7/24/2023 0 Comments Black elk peak trailBut once we were on the trail we were pretty much alone until we got near the summit – at which point a whole lot of hikers materialized on the trail. We started from the #4’s trailhead at Sylvan Lake which was an amazingly popular (and crowded) place even on a weekday. This time we opted to do a loop to the stone lookout on the summit up the Little Devils Tower #4 Trail and down the Black Elk Peak Trail #9. Although not directly part of Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation legacy, we included it in our roadtrip because it offered a good hike, one we’d done before in 2003 (during our highpointer days). It sits in the Black Elk Wilderness west of Rapid City, South Dakota. Ms.Black Elk Peak (its name was changed from Harney Peak in 2016) is the highest natural point in South Dakota.King Jack Park & Splash Pad (Webb City, MO).28 Springs & Downtown Siloam Springs (Siloam Springs, AR).White River Kayaking- Paddleboard Experience (Hollister, MO).An Afternoon in Sioux Falls (South Dakota).Bentonville Date Night (Bentonville, AR).Titanic Museum, a Lookout Tower, and the Landing (Branson, MO).Painting with a Twist (Springfield, MO).Café Cusco & Historic Commercial Street (Springfield, MO).Springfield Date Night (Springfield, MO).Holland State Park & Tunnel Park (Lake Michigan- Holland, MI).Boatwerks Restaurant, Nelis Dutch Village, & Windmill Island Gardens (Holland, MI).A Beach, A Musical Fountain & Lighthouses (Grand Haven, MI & St.Frisco Highline Trail (Springfield, MO).Arkansas Grand Canyon & Petit Jean State Park- Cedar Falls (Jasper, AR & Morrilton, AR).Eden Falls – Lost Valley Trailhead (Ponca, AR).Downtown Fayetteville (Fayetteville, AR).Hockey/Breakfast Double Date (Tulsa, OK).Bridgman’s Blueberry Farm (Webb City, MO).War Eagle Cavern & Local Lime (Rogers, AR).Rushmore/Keystone (South Dakota) Blog Posts Happy Adventuring! Categories Nature Experiences, Road Trips Tags black hills, custer state park, hiking, mountain, peak, south dakota Post navigation If there is any hike you should do while in the Black Hills area, this is it! You won’t be disappointed! For more information, visit the state park web site: Black Hills We made it! We were EXHAUSTED when we finished but so proud of ourselves and grateful we stuck it out to make it to the top and back. We also saw some very large deer fairly close while heading back and encountered a rainstorm! Luckily we had brought ponchos and only walked through the rain for about a third of the way down (and after we had completed the rockiest portion). (Going downhill helps!) The trail was interesting, though, in that you went a large portion ascending going downhill before climbing back in elevation (and the opposite on the way back). It took us half the amount of time to descend from the peak as it did to get to the top. Some people were braver than us and ventured an additional flight of stairs to the very top of the tower and onto the rocks but due to how tired we were (and covid scares with tight quarters), we decided just to enjoy the view from the tower base. There were also some Indian markings of significance as well. Once we reached the top, the view of the Black Hills truly was breathtaking! The peak ended with a watchtower built on the top to allow you to soak up the view from every angle. Yes- that tiny little tower at the top of the picture a long ways from where we were standing! It was quite daunting to see from far away as we ascended and quite gratifying to see when we stopped at the same spot on our way down. Sometimes it was to admire the view and other times, quite frankly, just to catch our breath! On our first official scenic look into the hills, you can see our destination. While this hike only offered one official “rest stop” (and fairly early into the journey), we stopped quite a few times on the way up. It started out as a rather wide, smooth dirt path, slowly became more narrow with rocks, then eventually became quite rocky and difficult to navigate if you were attempting to run or walk quickly, and eventually finished in metal stairs built on top of the rocks leading to the peak. We had a variety of terrain while on this trail. The distance was a little under 8 miles and took us a little under 5 hours to complete! This was by far the toughest hike the two of us had ever done but so worth it! We took trail #9 to the peak and back (although several trails connect to one another so you can access it from other trails). The trailhead begins near Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. This was our favorite thing that we did on this trip! Black Elk Peak I had actually discovered it through a Pinterest pin when researching for our South Dakota trip. Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak) is the highest point in South Dakota (7,242 feet) and the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains.
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