Black Elk Wilderness
The Black Elk Wilderness lies in the center of the Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota. This Wilderness encompasses the Harney Range and Black Elk Peak, an area long held sacred by Native Americans. The Wilderness is named after Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota holy man. Black Elk Wilderness is surrounded by the 35,000-acre Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, managed for the benefit of wildlife and breeding birds. Deer, elk, turkey, mountain lions, and many bird species make their home among the rugged granite spires. The trail system provides over 50 miles of primitive, non-motorized recreation experience within the Black Elk Wilderness and surrounding Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | South Dakota |
| Size | 13,534 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.86° N, 103.49° W |
| 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
None of the 8 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. 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.
- under 1 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. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedAntihorse Rx
22 mi from the center point · 804 acres
- PrescribedWork Center Rx
47 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 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.
Guidebooks for South Dakota and hiking across the country
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
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?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Black Elk Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.858° N, 103.492° W. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is 1 mile away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Black Elk Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Antihorse Rx at 22 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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?
The National Register has 29 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.