Are you thinking of hiking Big Hill Trails? Very interestingly, the name Big Hill was given by some of the first prospectors of the Black Hills area. The prospectors had their wagons packed full and they were being pulled along by horses, heading to the “fields of gold”, and they had trouble making it over the “Big Hill.” Thus, the hill was given its name.
Have you been thinking about hiking the Big Hill Trails?
The Big Hill Trails (Trail Number 72) consist of 5 loops and 1 spur. The trails range in difficulty levels from easy to difficult. You will encounter an elevation change throughout the system that is less than 500 feet. The highest elevation of the trails is less than 5,500 feet. The trails are named by a letter, A-D, with two additional trails being named A1 and a spur named D1. The trails are all marked with blue diamonds that say Big Hill Trails and have the appropriate trail letter.
How long are the Big Hill Trails?
The length of the trails are as follows, with the distance being from the trailhead through the loop and back to the trailhead: A – 2.8 miles, A1 – 0.5 miles, B – 3.5 miles, C – 6.9 miles, D – 7.5 miles, and D1 – 0.2 miles. The complete length of the trails is 13.6 miles if you were to hike the entire system.
As seen in some of the photos on this page, you can see the trails contain a mixture of aspen, birch, and ponderosa pine. The spur trail (D1) will take you to an overlook where you can view Spearfish Canyon and Spearfish Mountain. Loops A1, A, D, and C are usually maintained for cross-country skiing during the winter months, in cooperation with the Black Hills Nordic Ski Club. Eleventh Hour Spring and Cabin Springs run through parts of these trails.
The trailhead is on Tinton road (FSR 134). When driving from Spearfish continue on the gravel road for about 8 miles. You will eventually come to a large open dirt parking area with an outhouse and a map of the area posted. Hiking north, you are hiking on trails that have become known as Tinton Trails (if anyone knows the actual name of these trails, message us!). This is where you can find Citadel Rock. Looking across the road from the dirt parking lot you will see the Big Hill Trails trailhead.
The signs and the trail itself are not very clearly marked. Use caution and double check every turn.
End of July 2018, a recent hail and windstorm downed a LOT of birch and aspen trees across the trail, and the trail was already difficult to see. Extremely hard walking because the grass is beaten down so you trip on grass at every step. Easy to lose the trail with all the trees down across it. Very muddy in spots. A most unpleasant experience.