Castle/Medicine Root Loop, Badlands National Park, SD
Follow BP Field Scout Korey Peterson's two-day route through the Dakota Badlands.
South Dakota Trails
South Dakota is covered mostly by the Great Plains, while the western part of the state is comprised of flat-topped, steep hills called buttes. Here, the Black Hills, which rise about 2,000 to 4,000 feet, extend into Wyoming.
South Dakota is home to Badlands National Park — a stunning geologic wasteland that sits in the state’s southwestern corner, hidden away from just about everything man has made.
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Adventure Under the Radar in South Dakota
If you’re after an experience that feels like a real adventure, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than South Dakota
Latest in South Dakota Trails
Spot Bison in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
Get up close (but not too close) with a classic symbol of America on this Great Plains trail.
Rip & Go: Sage Creek Loop – Badlands National Park, SD
Explore off-trail in a wilderness with more bison than boot prints.
Rapid City Blog: Hiking Harney Peak
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Rapid City Blog: The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
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Rapid City Blog: Microbreweries
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Rapid City Blog: Mount Rushmore
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Rapid City Blog: Mountain Biking
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Rapid City Blog: Cycling Downtown
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Rapid City Blog: South Dakota Air and Space Museum
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Rapid City Blog: George Mickelson Trail
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Rapid City Blog: Custer State Park Safari
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Rapid City Blog: Family Shenanigans
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Rapid City Blog: Downtown Trails and Recreation
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Rapid City Blog: Impressive Learning Center
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Rapid City Blog: Jewels Above and Below Ground
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Rapid City Blog: Crazy Horse Memorial
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Rapid City Blog: The Opposite of Camping Can be Fun
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Rapid City Blog: Oh, the Granite
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Rapid City Blog: Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse
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Rapid City Blog: Nightlife
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Rapid City Blog: Downtown, Rapid City
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Rapid City Blog: Custer State Park
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Rapid City Blog: Spearfish Canyon
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Rapid City Blog: Trail System
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Rapid City Blog: The Journey Museum & Learning Center
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Rapid City: Harney Peak
Backpack under tall Ponderosa pines to the highest peak east of the Rockies then continue to a landscape littered with needle-nose spires on this isolated 6.8-mile loop.
Custer State Park, SD: Little Devils Tower
Scramble up Little Devils Tower on this 3-mile out-and-back that climbs 600 feet to otherworldly views of the Cathedral Spires and South Dakota’s highest peak.
Harney Peak, South Dakota
Explore South Dakota's 7,242-foot high point in a weekend or a day.
High Points: Harney Peak, South Dakota
Traveling to this point will leave you at a loss for words.