One interesting hike that is part of the Black Hills Centennial Trail runs between the Samelius trailhead and Sheridan Lake.
This section of the Centennial Trail is about seven miles in total length and ends at the Calumet trailhead at Sheridan Lake–obviously you can hike the trail from either direction, starting at either trailhead.
Hiking North from the Samelius Trailhead
The Centennial Trail runs in two directions from this trailhead, northbound towards Sheridan Lake and south, to the vicinity of Mount Rushmore and Horsethief Lake. These are both good hikes. We’ve only completed a small portion of the southbound route, so I’ll leave that review for another day.
The Trekkers have now hiked portions of this route from each direction/trailhead. You’ll notice I said “portions” because…this trail is ROUGH and it kicks our sorry butts every time we try it!
It is a LOVELY route though and definitely worth the effort! I would dub this trail as a fair unknown and hidden gem in the Black Hills! It won’t take you to the summits of any of the major, nearby mountains on its own. (There are several in the local area that you can climb to though, if you’re daring enough to trek off-trail. Mt. Samelius is one of these.) Also, if you know where to look, there is a Black Hills Secret Spot that can be reached somewhere off this portion of the Centennial Trail…😇
We have attempted this route at least four separate times and have never traversed the entirely of the trail between these two trailheads!
Try 1) it started lightning and thundering so we turned back…(I think this actually happened a few times…)
Try 2) I rolled my ankle SEVERELY about halfway up–we continued on to the summit before turning around…but in hindsight I probably should have turned back sooner…
Try 3) We attempted this route starting at the Calumet Trailhead at Sheridan Lake and did ok but never made it to the summit (that we reached on “Try 2”). To be fair, it was a pretty hot day!
Try 4) We attempted from the Samelius trailhead again and got further than we’ve ever reached before but STILL didn’t make it to the point we reached on “Try 3” *sigh*
Did I mention this section of trail kicks our butts EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.?!
What is the hike from the Samelius Trailhead like?
While the route from either trailhead ends up quite steep, we enjoy the hike from Samelius the best. For the first mile or so it follows an old, forest road so the path is wide and not too steep. (It reminded us of some old, carriage roads we’ve been on in parks out East!) After that it ventures back into the woods on a one-track trail that gets more rocky.
You will be treated to scenic vistas of Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak) and the Cathedral Spires from the trail and there are several places you can spot portions of Sheridan Lake and the prairies that extend east of the Hills!
The steepest part of the trail coming from either trailhead is in the middle–though we found the entirety of the route from the Calumet trailhead to be steeper and not quite as pretty–you do get more glimpses of Sheridan Lake on this side.
The Samelius portion of the Centennial Trail is tough!
The path can be challenging, so you need to watch your step (as I found out when I made a misstep on a small rock–this was “Try #2″….)
I rolled my ankle the worst I ever have less than a mile into the hike. At first, it didn’t seem that bad. It really didn’t hurt and there wasn’t any real evidence of bruising or swelling, so I decided to continue on. When we stopped for lunch at our turnaround point is when the stiffness and pain really settled in and I realized I may have pushed on too far. (Of course, we were also several miles from the truck at that point. 😝 ) Fortunately, Mr. Trekker fashioned a perfect hiking pole for me, out of a downed tree branch we found nearby. It made the trip back far more bearable for my ankle.–he’s never had to do that before or since. (This was the worse ankle injury I’d ever had…until I broke the other ankle in two places, dislocated it and tore a tendon falling on the ice several years later. 😝 In another hindsight, I probably should have named this blog The Clutzy Trekker. 🙄)
Don’t Hike Alone!
Ok, time for a little tangent–bear with me, I truly feel this is IMPORTANT!
My ankle injury on “Try #2” is another good example of why I stress that it isn’t safe to hike alone. (And no, your incredibly adorable, four-legged companion does NOT count as a hiking partner. 😐)
I know this opinion isn’t popular but it is a hill I will die on! It is always astounding to me how quickly accidents can happen on the trail, and how silly things can cause them. 😔
On “Try #2” I didn’t fall (for once) or slip on ice, I can’t even blame the dog for pulling on me too much. We were just walking down a dry section of trail that was relatively flat. It happened to be a bit rocky and I stepped on one of the rocks protruding from the ground wrong, which turned my ankle. Unfortunately, my momentum was already carrying me forward so I proceeded to–heavily–put my full weight on that ankle, and felt a *pop!* (not to mention numbing shocks running from my ankle bone up my shin and down my foot. 😝)
Some may argue that my decision to continue hiking was foolish, and they may have a point. The Trekkers have had some First Aid training so we implemented what we learned. The pain subsided fairly quickly, I had full range of motion with my foot and I could put my full weight on it. This suggested I wasn’t hurt too badly and this wasn’t the first time I rolled my ankle on the trail. (I have a tendency to underpronate when I walk so this happens easily and regularly to me.)
We examined the ankle and it showed no signs of visible swelling or bruising. Since it wasn’t really a struggle to continue hiking I decided to press onward. Some of this was also pure stubbornness. As we had already attempted this trail several times before and had never gotten very far due to the “Tries” mentioned above. I really wanted to continue on and keep enjoying the warm weather, so I chose to plod on.
As we slowly made our way back to the car, I couldn’t help thinking how things would have been different if it had been just me on the trail. I probably could have gotten back on my own, we weren’t that far out and I wasn’t hurting that badly. However, if it had been just me and the (barely) one-year-old, rambunctious pup…
I did ok navigating the route on my own with a walking stick, but if I had needed to be tethered to an energetic pup in addition, that feat would have been far more difficult (especially if the injury had occurred further along on the trail where the terrain became more strenuous).
To further belabor my point…
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- I feel the need to stress my warning is NOT a gendered statement–mens’ ankles twist and snap! just as easily and quickly as women’s!
- Several years later when I fell on the ice and actually broke my ankle I WAS alone with the dog–THANKFULLY we were in our local neighborhood, only about a block from the house, and some WONDERFUL strangers stopped to help!
- …if you read the post linked below you’ll learn about the time I fell through a snow drift and the foot of my snowshoe got stuck under a buried, fallen log. While I wasn’t injured, if I had been alone it would have been VERY difficult for me to reach to dig out or unhook the snowshoe. I was off trail, stuck in a gulley, with no cell service and would have had to scream for help until someone *hopefully* heard me. And to top it off I was buried up to my waist in wet snow and it was a fairly chilly, windy day…at that point hypothermia would have become a very, real threat…
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So I’ll say it again folks, learn from my mistakes and DON’T VENTURE INTO THE WILD ALONE!!! (OK, off my soap box now. 😇 )
Always Bring Extra Gear!!!
This incident also further demonstrated to me why it’s important to ALWAYS bring extra gear. I almost didn’t bring a warm coat the day I rolled my ankle just to save weight and space. Even though it was early February the forecast was calling for fairly warm temperatures (not that unusual to have warm days occasionally in the Black Hills in the winter!) I did end up–wisely–including my winter “puffy” coat at the last minute, as it’s super light and packs well. I just couldn’t bare the thought of not bringing it along in the middle of winter, just in case…
As it turned out, I didn’t end up using the coat. HOWEVER, if my injury had been worse to the point where I had needed to wait for rescue, I easily could have become chilled and potentially even hypothermic if I hadn’t had a warm coat with me (I was sweaty and it was a breezy day).
Accidents can happen on the trail in a split-second folks, and it doesn’t have to be in wet, slippery, cold, or even difficult conditions. A fun walk through the woods on a warm day can become a rescue scenario in a matter of seconds. Please, learn from my experience, and ALWAYS BE PREPARED!!!
To Conclude
If you’re looking for a little tougher hike and you want to explore a lesser-known but beautiful trail in the Black Hills, check out the Samelius area of the Centennial Trail!
Have you ever hurt yourself while out hiking? Did you learn anything from the experience? If so, let me know in the comments!
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