Black Hills National Forest · South Dakota, Wyoming

Grizzly #7

6.0 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 7 · trail class 2 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse · seasonal: hiking 04/01-11/30

Trailhead Grizzly Bear Creek Trailhead (Trail #7) Drive there

Black Elk Wilderness the Forest Service's write-up

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Photo: US Forest Service

A Special Place

Black Elk Wilderness is located in in the center of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve & was designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by Congress in 1980. The area is named for the Oglala Lakota holy man Black Elk & is sacred to many American Indians. It is the only Wilderness in the Forest & spans over 13,534 acres.

Brochure & Map

History

The CCC built the current stone fire tower that stands a top Black Elk Peak from 1938 to 1940.

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Wilderness Rules & Restrictions

The increasing use of our nation's Wilderness areas has led to an increase in rules regulating recreation activities.

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Wilderness Safety

Wilderness in the Black Hills is remote and emergency rescue is difficult or sometimes impossible. Please explore the backcountry with care and common sense. (Photo: Ricardo Loza)

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Recreational Opportunities

With its rugged terrain, magnificent scenery & well-maintained trail system, the Wilderness sees heavy visitation, especially on Trail #9 from Sylvan Lake. Climbing Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak) is a very popular activity, making opportunities for solitude very elusive.

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Restrictions <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/blackhills/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5114367">Wilderness restrictions</a> apply. Please review.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Black Hills National Forest

All 535 trails in Black Hills National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

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.