Spotted Tail Trailhead

About Spotted Tail Trailhead

This trailhead area accesses both the Pine Ridge Trail and Spotted Tail Trail. The Pine Ridge Trail and the Spotted Tail Loop Trail are non-motorized, open to mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. From this trailhead you can do the Spotted Tail Loop Trail (about 6 miles) which uses part of the Pine Ridge Trail in order to make the loop. This section of the Pine Ridge Trail provides access to several other trails, including motorized and non-motorized. This area was burned in the 2006 Spotted Tail fire. Distances to the following are:From Spotted Tail Trailhead to Chadron State Park, using the Pine Ridge Trail is 7.7 milesSpotted Tail Loop Trail is 6 milesDispersed camping is allowed off of Forest Road 711 near the trailhead. There is no garbage service, so please pack it in and pack it out and Leave No Trace.For additional details and maps, please call the Pine Ridge Ranger District at (308) 432-0300.

How to Get There

From Chadron, NE travel south on Highway 385 from the intersection with Highway 20 for about 5 miles to King Canyon Road. Turn east on King Canyon and travel for ½ mile to Forest Service Road 733. Travel on Road 733 for approximately ¾ mile to Forest Service Road 711. The trailhead is located a short distance after turning onto Road 711.

Plan Your Visit to Spotted Tail Trailhead

Heading to Spotted Tail Trailhead? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)