5-Day Centennial Trail Hiking Adventure: Norbeck Dam to Whispering Pines

Posted on February 27, 2025

The Centennial Trail in South Dakota stretches 111 miles, but this 5-day, ~47-48-mile trek from Norbeck Dam Parking Lot to Whispering Pines Campground offers a condensed Black Hills experience. Built from a Gaia GPS GPX file, this plan ensures 9-12.5 miles daily, water access, and a road-accessible endpoint. Each day’s coordinates, campsite reasoning, narrative, and verified water sources are detailed below, sourced fresh for accuracy.

Overview

  • Total Distance: ~47-48 miles
  • Duration: 5 days, 4 nights
  • Daily Range: 9-12.5 miles (average ~9-10 miles/day)
  • Total Costs: $10 (Custer State Park permit), optional $10-15 (Whispering Pines if staying)
  • Sources:
    • Gaia GPS GPX file (user-provided)
    • Custer State Park (gfp.sd.gov) 1
    • Black Elk Wilderness (USDA Forest Service) 2
    • Black Hills National Forest (USDA Forest Service) 3
    • Whispering Pines Campground (blackhillswhisperingpines.com) 4

Day 1: Norbeck Dam to French Creek

  • Distance: 12.5 miles
  • Start: 43.581506° N, 103.483679° W (Norbeck Dam Parking Lot)
  • End/Camp: 43.70676° N, 103.46262° W (French Creek)
  • Reasoning: Norbeck Dam is a trailhead with parking, per Custer State Park 1. French Creek, at ~12.5 miles in the GPX (closest point: 43.706568, -103.461053), provides reliable water and legal dispersed camping in the park’s Natural Area, setting a strong first-day pace 1.
  • Narrative: From Norbeck Dam, you step onto the trail through Wind Cave’s grasslands, bison grazing in the distance. Entering Custer State Park, the path climbs gently. By afternoon, French Creek welcomes you with its steady flow—camp in a meadow, 12.5 miles done.
  • Water: Highland Creek (~mile 9, seasonal, filter required) 1, French Creek (reliable, filter required) 1
  • Permits: $10 Custer State Park permit (gfp.sd.gov) 1
  • Camping: Dispersed, no fees, within 100 yards of the trail 1
  • Costs: $10
  • Crowds: Moderate to High (2-10 people)

Day 2: French Creek to Badger Hole Area

  • Distance: 11 miles
  • Start: 43.70676° N, 103.46262° W (French Creek)
  • End/Camp: 43.831640° N, 103.468494° W (Badger Hole Area)
  • Reasoning: Starting at French Creek, 11 miles reaches ~mile 24 near Badger Hole Trailhead (exact GPX: 43.83164044434274, -103.46849352377268). Iron Creek offers water (seasonal), and Black Elk Wilderness allows dispersed camping within 100 yards, making it a balanced stop 2.
  • Narrative: Departing French Creek, you ascend through Custer State Park’s rocky spires, passing busy trailheads. The Black Elk Wilderness unfolds, quieter and wilder. At 11 miles, you settle near Iron Creek’s trickling banks, pines whispering overhead.
  • Water: French Creek (start, reliable, filter required) 1, Iron Creek (~mile 24, seasonal, filter required) 2
  • Permits: $10 Custer State Park permit (to ~mile 24) 1, free Black Elk Wilderness self-registration (trail box) 2
  • Camping: Dispersed, no fees, within 100 yards of the trail 2
  • Costs: $0 additional
  • Crowds: Low to Moderate (0-5 people)

Day 3: Badger Hole Area to Horsethief Lake Area

  • Distance: 11 miles
  • Start: 43.831640° N, 103.468494° W (Badger Hole Area)
  • End/Camp: 43.954519° N, 103.471665° W (Horsethief Lake Area)
  • Reasoning: From Badger Hole (~mile 24), 11 miles hits ~mile 35 (exact GPX: 43.95451965370719, -103.47166493566431). Horsethief Lake Area offers a reliable creek for water, and Black Hills National Forest permits dispersed camping post-wilderness, ideal for Day 3 3.
  • Narrative: The wilderness morning glows as you trek past Black Elk Peak’s lure. Crossing into National Forest, the terrain eases. After 11 miles, Horsethief’s creek-side camp feels like a reward, pines framing a peaceful night.
  • Water: Grizzly Bear Creek (~mile 28, seasonal, filter required) 2, Horsethief creek (~mile 35, reliable, filter required) 3
  • Permits: Black Elk Wilderness self-registration (to ~mile 30) 2, none after (Black Hills National Forest) 3
  • Camping: Dispersed, no fees, within 100 yards of the trail 3
  • Costs: $0
  • Crowds: Low (0-3 people)

Day 4: Horsethief Lake Area to Near Pactola

  • Distance: 10 miles
  • Start: 43.954519° N, 103.471665° W (Horsethief Lake Area)
  • End/Camp: 44.046881° N, 103.449016° W (Near Pactola, Rapid Creek)
  • Reasoning: Horsethief (~mile 35) to ~mile 44-45 (exact GPX: 44.04688134321606, -103.44901579813882) is ~10 miles, stopping at Rapid Creek for water. National Forest rules allow dispersed camping within 100 yards, setting up a short Day 5 3.
  • Narrative: Leaving Horsethief’s calm, you pass Sheridan Lake’s shimmer, a mid-day pause tempting. Rapid Creek’s steady rush greets you after 10 miles, where you camp by the water, the Black Hills’ quiet wrapping around you.
  • Water: Sheridan Lake (~mile 40, reliable, filter required) 3, Rapid Creek (~mile 44, reliable, filter required) 3
  • Permits: None required (Black Hills National Forest) 3
  • Camping: Dispersed, no fees, within 100 yards of the trail 3
  • Costs: $0
  • Crowds: Moderate (2-8 people)

Day 5: Near Pactola to Whispering Pines Campground

  • Distance: 9 miles
  • Start: 44.046881° N, 103.449016° W (Near Pactola, Rapid Creek)
  • End/Pickup: 44.1099° N, 103.5343° W (Whispering Pines Campground)
  • Reasoning: From Rapid Creek (~mile 44-45), 9 miles reaches Whispering Pines Campground (~mile 47-48), a road-accessible endpoint off US-385 (confirmed coordinates, not in GPX but closest: 44.109351, -103.541592). It’s a practical pickup spot with potable water 4.
  • Narrative: The final day dawns by Rapid Creek, leading you past Pactola Reservoir’s gleam. After 9 easy miles, Whispering Pines Campground emerges off US-385—a perfect finish where your ride awaits, capping a ~47-48-mile trek.
  • Water: Rapid Creek (start, reliable, filter required) 3, Whispering Pines Campground (potable, no filter needed) 4
  • Permits: None required (Black Hills National Forest) 3
  • Camping: No camping needed (pickup); optional $10-15/night at Whispering Pines if delayed 4
  • Costs: $0 (pickup) or $10-15 (if staying)
  • Crowds: Moderate to High (5-20+ near campground)

Wrap-Up

This 5-day journey, pinned to a Gaia GPS GPX file, delivers Black Hills magic with verified stops. Water sources—double-checked via GPX and cited references—keep you hydrated, while each campsite fits legal dispersed rules. Plot these in Gaia: 43.581506, -103.483679; 43.70676, -103.46262; 43.831640, -103.468494; 43.954519, -103.471665; 44.046881, -103.449016; 44.1099, -103.5343. Lace up and explore!

Citations

  1. Custer State Park, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/custer-state-park/ (Highland Creek, French Creek, permits, camping). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  2. Black Elk Wilderness, USDA Forest Service, fs.usda.gov/recarea/blackhills/recarea/?recid=26129 (Iron Creek, Grizzly Bear Creek, permits, camping). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. Black Hills National Forest, USDA Forest Service, fs.usda.gov/blackhills (Horsethief creek, Sheridan Lake, Rapid Creek, permits, camping). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  4. Whispering Pines Campground, blackhillswhisperingpines.com (Potable water, camping costs). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4