Black Hills National Forest · South Dakota, Wyoming

Carson Draw Spur E

4.0 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 87E · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 24-36 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike, ski · seasonal: hiking 04/01-11/30

Trailheads Carson Draw Trail System Trailhead (Trail #87) Drive there · Reuter Trailhead Drive there

Carson Draw Trail System Trailhead (Trail #87) the Forest Service's write-up

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Photo: US Forest Service

Off the Beaten Path

The Carson Draw Trail System, just outside of Sundance, WY, is a four-season, non-motorized system of trails that wind through Carson Draw. From spring to fall, the trails are busy with hikers, mountain bikers, and horse riders. These "off the beaten path" trails offer solitude to those searching for a more primitive trail experience. Users may find that these trails are much like the Sundance Trail System in their beauty and serenity and offer an even greater level of solitude. Pine, aspen, and oak stands surround the trails and provide diverse habitats for the abundant wildlife in the area, such as elk, deer, bobcats, turkeys, and a mixture of winter songbirds. In the winter, the Carson Draw Trail System, with a combination of level stretches and fairly steep descents, offers some great cross-country skiing and snowshoeing options. This quiet and non-busy trail system provides cross-country skiers with a five-mile loop.

Brochure Map

NOTE: The Carson Draw Trail System is groomed throughout the winter by volunteers with the local Sundance Nordic Ski Club. Conditions may vary from day to day and week to week. For updated trail information, interested skiers are welcome to call the Bearlodge Ranger District directly at (307) 283-1361 / Black Hills National Forest - Offices (usda.gov) .

Historically, parts of the trail date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, as miners and homesteaders used the area for settlement in the Bearlodge Mountains. The trail system is named for one of these early families – the Carsons.

Carson Cut-Across Trail, 0.7 mile, Difficulty Rating: Moderate.

Carson Draw Trail, 3.8 miles, Difficulty Rating: Moderate.

Carson Draw Spur 1, 1.0 mile, Difficulty Rating: Moderate.

Carson Draw Spur 2, 2.0 miles, Difficulty Rating: Moderate.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Reuter Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Reuter Motorized Trailhead provides access to a large variety of recreation activities. There is immediate access to trails for hiking, biking, horse-back riding, and Nordic skiing – through the Carson Draw Trails. The trailhead is an alternative parking area to the Ogden Creek Trailhead for OHV riders. Finally, it is the primary trailhead for the snowmobile trails that travel up Warren Peak Highway and run the 67 miles through the Bearlodge Mountains. Toilets are available at the Reuter Campground.

To access the Reuter Motorized Trailhead from Sundance (Exit 185 of Interstate 90), travel northwest on US14 for approximately 0.9 miles to Crook County 63, National Forest Service Road (NFSR) 838. Turn north (right) and stay on Warren Peak Road (NFSR 838) for 2.7 miles to the Reuter Motorized Trailhead, which is on the south (left) side of the road, immediately west of the Reuter Campground.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

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Other trails from the same trailheads

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.