Prairie Trail | Black Hills & Badlands - South Dakota

Prairie Trail

Trail Difficulty: 
Moderate
Trail Length: 
3 mile (Loop)

This trail explores a portion of the park's rolling prairie grasslands. Native plants and grasses of this area make prime habitat for bison, pronghorn and deer.

Vantage points from the flat-topped hills offer panoramic views of the vast prairie of the southern Black Hills.

The Prairie Trail hosts one of the most spectacular summer wildflower displays in the area and has a few stream crossings (usually dry in late summer). Near the end, a portion of the trail follows a small stream through stands of mixed hardwoods. The trail is marked with brown fiberglass posts and rock cairns.

Directions: 

Along the Wildlife Loop Road, 13 miles from the State Game Lodge OR 5 miles from the Blue Bell Entrance Station.