
Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly 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 Veterans Point Trail?
The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 48-60 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Veterans Point Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 0.6 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is asphalt.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Veterans Point Trail?
Black Hills National Forest, Forest Service unit 0203. The trail is in South Dakota.
Is there a fire near the Veterans Point Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Antihorse Rx at 27 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Veterans Point 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.