Centennial Trail (SD) itinerary
Every mile marker on the Centennial Trail (SD) route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Centennial Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Centennial Trail (SD). One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Norbeck Trailhead, Wind Cave National Park (southern terminus) and Bear Butte State Park (northern terminus) are the ones on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 5
- Across the markers
- 123.0 mi
- Published route length
- 111 mi
- Ascent, at least
- 842 ft
How long it takes: 7-10 days. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
These two figures disagree. The mile markers run to 123.0 miles, past the 111 miles published for the route. Both are printed as recorded.
The Centennial Trail (SD) route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
4,426 ft
Norbeck Trailhead, Wind Cave National Park (southern terminus)
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The trail begins in Wind Cave National Park and crosses about 6.2 miles of the park's mixed-grass prairie before entering Custer State Park.
34.1 miles · 33 ft down to Dalton Lake
Mile 34.1
4,393 ft
Dalton Lake
29.1 miles · 842 ft up to Twin Sisters
Mile 63.2
5,235 ft
Twin Sisters
30.6 miles · 222 ft down to Legion Lake, Custer State Park
Mile 93.8
5,013 ft
Legion Lake, Custer State Park
A lake the trail passes on its way through Custer State Park.
29.2 miles · 738 ft down to Bear Butte State Park (northern terminus)
Mile 123.0
4,275 ft
Bear Butte State Park (northern terminus)
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The trail's northern end.
Getting a Centennial Trail (SD) for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Centennial Trail (SD) dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks Centennial Trail (SD) around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.