Moments from the Centennial Trail – Fort Meade to Alkali Creek
The second stop on my hike across Centennial Trail #89, the 111-mile trail that runs through the Black Hills, brought me to the Fort Meade Trailhead. Located just east of Sturgis off Highway 34, this trailhead sits on the western edge of Fort Meade and features a large parking area and a public restroom. From here I would begin the 6-mile hike south to Alkali Creek Trailhead.
While the trail between Bear Butte Lake and Fort Meade crosses open grasslands with few trees and very little climbing, this section is completely different almost from the very start. After crossing a small open field, the path quickly climbs towards the pine forest, then twists and turns through the tall trees going up and down the steep hills for nearly the entire trek. I would not consider this a difficult hike, but it is challenging. The trail itself is well marked and easy to follow. It does intersect with a few other trails along the way, but the posted signs make it easy to stay on track. Just keep looking for the signature Trail #89 or bison skull logo.
One of my favorite things about this hike is that is passes by several historical sites associated with Fort Meade. The first ones you will see are some of the remnants of Camp Fechner, built in 1933 and used by the Civilian Conservation Corps until 1942. Some building foundations and stone steps are still visible to the left of the trail just past the start. Higher up on the hillside stands a tall chimney that was once part of the officers’ quarters.
A little further down the trail sits a long, stone building and some other foundations. And just past them you will see two small buildings that are part of Fort Meade. One used to be where they stored the Fort’s ammunition, and the other was the Fort’s old icehouse.
Once through the tunnel, the trail leads out onto more open prairie. It isn’t until about a mile and a half from Alkali Creek that Centennial Trail finally begins to enter the forest. And the further it goes, the thicker the trees become. The trail also becomes steeper and more challenging to walk on, with loose rocks and exposed tree roots in many places. About four miles into the hike, the trail rises to the top of a ridge and offers some nice views through the trees. I was able to catch several glimpses of Bear Butte far off in the distance as I walked along. There was even one clear break in the trees looking east where I could actually see my car, a tiny speck, parked down at the campground.
At around five miles, the trail meets a worn, dirt road. Although there weren’t any signs that I could see, the trail does pick up again directly on the other side of the road. From this spot, I thought that the next mile or so was the most difficult of the entire hike. There were some long, uphill climbs that got me breathing hard. There were also a couple of stream crossings that required jumping from rock to rock to make it across.
About one mile into the hike, Centennial Trail passes Fort Meade National Cemetery. The cemetery was established on September 24, 1878 with the first two interments made that day. There were 188 burials here over 70 years that included soldiers, women, and children. Two Medal of Honor recipients and several Buffalo Soldiers are interred here as well. A small clearing makes it easy to leave the trail and visit the cemetery.
Other fantastic parts of this hike are the spectacular views that can be seen from the trail. At around the two-mile mark, the trail emerges from the trees and offers a clear look down at Fort Meade with Bear Butte rising up in the distance. About four miles from the start, as the trail makes a steep climb upward, there is a clearing that looks out over I-90 and parts of Sturgis. Then, less than a mile from Alkali Creek, the trail crosses grasslands again and provides another beautiful view of Bear Butte. There are lots of great views of Bear Butte throughout this hike, but the ones near the end were the ones I liked best.
As it turns west, Centennial Trail does not go directly to the Alkali Creek Trailhead, but instead passes by it. If you want to stop at the trailhead to rest or use the public toilets there, you will have to leave the trail and walk across a dirt road to reach it. There is also a water fountain with drinking water there if you need to refill your water bottle, but be aware it is turned off during the winter season. Pass through the wooden fence line that crosses the trail and you will see a side trail to the left that leads to Alkali Creek.
On the return trip to the Fort Meade Trailhead, there are actually two different routes you can take. One is to simply follow Centennial Trail back the way you came. The other is to take Trail #12, which is part of the 7th Cavalry Trail system that runs throughout the Fort Meade Recreational Area. If you take this route, you will need to navigate the various interconnecting trails to get back to the parking area. I had never been on those trails before, so I decided to go back that way. This ended up being a shorter and more direct path back to Fort Meade. It was also an easier walk with less climbing, though it was mostly across open grassland and I finished by crossing the southern edge of Fort Meade itself.
From trailhead to trailhead, this hike was nearly 6.5 miles long according to my GPS, had 1200 feet of elevation gain at the highest point, and took me 3 hours one way. So, if you plan to go out and back on Centennial Trail, expect to spend about six hours walking close to 13 miles round trip. However, by taking the 7th Cavalry Trails back, I was able to cut the total mileage to about 10.5 miles and reduce my time on the trail to under 5 hours.
