Camping › South Dakota › Shanks Trailhead
Shanks Trailhead
3 mi southeast of Johnson Siding, SD · Verizon 5G · AT&T 5G · T-Mobile 4G
About Shanks Trailhead
Access the Shanks Trailhead from Rapid City. Travel Highway 44 west for 5 miles, turn North (right) onto Forest Road 603. Travel 0.5 miles, trailhead will be on left in the bottom of the quarry.
- Managed by: USFS - Black Hills National Forest
- Where: 3 mi southeast of Johnson Siding, SD · 44.06553, -103.38066
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanks Gulch | ATV road | at camp | 1.7 mi |
| Shanks 13 | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 0.2 mi | 1.1 mi |
| Rifle Shot | ATV road | 0.3 mi | 0.1 mi |
| Shanks 02 | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 0.3 mi | 0.3 mi |
| Pretty Vulture | Hiking | 0.4 mi | 1.2 mi |
| Sun Up | Hiking | 0.4 mi | 0.9 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 5G · AT&T 5G · T-Mobile 4G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way is clear overhead but fades toward town glow.
Class 4 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 6.8 mi
Propane: 6.3 mi
Camps nearby
- Schroeder Trailhead 1.2 mi
- Canyon Lake Cottages 4.3 mi
- Lake Park Campground 4.3 mi
- Bogus System 6.1 mi
- Pactola Campground 6.2 mi
- Shadows of Rushmore 6.8 mi