Black Elk Peak Trailhead — Attraction in Custer

I stayed on trail 9 the whole way up and down to Lake Sylvan. I'm not gonna sugar coat this... this hike is a butt kicker, but the grueling workout pays off!!

1st... Start this journey in the early morning! I read the sign, it's been reported that this hike takes 4 to 5 hours round trip. It took me 8.

2nd... Get ready to enjoy some of the best sights ever!

3rd... take your time. No rush. Stop as often as you need too. Let others pass you so you don't feel rushed, and enjoy the view for awhile at the top! (partly why it took me so long to accomplish this trail)

4... Water! Don't forget water!! A lunch for at the top would be awesome!

I'm a thick, short, & curvy chick. Not in the best shape. I'm telling you that because if you think you can't do this hike because your like me, please know that you can do this too!

I was told by a climber that i met at Devil's Peak that this was his favorite place in all of South Dakota and that if i wanted to see spectacular views then this was it. He was right! This was beyond spectacular!!

The trail is rocky, and goes up and down. A lot. This surprised me for some reason. Giggles! There's muddy areas too, but it's very easy to get around.

There isn't much shade on this trail, please remember sunblock! Once you sweat, the huge flies are out. I know, i thought I sweated glitter too but apparently i don't because every bloody time i took a break i was swarmed by flies. Ick!

The bumblebees are huge too! But, they mind their business in the pretty wild flowers! Phew!!

There is wildlife! Thankfully, we only encountered chipmunks, because my dog and i had a nice tug of war going as he really wanted to play with chip and dale and i really didn't want to fall off the peak we just conquered!

There are a couple benches to take a break in the beginning but that's it. You'll need to pop a squat on a log or rocks for breaks after that.

I brought my hiking poles, and was very thankful. Definitely helps keep some pressure off the knees.

Once you get close to the top there are stairs! Metal stairs, rock stairs too. Remember, just take your time!

Definitely recommend this! But, please please know your limits too! I really pushed myself and will be forever thankful i did.

If anyone that passed Willis and I that day reads this, Y'ALL ROCK!! YA'LLS ENCOURAGING WORDS, FRIENDLY SMILES AND CONVERSATIONS KEPT ME FOCUSED AND MY SPIRITS LIFTED! GOD BLESS YOU ALL! YOU TRULY MADE MY DAY! THANK YOU! I hope each and everyone of you made it...

Black Elk peak is a long trail. Roughly seven miles round trip and you can expect to be on the trail for 3-6 hours depending on your fitness level and how much energy you want to expend. (Mileage may vary)

The view from the top is truly breathtaking though. Like most peaks you can see a long way, unlike most peaks, due to the flat nature of the terrain surrounding it (plains and prairie) on a clear day (within 24 hours after a big cleansing rainstorm) you can literally see for dozens of miles and can see land contained in portions of North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska.

Most of the trail is relatively relaxed. The path is wide and well travelled. There are plenty of shady spots to rest and few places that are treacherous ~ until you get to the last quarter mile. The last part of the hike up or down the peak becomes more strenuous. Wide trails give way to narrow winding staircases. At the top of the peak is a small reservoir and a stone tower. While the top of the peak itself is fairly flat, all sides of the plateaued summit are cliff faces that range from several dozen foot drops to over 100 foot drops so caution is warranted and small children should not be left to wander unsupervised.

There is a self-pay kiosk part way along the trail as you enter the Black Elk Wilderness area and the price of a permit for hiking in the area varys. On top of that the entirety of the trail is located in Custer State Park which requires a Park Pass to enter and park your vehicle. The pass is $10 for motorcycles and $20 for vehicles for a one week pass (it is $30 for an...

As the highest peak east of the rockies, Black Elk Peak was a must do while in the area with my daughter. We were visiting in early May, so we guessed we’d probably get into a little ice and/or snow but decided to go for it anyway. In researching a variety of sources, I found all kinds of conflicting info about distance, elevation gain, etc. so, just as a caveat, know that there seems to be a lot of variation in what is being reported. We decided to start at beautiful Sylvan Lake and I should also say that we were running the trail, an easy pace but still different from simply hiking. The trail starts off as a wide crushed-rock path but soon starts to climb. The trail remains relatively wide for about a mile but then starts to narrow into a typical single track trail. We were into a small amount of snow by this time and by the time we got really close to the tower, there was almost eight inches of snow in large patches. When you get really close to the tower, there are spiral-like stairs built from both metal and stone and is a really fun way to summit this iconic peak. The views of the surrounding black hills are simply stunning and so worth the trip up & back. My Suunto GPS watch recorded 6.57miles roundtrip with 1539 feet of elevation gain and it took us just 1-hour, 22-mins to cover the roundtrip...