Flume Trail

The Black Hills National Forest is a rugged, scenic forest located primarily in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. Covering over 1.2 million acres, it’s home to a unique mix of granite peaks, dense pine forests, wide meadows, and dramatic canyons. The forest is named after the Lakota word Paha Sapa, meaning “hills that are black,” referring to the dark appearance of the tree-covered mountains from a distance.  Sheridan Lake, nestled in the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota, is a reservoir renowned for its stunning scenery and rich recreational offerings The lake covers roughly 375 acres with approximately 7.5 miles of shoreline, surrounded by pine-covered hills.  It was created by an earthen dam in 1939 over the former mining town of Sheridan—the first county seat— which is now submerged under the lake.

The Flume Trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail and has historical significance dating back to the mining boom of the 1880s. The Rockerville Flume carried water 20 miles, from Spring Creek west of the present day Sheridan Lake, east to the placer diggings near Rockerville, South Dakota. The flume operated until 1885, and helped miners take over $20 million in gold from the area. The trail follows the actual flume bed for much of its length, and you will see historic artifacts, tunnels, and sections of the historic flume on the route.  On our trip, we started at the Spring Creek trailhead and hiked a loop clockwise through the longer flume tunnel, to the Sheridan Lake dam, then back along Spring Creek to the parking area. The hike can be done as either a day or overnight trip, but the only suitable areas for camping are near the dam. The Flume Trail is near Rapid City, South Dakota and is very popular with locals – especially on weekends. So don’t expect a lot of privacy here in the summer, but this is a really cool hike.