South Dakota · Trail 72D

Big Hill Loop D

Big Hill Loop D Trail is a 4.5 miles trail in Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Black Hills National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end44.4040, -103.9316 · Directions ↗
Other end44.4027, -103.9294 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length4.5 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width24-36 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers72D
ForestBlack Hills National Forest (unit 0203)
StatesSouth Dakota
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Big Hill Loop D Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.60 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowFebruary: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 12.7 inches of snowMarch: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 12.0 inches of snowApril: 2.23 inches of precipitation, 8.5 inches of snowMay: 3.72 inches of precipitation, 2.3 inches of snowJune: 3.51 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.56 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowOctober: 2.04 inches of precipitation, 5.5 inches of snowNovember: 0.70 inches of precipitation, 6.3 inches of snowDecember: 0.72 inches of precipitation, 14.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.8°F averageFebruary: 26.6°F averageMarch: 35.0°F averageApril: 43.5°F averageMay: 53.1°F averageJune: 63.3°F averageJuly: 70.6°F averageAugust: 69.5°F averageSeptember: 60.8°F averageOctober: 46.8°F averageNovember: 35.7°F averageDecember: 27.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Spearfish, 8 miles from the trail midpoint at 3,633 feet, station USC00397882 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 21 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 71 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 04/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 04/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed 04/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Cross-country skiingAllowed 12/01 to 03/31 (month/day)

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Big Hill Loop D Trail?

4.5 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Black Hills National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Big Hill Loop D Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Big Hill Loop D Trail start?

The line begins at 44.4040, -103.9316 and ends at 44.4027, -103.9294. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Big Hill Loop D Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Big Hill Loop D Trail?

Rod & Gun Campground (3.4 mi) and Timon Campground (4.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Big Hill Loop D Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Big Hill Loop D Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Big Hill Loop D Trail accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Big Hill Loop D Trail?

Black Hills National Forest, Forest Service unit 0203. The trail is in South Dakota.

Source: Black Hills National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named BIG HILL LOOP D in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0203. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.