![]() Not many hikers use Norbeck Trail 3 or Grizzly Bear Trail 7 to reach Black Elk Peak, but the trailheads for both of those trails are located along Forest Road 345, which can be accessed from Highway 87, the Needles Highway eight miles southeast of Sylvan Lake. ![]() The trail starts on the east side of the day-use area. ![]() Follow this for about 3 miles to the Willow Creek Horse Camp on the south side of the road. For the Willow Creek approach, take the same drive to Hill City, and then follow Highway 16 south out of Hill City, SD, and after 3 miles out of town, turn east onto Highway 244. Trail 9 South and Trail 4 both start at different places along the large parking lot on the east side of Sylvan Lake. Follow this for 6.1 miles to Sylvan Lake recreation area on the north side of the road, which is in Custer State Park. Drive through Hill City on Highway 16, and about 3.2 miles out of town turn east onto Highway 87. Getting Thereįrom Rapid City, SD-For the Sylvan Lake approach, take Highway 16 west for about 30 miles to Hill City, SD. Bird watchers enjoy the opportunities afforded by the variety of trails to the summit. There are rare sightings of mountain lions and coyotes, but they generally do not like being around large numbers of people. Despite the large numbers of hikers on Black Elk Peak every year, wildlife is in abundance there, with deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and pronghorn antelope seen regularly. The forest that remains on the peak consists mostly of Ponderosa pines, spruce, and aspens. Much of the damage has been cleared away, but some still remain. The forest on Black Elk Peak has suffered serious damage from pine beetles in recent years, plus Winter Storm Atlas in 2013 felled many more trees. Black Elk Peak is probably the most popular hiking destination in the Black Hills. Hikers have multiple route options to reach the summit from Custer State Park and various locations in the Black Elk Wilderness. It is no longer in use but is open to hikers. There is an old stone tower that was used as a fire lookout on the summit. On a clear day, one can see four states – South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska. Although the mountain is well below treeline, the summit is mostly bare rock with uninhibited and spectacular views. The mountain and surrounding range is granite that many geologists believe was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny between 40 and 60 million years ago. Black Elk Peak has over 2,900 feet of prominence. The peak is also the high point in the Black Elk Wilderness as well as the highest summit in a line between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains in France. ![]() Black Elk Peak is the high point of the state of South Dakota and is located in the Black Hills in the southwestern portion of the state. That ruling will affect how the summit is named on all federal maps in the future. Board of Geographic Names on August 11, 2016. Any inaccuracies are the result of my edits.Īmid much controversy in the state of South Dakota, the former Harney Peak is now officially Black Elk Peak, following a ruling by the U.S. Any usefulness is courtesy of the SummitPost community. The text below is copied from SummitPost.
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