Roamward

Hikes · South Dakota

Best hikes in South Dakota.

South Dakota hiking is the granite Black Hills and the eroded Badlands — Black Elk Peak to ladder trails in the spires.

Curated trails5
Distance range0.8–7 mi
Biggest climb1,500 ft
Difficulty1 easy · 2 moderate · 2 hard
TerrainGranite spires & badlands
Best seasonLate spring–fall
Don’t missBlack Elk Peak

Boots on

5 hikes worth the detour.

Sorted easy to expert. Every one mapped with distance, route type, and elevation gain — built for everyone from the RV & camping crew to the bucket-list crowd.

Door Trail (Badlands)

Easy · 0.8 mi · Out & back · 50 ft

a boardwalk into the eroded badlands

Notch Trail (Badlands)

Moderate · 1.5 mi · Out & back · 250 ft

a log-ladder climb to a canyon notch

Cathedral Spires

Moderate · 3 mi · Out & back · 800 ft

granite spires in the Needles

Sunday Gulch

Hard · 4 mi · Loop · 1,000 ft

a rugged creek-and-boulder loop below Sylvan Lake

Black Elk Peak

Hard · 7 mi · Loop · 1,500 ft

the highest point east of the Rockies, with a stone lookout

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Plan the South Dakota trip

Hikes, gems, scenic drives — all in one South Dakota guide.

See everything worth the detour in South Dakota, then let Roamward build the trip around it. Know a South Dakota trail we’re missing? Add it — we’re building this with the people who actually hike it.

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Full South Dakota guide →All states