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Black elk peak trail8/27/2023 Wildlife Loop Road Burros (photo by Chelsea) Photo by Chelsea It was pretty cool to be close enough (from the safety of our car) to hear their horns clacking together. We also watched two adults practice fighting. As it was spring, many of the mamas had recently given birth so we got to see lots of baby bison. Custer State Park maintains a herd of about 1500 animals. We were lucky to see a small group of burros along the road. When the rides were discontinued the animals were simply released into the park. They’re descendants of those that used to carry visitors to the summit of Black Elk Peak. The burros are not native to the Black Hills. The main attraction of the Wildlife Loop Road – as the name probably suggests – is the wildlife. Between the cloud layers at Mount Coolidge fire tower We began by detouring up to the Mount Coolidge fire tower, at which point we found ourselves between two layers of clouds… something I’m not sure has ever happened to me before except maybe in an airplane. The Needle’s Eye Needle’s Eye Tunnel (8×8 feet) Driving through the tunnel (photo by Chelsea) Needles Highwayįrom the southern end of the Needles Highway, we connected with the Wildlife Loop Road. There are a handful of other tunnels as well that are slightly larger… but if your car won’t fit through this one, you won’t be driving the Needles Highway. It tops out at a high point that’s passable only by driving through an 8×8 foot (2.5 x 2.5 m) tunnel. We drove them all.įirst up was the Needles Highway, an iconic narrow, winding road that climbs through the rock spires that are so ubiquitous in the Black Hills. There are three scenic byways through the park that can be connected into an ~40 mile (64 km) loop. And the fog was even nice enough to lift for a few minutes while we were there! Cathedral Spiresīack at the parking lot, we still had much of the day remaining so we spent it exploring Custer State Park by car. Cathedral Spires, however, was visible even with the low hanging clouds. There are other possible side trips from this route as well, but we skipped them due to the lingering fog and lack of views. We descended on Trail #4, opting to take the short detour to Cathedral Spires. Fire tower Photo by Chelsea Photo by Chelsea We joked that this was the sewage pond… but given that the building is an old outhouse, I’m not entirely convinced it was a joke It was a little damp and dark inside, but we enjoyed the chance to look around and climb to all the floors. This includes a basement, the main floor, and the upper floor. It hasn’t been used since the 1960s, but it’s open for exploration. This includes the fire tower, which is a really neat structure. Alas… Summit “views”Īlthough we didn’t get to see much, we did enjoy the large rocky summit. I was bummed about the lack of views because the Black Hills is a really pretty area and on a clear day we would have been able to see all the way into Wyoming, Nebraska, and Montana. Unfortunately, the fog hadn’t lifted so we reached the summit and found ourselves looking out at the clouds. What we should have seen What we actually saw As we approached the summit, there were some fun sections of trail It’s a gradual but steady ascent through the forest, only emerging from the trees on the final stretch to the summit. About a mile into the hike, the trail crosses into the Black Elk Wilderness. This is the recommended direction of travel for a more gradual climb. We opted for the loop, heading up Trail #9 and hiking in a clockwise direction. Either can be completed as an out-and-back hike or they can be combined into an ~8 mile (13 km) loop. There are two trails to the summit: Black Elk Trail #4 and #9. Sylvan Lake… or what we saw of it, anyway But it was the only day we had so we didn’t really have a choice. Not exactly the ideal conditions for climbing to a high point. Unfortunately, the copious amounts of rain the previous couple days had turned everything into a damp, misty mess. Sylvan Lake is a really pretty area… when it’s not shrouded in fog. The main trailhead for this hike is located in the heart of the Black Hills at Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. Harney was a military commander who facilitated the slaughter of many Lakota women and children, I’m glad the name was changed. The Black Hills are their homeland and the mountain is considered sacred. It was renamed in 2016 in honor of Black Elk, a prominent member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. The highest point in South Dakota is Black Elk Peak, formerly called Harney Peak. The hike, however, was a little more substantial. ![]() Our hotel was only about 30 minutes from the trailhead, so this one involved much less driving. After summiting the North Dakota high point the day before, Chelsea and I set out to stand on the highest point of South Dakota.
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