Order of Visit: High Point #21
Date Visited: August 30, 2020
Route Taken: Black Elk Peak Trail #9 from parking area at Sylvan Lake – 6.4 miles (round-trip)
Type of Terrain: Well-graded, wide dirt trail with some larger rocks near the summit. This trail ascends 1,500 feet over 3.2 miles and is challenging for many visitors because of the altitude.
Elevation: 7,244 feet
Ancestral Lands: Cheyenne, Sioux
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Before a I get to the summary of this trip, I think it’s important to begin by clearing up some potential confusion. Black Elk Peak is one of the handful of state high points whose official name has been changed in recent years (similar to Mt. McKinley in Alaska being officially renamed Denali). The Black Hills area of South Dakota is home to the Lakota Sioux, and the peak’s original indigenous name meant “owl maker” because the surrounding rock formations resembled owls.
In 1855, U.S. government officials decided to name this summit “Harney Peak” after the controversial American general, William Selby Harney, who fought the the Sioux people and negotiated several peace treaties. But, it’s worth noting that Harney wasn’t exactly a saint by anyone’s standard. He was court-martialed four times during his military career. He was accused of being disloyal to the Union during the Civil War (he was native Tennesseean) and his personal life was a complete mess. And although he had some tactical successes out West, he’s often described as hot-tempered, vindictive, and susceptible to profanity and violence.
Over time though, members of the Great Sioux Nation lobbied the government to have the site renamed to something less inflammatory. They were ultimately successful in 2016, securing a unanimous vote from the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. Harney Peak was subsequently renamed Black Elk Peak – in honor of Black Elk, a noted Oglala medicine man for whom the surrounding wilderness area is also named. And, this is why you’ll see most pre-2016 resources referring to this state highpoint as Harney Peak, while others (including me) will use its current name.
TRIP SUMMARY
Our hike to the top of South Dakota’s high point began at Sylvan Lake. The lake and nearby trailheads are part of Custer State Park, so I was glad I’d already purchased a week-long park pass a few days ago. This meant the we got to skip right past the crowd of cars queuing up at the gate this warm Sunday morning, and drive straight to the trailhead.
There’s several routes up to the summit of Black Elk Peak. The most popular option is a 6.4 mile roundtrip trek on the #9 Black Elk Trail. However, many folks opt to take the #9 Trail up to the summit and return via the #4 Trail, which allows a short side trip out to Little Devil’s Tower. I wanted to check out both of our options, so I approached the large map at the trailhead – and that’s when I spotted a neon orange sign with writing in a giant font that read:
WARNING. TRAIL CLOSURE. Black Elk Peak Trails #9 and #4 will be closed till October 1, 2020 for trail maintenance.
Doh! My stomach lurched suddenly. Did this mean we couldn’t hike to the summit during our visit? Did we just waste our time driving all the way out here to South Dakota? Don’t get me wrong – I’m immensely supportive of trail maintenance, but c’mon. This is a super popular trail. It’s the end of summer. Couldn’t you wait until after Labor Day to close the trail? Ah, man…
But then, as I inspected the sign a bit closer, I noticed more writing below in much, much smaller print that read, “Access to the peak will be allowed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sunday.” Whew! I exhaled a giant sigh of relief. We’d get to hike the trail after all!!
My overall impression of this trail was that it was an extremely pleasant and well-graded hike (thank you again trail maintainers). Yet, I was surprised to feel a bit winded while trying to carry on a conversation with Keith. After thinking about it for a few minutes and checking my phone, I quickly understood why I was so out of breath. My fitness hadn’t magically plummeted. It was the altitude. Sylvan Lake was near 6,000 above sea level, and we were heading up to 7,244. So, while the slope over the next 3.2 miles wasn’t outrageous, it definitely resembled the feeling of hiking in the Rockies more than the Great Plains that I was expecting.
The views of the Black Hills along this route were stunning and I had to restrain myself from stopping to take lots of photos of the rock spires climbing upward. But there was also something else that (quite literally) caught my attention. The ground seemed to be strewn with tons and tons of silver glitter.
As I moved into the sun, I soon realized why. Some of the nearby rocks had shiny minerals in them, which were flaking off into the dirt. Clear and sliver mica flakes were making the trail sparkle like glitter whenever you moved and the sun’s rays hit them. Even Finn (full of his typical 13-year old sullen angst) was amused by the glitter dirt. Admittedly, the shininess didn’t photograph well, but I promise you it was more magical than anything Walt Disney could conjure.
Not much further up the trail, we spotted a stone bench facing a valley of more epic views of the Black Hills, including the tower at the summit of Black Elk Peak where we were headed. I appreciated seeing the bench was marked with the now-familiar triangle logo for the Highpointers Association. I’m sure lots of winded visitors appreciated the gesture and the A+ views that it provided them.
The trail seemed to level out and even descend as we worked out way into the Black Elk Wilderness. Then all of a sudden, there was a large metal box in front of us from the U.S. Forest Service and directions to fill out a free permit. I had another brief moment of panic, since I didn’t exactly have a pen or pencil on me for this hike. But when I lifted to brown metal lid to grab a permit, I soon discovered a tray of little golf pencils to assist me. After filling out the permit, I deposited the top copy into the slot as directed and put the carbon copy in my pack so I didn’t lose it. We’d need to return the second half of the permit at whichever permit box we passed on the trail we took down (at this point we weren’t 100% sure if we were going to just to the out-and-back hike on the #9 trail, or try to make the loop and come back down the #4 trail).
The trail resumed it’s ascent again after that, and it we made quick time of the rest of the journey. This was probably the section where we encountered the most people on trail. The parking lot below had tons of cars in it, but we’d barely seen handful of hikers up to this point. So I guess they must have gotten an earlier start, because we were soon asking to pass small groups of hikers. Nearly ever quarter mile, we’d pass another group or two.
This was also the section of the trail that was obviously undergoing the trail maintenance. I saw rock steps being emplaced, new water bars, and clear evidence of recent work. And it was where we started to have to take navigate around a large rocks as the trail become more steep. But, the views were definitely worth the workout.
Then, just as we were just getting ready to overtake another couple on the trail, we all stopped beside a fork in the trail. To our right was a sign that said something vague about stock animals with an arrow pointing up the hill. And to the left, the trail to the left seemed to descend a bit. Neither option seemed right. We didn’t want to go down (the tower was still above us), but we didn’t know if the sign meant the trail going up was: (a) for stock animals only; or (b) that all stock animals were required to use it instead of going left. What to do??
As we all stood there, a group of four hikers came down toward using the “stock” trail. We took their appearance as the sign that we should take the trail to the right and continue heading up. Barely 100 feet later, we knew this was the wrong trail for hikers. We could see the tower now, but there was also a bunch of horses tied up with two guys tending to them. This really was trail for the stock, while the other one as for hikers.
It was too lake to turn around now. So we skirted around the horses on the wisp of a trail in front of the rope where they were all were tied up. We were careful not to startle any of them, but couldn’t help but to stop ask if I could gently stroke the soft noses of two of them on my way past.
The final run up to the tower was an impressive engineering feat. First we had to climb some stone steps and squeeze through a tunnel in some giant boulders.
Then we had to climb up metal stairs over a chasm of open rock below. Normally I don’t mind stairs, but these were a bit vertigo-enhancing because you could see through the metal grate steps to the ground below.
And then we bent amount the corner and could see the fire lookout tower. And it was impressive. The plaque on beside the door said it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the late 1930s. I looked the details up after we finished this hike and it turns out it took the CCC workers three years to built the tower. The rock was all sourced from the nearby French River, and all the materials and tools had to be carried (by mule or man) three miles to this site. Wow! Talk about hard work.
Wandering inside, we were treated to a small room with staircases leading above and below us. The roof’s geometric pattern was stunning and warranted its own photo. Then it was up to the top level to a small catwalk-like balcony with panorama views out the windows.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly and we stood on the stone patio taking it all in. But, by now our stomachs were starting to grumble. Instead of on the fabulous views of the Black Hills in front of us, our thoughts were wandering toward what we were going to eat lunch (why didn’t we pack a picnic to enjoy on the summit?)
And so, it was time to head back with a bit more urgency so we could get some food in our bellies. Our hunger was also a deciding factor when we got to the trail junction where the #4 Trail split from the #9 Trail. If we’d brought a picnic lunch to the summit, I think we all would have enjoyed taking the alternate route down and exploring Little Devil’s Tower. But, it wasn’t in the cards for today’s trip. We’d stick to the same route up and down.
During our descent, we noticed there were even more people heading up the trail. It was warmer now, and while some of the trail had tree covering, much of it was exposed. More than a few of our fellow hikers had pink cheeks, ears, arms, and necks advertising that they’d forgotten to put on some sunscreen before hitting the trail midday.
By the time we got back to the metal permit box and dropped our half of the permit inside, we could smell the finish line. All that was left was the stone bench and then the open fields by the lake were we’d begun our scenic hike. All in all, I was genuinely happy with this highpoint adventure. It was a good solid morning workout, but didn’t take up the entire day. My sole regret is failing to bring a lunch so we could have a picnic up on the rocks near the summit and enjoy the last bits of summer sun.
DETAILS
When to Visit: Custer State Park is open year-round, but this moderately difficult hike is best tackled between May-October due to the snowy South Dakota winters. The trail is heavily-trafficked during the weekends and the peak summer season, often seeing 500 visitors in a day. If you want to avoid the mild panic attack I experienced at the trailhead, make sure to check the USFS website to learn about any temporary trail closures occurring during your visit. (This trail information will not be posted on the Custer State Park website).
Getting There: Black Elk Peak is located in the Black Hills National Forest, approximately 35 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota. If you’re coming from nearby Custer, SD, it’s only a 7-mile drive. Or you can opt to use take the longer, scenic Needles Highway Route (Highway 87) through narrow tunnels, around cathedral-like rock spires, and the through the highlights of Custer State Park.
Entrance Fees: Because the trailhead is located inside a state park, you will need to purchase a $20 visitor pass at the entrance. This pass will be good for up to 7 days and covers all passengers in your car.
Parking: The trail begins right next to Sylvan Lake. There is a paved one-way loop with parking for approximately 40 cars near the trailhead. A second gravel overflow lot with room for another 50-60 cars can be accessed from the top of the paved loop. Pit toilets are available beside Sylvan Lake approximately 100 yards from the trailhead.
Accessibility: This hike is along a well-graded, well-maintained path the entire way. During the last mile, the trail becomes more rocky and difficult (although this may have been partially due to the ongoing trail maintenance during our visit). Hikers should expect the combination of altitude, distance, and ascent to make this trek a healthy challenge.
Bonus: Once you’re in the Black Hills area, you’ll have your choice of epic outdoor sites to visit, including Custer State Park, which is renowned for its bison herds and scenic views, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial; Crazy Horse Memorial; and Wind Cave National Park.
Resources:
- Black Elk Peak Hiking Route (Using the #9 Trail out-and back)
- Black Elk Peak Hiking Loop (Using the #9 Trail up to the summit and returning on the #4 Trail)
- Fire Lookout Tower Info (Harney Peak Info)
- Renaming Harney Peak into Black Elk Peak (Smithsonian Magazine)