Black Elk Wilderness
The Black Elk Wilderness lies in the center of the Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota. The wilderness encompasses the Harney Range and Black Elk Peak, an area long held sacred by Native...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | South Dakota |
| Size | 13,534 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.8578, -103.4924 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 8 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking, 1 backpacking, 1 interpretive site. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 0 miBlack Elk Wilderness ↗Backpacking
- 2 miHarney Fire Lookout ↗Interpretive site
- 2 mi
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
12 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 44 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Centennial on Hell ↗ | 10.4 | |
| Grizzly #7 ↗ | 6.3 | |
| Norbeck #3 ↗ | 5.1 | |
| Lost Cabin #2 ↗ | 5 | |
| Harney # 9 North | 4.4 | |
| Horsethief #14 | 2.7 | |
| Iron Creek #15 | 2.4 | |
| Willow Creek Rushmore #5 | 1.9 | |
| Harney # 9 South | 1.8 | |
| Centennial Bypass 89B | 1.7 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0 mi
- 1.6 miByron, Lewis, House ↗Keystone, SD
- 1.7 miNorbeck, Peter, Summer House ↗Custer, SD
- 2.1 miGolden Summit Mine Foreman's Cabin ↗Hill City, SD
- 2.2 miKeystone School ↗Keystone, SD
- 2.3 miKeystone Trading Company Store ↗Keystone, SD
- 3.6 miVon Woehrmann Building ↗Hill City, SD
- 3.7 miHarney Peak Tin Mining Company Buildings ↗Hill City, SD
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Black Elk Wilderness?
13,534 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Black Elk Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Black Elk Wilderness in?
South Dakota.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Black Elk Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Black Elk Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Horsethief Lake Campground, 0.4 miles out. 8 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Black Elk Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites here, including 1 day hiking, 1 backpacking and 1 interpretive areas. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Black Elk Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.858, -103.492. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is 1 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Black Elk Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Black Elk Wilderness?
Mount Rushmore National Memorial (1 mi), Jewel Cave National Monument (15 mi) and Wind Cave National Park (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Black Elk Wilderness?
29 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Harney Peak Lookout Tower, Dam, Pumphouse and Stairway and Byron, Lewis, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.