Eagle Cliff Trails - Hiking

Lead, South Dakota is such a beautiful area but I had not spent any time hiking this area of the Black Hills in the past, but after today I will be remedying that! I started a backpacking group on Facebook (Black Hills Backpackers) right around the time I moved out here and it is geared towards backpacking, of course, but in the winter months we try to get people together for an outing once a month. 

For December, we decided to hike the Dead Ox trail, which is part of the Eagle Cliff Trails system. There was more snow than we had anticipated so though we could have cross country skied, we ended up hiking in from the trailhead off of Hwy 85. There is a nice sized parking lot at that trailhead with an adorable creek running right by it.   ​

From the trailhead we walked across Hwy 85, past the red house and to the trail. Since the snow was a lot deeper than we realized, it was a bit tough walking. We only went to the next intersection, which is the Rolling Ox trail and we decided to head back. 

This trail is through such a peaceful and quite area, that I highly recommend it! Give yourself enough time in inclement weather to complete the trail you have decided to do. Also, make sure to bring warm gear, snacks and plenty of water. There is no cell reception in this area so be prepared just in case anything were to go wrong.

This is just one short hike we did but there are plenty of trails in this area. The trails range in difficulty from easy to difficult. So this is a great area for all ability levels. 

Eagle Cliff Trails
Lead, SD
Trail Map

Directions: From Spearfish, take Hwy 14A south through Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway to Hwy 85 at Cheyenne Crossing. Take Hwy 85 southwest for 7.4, 8.4, and 9.4 miles to the trailheads.

​Blog post written by Amy Karras
​www.unnamedadventures.com