Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureNeedles Highway
$25–$50Drive 14 winding miles past granite spires, Sylvan Lake and narrow rock tunnels in the Black Hills of Custer State Park.
Photo: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureHistory Buff
Black Elk Peak
Black Elk Peak is an outdoor activity in Custer, SD, part of the Black Hills guide. Cost: $25 to $50.
Trail 9 from Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park · Custer, SD
Why you should go…
Black Elk Peak, at 7,244 feet the highest point in South Dakota, rises in the Black Elk Wilderness of the Black Hills. Most hikers take Trail 9 from Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park, about 7 miles round trip. At the top stands a stone fire lookout completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. The peak was renamed in 2016 for Lakota holy man Black Elk, who received his Great Vision here at age nine.
- #hiking
- #summit
- #fire lookout
- #black hills
- #wilderness
What's around here?
The closest stops to Black Elk Peak, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
1.8 mi awayMore like this
- StayFamily Favorite
Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch
$50+A KOA campground and lodge near Mount Rushmore with cabins, RV sites, pools and Black Hills activities.
2.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
- Sport & OutdoorOutdoor Adventure
Black Hills Wilderness Edge
$50+ATV and UTV rental outfitter for guided backcountry trail riding near Keystone, South Dakota.
4.7 mi awayMore like this
- ShoppingQuirky Fun
Black Hills Glass Blowers
FreeWorking glass studio near Mount Rushmore where artisans blow and lampwork glass on site.
4.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping
- ToursIconic
1880 Train
$25–$50Ride a vintage steam train on a scenic 20-mile round trip through South Dakota's Black Hills.
5.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
- Sport & OutdoorOutdoor Adventure
Rushmore Tramway Adventures
$25–$50Adventure park near Mount Rushmore with a scenic chairlift, alpine slide, zipline course, and aerial ropes park.
5.5 mi awayMore like this
