Venturing Up the Centennial Trail – Dalton Lake to South Box Elder
The next stop on my trek across Centennial Trail #89 was the trailhead at Dalton Lake. Located about eight miles from Nemo off Vanocker Canyon Road, Dalton Lake is a lovely oasis in the middle of the Black Hills and the perfect spot for a picnic before or after your hike. It also has a campground that is open in the summer and the lake itself is apparently great for fishing year-round.
After another scenic drive through Vanocker Canyon, I was glad to find that Dalton Lake Road was a well-maintained gravel road, and I had no trouble reaching the trailhead in my car. The parking area for the trail can be found on the far side of the campground with additional parking near the lake as well. Unlike my last stop at Elk Creek, there was lots of space for parking, a public restroom, and posted maps of the area.
My plan starting out was to walk south from the Dalton Lake Trailhead to the South Boxelder Trailhead near Nemo. According to the Centennial Trail map, this is supposed to be 6.1 miles one way, making it about a 12-mile hike round trip. However, I was about to find out that is not the case at all. More on that later.
Leaving the parking area, the trail crossed Dalton Lake Road and quickly became a long uphill climb with several switchbacks up the side of the mountain. This narrow path weaved through the thick forest and was clearly for foot traffic only. After about three quarters of a mile, though, the trail emerged from the woods and connected with a much wider trail made for ATVs and off-road vehicles.
Over the next couple of miles, the ups and downs in the trail were a bit more gradual. The path was filled with large rocks, but it wasn’t difficult to walk since it was more like an old logging road. This was followed by one more uphill climb that lasted about half a mile and brought me to the highest point on this section of trail. This is where I started to get my first real views of the surrounding Black Hills.
After that, the trail began to gradually run downhill, which made the next two miles a relatively easy walk. The trees were thinner here with lots of open areas for grass to grow. This part of the trail also had the best views looking west at the rolling mountains in the distance. Finally, at about five miles into the hike, the trail began a steeper descent leading down towards Nemo.
When it brought me out at Vanocker Canyon Road and then led to Nemo Road, I thought that the trail must be getting close to the next trailhead. However, after crossing Nemo Road, the path started to lead away from Nemo again. And when I checked my GPS, I found that I had now walked seven miles from Dalton Lake. Since I wasn’t sure how far it was to the trailhead and considering I had been hiking for three hours already, I reluctantly decided to turn around and start making my way back. Later, I would discover that this section is really closer to nine miles long, meaning I would have had another two miles to go when I stopped. So, looking back I am glad that I decided to turn around when I did.
While I wasn’t able to hike this complete section, I still ended up walking almost 14 miles in 5.5 hours. The elevation gain on this hike was close to 1900 feet, making this the highest climb so far. Throughout my hike I noticed there were quite a few interconnecting trails, but the route was always well marked with Trail #89 signs so I didn’t have any trouble staying on track. Despite the steep uphill climbs, I actually considered this to be a little easier to walk than some the previous sections. Although I would still say this is a relatively challenging trail for most hikers.
One thing to note about this hike is that, except for the first three quarters of a mile, this entire section of Centennial Trail is open to motorized vehicles. During my hike, I was passed by a couple of side-by-side ATVs and several motor bikes. I can imagine that this trail could get pretty busy throughout the summer since this is a popular area for off-roading. Just be prepared to share the trail.
