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South Dakota
Sage Creek
No verdict for this water
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Badlands National Park
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
River facts
- Water
- Seasonal — can run dry
- Average flow
- 494 cfs
- Average current
- 0.9 ft/s
- Gradient
- 11.6 ft/mi
- Drainage area
- 11,325 sq mi
Long-term averages modeled by USGS (NHDPlus HR), not today's conditions. Check a gauge before you go.
Here's your day on the water, mapped
Sage Creek
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- National Park Service
About this water
Sage Creek is a 39-mile paddling stretch near Scenic, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 494 cfs and a gradient of about 11.6 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the National Park Service.
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Keep exploring — more water worth the drive
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Boxelder Creek
~1h 6m drive
Boxelder Creek is a 138-mile paddling stretch near Box Elder, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 46 cfs and a gradient of about 22.4 feet per mile.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Rapid Creek
~1h 24m drive
Rapid Creek is a 53-mile paddling stretch near Rapid City, South Dakota. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 89 cfs and a gradient of about 37.0 feet per mile.
South Fork Bad River
~53 min drive
South Fork Bad River is a 36-mile paddling stretch near Philip, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 42 cfs and a gradient of about 6.2 feet per mile.
Battle Creek
~1h 5m drive
Battle Creek is a 76-mile paddling stretch near Hermosa, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 31 cfs and a gradient of about 26.2 feet per mile.
Spring Creek
~1h 6m drive
Spring Creek is a 139-mile paddling stretch near Hermosa, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 42 cfs and a gradient of about 23.5 feet per mile.
Elk Creek
~1h 11m drive
Elk Creek is a 95-mile paddling stretch near Box Elder, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 34 cfs and a gradient of about 31.9 feet per mile.
Bear-in-the-Lodge Creek
~1h 18m drive
Bear-in-the-Lodge Creek is a 103-mile paddling stretch near Wanblee, South Dakota. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 34 cfs and a gradient of about 10.3 feet per mile.
