M Hill trail, Rapid City, SD
M Hill trail, Rapid City, SD

M Hill is an amazing hike right in the center of Rapid City.  With roughly 20 miles of hiking all over the mountain, somewhere around 300 acres, your sense of adventure will not be tainted.

Very unique to this trail is its development.  A woman by the name of Edna Marie “Eddie” Larson made these trails possible as a memorial to her parents.  She created a trust for the trails to be developed from.  Sometimes it is hard to believe that something this amazing was developed from a non-profit, privately funded operation.

How do you access M Hill Trails?

Easy and quick access to these vast miles of trails make M Hill a common excursion for many.  What relatively large community, such as Rapid City, can say they have natural trail running so close to their fingertips?  There are two trailheads to the mountain.  A south trailhead is located at Founder’s Park, 1015 West Omaha, Rapid City, South Dakota.  A north trailhead is located on Thrush Drive off of West Boulevard, Rapid City, South Dakota.

M Hill trail views
M Hill trail views

The hike can last as long as you want it to, only an hour or an all day adventure.  Take water and snacks if your plans are going to last.  Kids and pets will love this trek as well.  Many different trail hikes, bikes, and runs often occur on the M Hill trails at all times of the year.  Several clubs throughout the Rapid City area take advantage of these trails for fitness, training, education, and so much more.

As with any trial, be sure to follow proper trail etiquette when hiking M Hill.  Such things as following closed trail signs, cleaning up after your pets, and yielding to passing explorers, should never be over looked.  Also, the “pack out what you pack in” rule is something that will keep every trail in the Black Hills as can be imagined.  To see more on proper trail etiquette click here.

4 thoughts on “M Hill (aka Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park)

  1. The views from the top of Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park are incredible – you can spot Harney Peak, Mt. Rushmore, The Badlands and Bear Butte, in addition to the breathtaking views of Rapid City.

  2. I do have a ? When will m an cowboy hill open
    Me some of the members of our rc club doing rc rock crawling on cowboy hill

  3. Found your blog via your Mom doing her census job and hopefully we might hike with each other.
    Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park is a Rapid City treasure and I hike it a lot. Hoping to finish hiking all the main trails by years end. I say main, because there are also many unnamed spurs off the main trails. The Black Hills are wonderful!

    1. Thanks for the visit! I believe I see your photos on many of the FB pages out there. It is good to “meet” you and am always grateful for my mom encouraging my page! I would love to figure out a way to meet up for a hike. I agree, the Black Hills are truly a gift!

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