Black Elk Wilderness

Fire restrictions

Who manages Black Elk Wilderness

Getting to Black Elk Wilderness

• Keystone, SD is the nearest town, 2 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)

Trailheads at Black Elk Wilderness

• Iron Creek #15 Trailhead (inside the boundary, 4,744 ft), at 43.8395, -103.4298
• Iron Creek East (inside the boundary, 4,480 ft), at 43.8461, -103.4026
• Lakota Lake #15 Trailhead (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 4,485 ft), at 43.8463, -103.4023
• Centennial #89 Trailhead (0.03 mi outside the boundary, 5,077 ft), at 43.8263, -103.4700
• Grizzly Bear Creek #7 Trailhead (0.03 mi outside the boundary, 4,948 ft), at 43.8338, -103.4561
• Iron Mountain #16 Trailhead (0.03 mi outside the boundary, 4,869 ft), at 43.8403, -103.4395
• Norbeck Trail #3 (0.04 mi outside the boundary, 5,068 ft), at 43.8265, -103.4710
• Big Pine Trailhead (0.66 mi outside the boundary, 5,078 ft), at 43.8991, -103.4858

Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.

Named summits, canyons, and springs in Black Elk Wilderness

• Black Elk Peak summit about 7,198 ft
• Elkhorn Mountain summit about 6,381 ft

Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.

Campgrounds in and around Black Elk Wilderness

• Horsethief Lake camping (0.4 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
• Iron Creek Horse Camp (0.5 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
• Grizzly Bear camping (0.6 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.

Fishing and water

Sylvan Lake fishing (0.6 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.

Public lands next to Black Elk Wilderness

• National forestBlack Elk Wilderness lies inside Black Hills National Forest.
• State parkBlack Elk Wilderness borders Custer State Park.
• National Park Service unitBlack Elk Wilderness borders Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a National Park Service unit.

Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.

Other wilderness areas in South Dakota

• Badlands Wilderness (Pennington County)

South Dakota wilderness areas