The most popular (and route we took) is trail #9 up and trail #4 down. It’s important to know there are route options for ascending and descending the Black Elk Peak trail hike. Once your flights are booked, compare hire car prices using Rental Cars for the best deals to pick up at Rapid City airport.īlack Elk Peak Hike Route Options (Trail #4 and #9) If you’re flying into Rapid City to visit the Black Hills region, read our expert tips on finding cheap flights and search for flights using Skyscanner for best prices and flexibility. We found ourselves driving the same roads over and over. This is a truly scenic area to drive around. Take the 89 for around 7 miles and you will arrive in under 20 minutes. Custer is much closer and easier to access Sylvan Lake.Take 244 past Mt Rushmore, take a left onto 16 and an immediate left onto Needles highway (87). Keystone is just 18.6 miles away, yet it can take the best part of 40 minutes because of traffic around Mount Rushmore and the aforementioned slow roads.The scenic highway offers spectacular views but it also means slow going, due to the meandering nature of scenic roads.
#Black elk peak trailhead how to
How To Get To Black Elk Peak Trailheadīlack Elk Peak trailhead is located on the shores of Sylvan Lake, which can be found half way along Needles scenic highway in Custer State Park, South Dakota.
New to Hiking? Don’t forget to check out our 21 most important hiking tips for beginners. Hike Difficulty: Moderate – not technical but stamina required Hike Length: Roughly 7 miles round trip – depending on ascent/descent trail numberĮstimated Hike Time: Around 4 – 5 hours hiking time – account for breaks and 30 minutes at the summit It was freezing in the morning so Mark had to wear a pair of Kristen’s shiny blue base layer pants! Black Elk Peak Hike Factfileĭaily Visitors: In peak (pun intended) season, hundreds of hikers per dayīest Time to Visit: May – October (comfortable temperatures) We got a little Black Elk Peak GoPro video footage from the trail and knocked up a fun short video of what you can expect. If possible, plan to hike Black Elk Peak in Fall (we visited October 7) to take advantage of the captivating colors on display. The lookout is no longer used and actually, it’s quite strange to be inside an empty tower at the top of a mountain. There are also a number of spur trails you may want to add on.įormerly known as the Harney Peak trail, its name was changed in 2016 by the US Board on Geographic Names to Black Elk Peak, honoring an old Lakota Sioux shaman.Īt the summit you will find Harney Lookout Tower, which was once used as a fire detection viewpoint. The roundtrip should take between 4-5 hours, but will be longer with more stops and time at the summit – which you will need. So it can be hiked either as an out and back or as a loop. You can ascend and descend Black Elk Peak via route #4 or route #9. The trail is rated as moderate due to its length but it is an easy going and inclusive hike for most age groups and abilities. If you’re visiting Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore or Custer State Park – Black Elk Peak is the perfect way to round off awesome sightseeing with an active day out in the hills.ĭid you know that Black Elk Peak (7,244ft) is the highest peak East of the Rockies and West of the Pyrenees Mountains of the French/Spanish border? What Else Is Nearby? Why Hike The Awesome Black Elk Peak Trail? Hiking the fantastic Black Elk Peak trail is one of the best things to do near Mount Rushmore for those who love to hit the trails, enjoy nature at its finest and can’t get enough of 360 degree summit views. Plus, views from the top are breathtaking.Īnd we save that often overused word for rare occasions. So, anyone with a good level stamina can make the summit. The hike to Black Elk Peak is non-technical and long but gradual.
We hiked the Black Elk Peak trail as part of an amazing South Dakota road trip and admittedly didn’t expect it to be as spectacular as it turned out to be.īeing permanently surrounded by postcard perfect scenes of deep green and golden yellow ponderosa pine trees bursting out of hillsides made from enormous smooth granite boulders blew us away. We’re going to explain everything you need to know about the wonderful Black Elk Peak hike, including tips and photos for inspiration. The beautiful hike to Black Elk Peak in South Dakota’s stunning Black Hills National Forest is one of the best hiking trails in the US and it among our personal favorites.
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