Black Elk Peak

Black Elk Peak, rising to 7,242 feet in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is the highest summit east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. Crowned by a historic stone fire lookout tower, its granite summit offers a breathtaking 360-degree view across the forested Hills and the surrounding Great Plains, taking in the Needles, Mount Rushmore and four states on a clear day.

The peak is sacred to the Lakota (Sioux) people — renamed in 2016 for the Lakota holy man Black Elk — and remains a place of profound spiritual significance. Reached by popular trails from Sylvan Lake and other trailheads through the granite spires and pine forests of Custer State Park and the Black Elk Wilderness, it is one of the most beloved hikes in the region. A sacred and spectacular summit, Black Elk Peak is a treasured natural and cultural icon of South Dakota.

Black Elk Peak is reached by popular hiking trails — most commonly the roughly 7-mile round-trip from Sylvan Lake (Trail 9), with other routes through the granite high country and the Black Elk Wilderness — climbing through pine forest and granite formations to the stone lookout on the summit. The area offers more hiking, rock climbing on the spires, wildlife watching and stunning views. Climbing to the highest point east of the Rockies, with its summit lookout and panoramic views, is the signature draw. The combination of a sacred summit, granite scenery and a historic lookout makes this a premier Black Hills hike.

Late spring through fall (May to October) is the main hiking season, when the trails are clear of snow and the weather is best — summer is busiest (start early for parking and to beat afternoon thunderstorms), and fall brings golden aspen and crisp summit views. Winter offers a snowy, quiet climb for the prepared. Mornings give the clearest views and the calmest weather. Late spring through fall for hiking is the highlight — start early, carry water and layers, and watch the mountain weather on the exposed summit.

The peak is sacred to the Lakota (Sioux) people and central to the spiritual life of the holy man Black Elk, who had a famous vision here; long called Harney Peak after a U.S. Army officer, it was renamed Black Elk Peak in 2016 to honor that heritage. The stone lookout tower on the summit was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s as a fire lookout. The peak lies within the Black Elk Wilderness and Black Hills National Forest. Black Elk Peak preserves this sacred and spectacular summit, a treasured icon of South Dakota.

Black Elk Peak is the high point of the granite core of the Black Hills — ancient rock pushed up into a dome and exposed by erosion, with the summit and the surrounding Needles and Cathedral Spires formed where the hard granite weathered along vertical cracks into towers and outcrops. The peak rises well above the surrounding plains as the loftiest point of this isolated mountain island. The ancient uplifted granite, its weathering into spires and the durable summit rock created this high point east of the Rockies.

The pine forests and granite of Black Elk Peak host mule and white-tailed deer, mountain goats (often seen on the summit rocks), bighorn sheep, mountain lions, marmots, chipmunks and a variety of birds, with the surrounding Custer State Park and Black Hills rich in wildlife including elk and bison (in the lower grasslands). The granite high country and forest support varied wildlife. The hike offers wildlife watching, with mountain goats around the summit a frequent and memorable sight in the spectacular granite setting.

Black Elk Peak crowns the high Black Hills ecosystem of ponderosa pine, spruce and granite, an island of cool forested mountains rising from the Great Plains, with hardy plants in the rock crevices and the surrounding Black Elk Wilderness protecting a relatively wild core. The forest, granite and wildlife form an interconnected high-country system, sensitive to fire and heavy use. Protecting the forests, the wilderness, the granite and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the spectacular, sacred grandeur of the highest summit east of the Rockies.

Black Elk Peak holds a sacred place in Lakota culture — central to the vision of the holy man Black Elk, for whom it was renamed in 2016 — and a treasured place among the icons of South Dakota: the highest point east of the Rockies, crowned by a historic stone lookout with views across four states. The peak embodies both profound spiritual meaning and the beauty of the Black Hills granite high country. Black Elk Peak is a cherished natural and cultural icon of South Dakota.

Black Elk Peak is in the high Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, within Custer State Park and the Black Elk Wilderness of the Black Hills National Forest, most often climbed from the Sylvan Lake trailhead off the Needles Highway, about an hour and 15 minutes from Rapid City. A Custer State Park license (fee) is required to access the Sylvan Lake trailhead; other trailheads (Willow Creek) lie in the national forest. There are no services on the peak. Check the Black Hills National Forest and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks for fees, trail and parking info before hiking.

The Black Hills National Forest and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks protect Black Elk Peak and its wilderness. Visitors help by treating the peak with respect for its sacred significance to the Lakota, staying on trails to protect the forest and granite, following Leave No Trace and wilderness rules (no motorized or mechanized travel in the Black Elk Wilderness), keeping a safe distance from mountain goats and wildlife, preventing wildfire, and packing out everything. The sacred summit, the wilderness and the forest are sensitive. Protecting them sustains both the ecology and the meaning of the peak.

The climb to Black Elk Peak is long (about 7 miles round trip) and strenuous, with significant elevation gain and a rocky, exposed summit — carry plenty of water, food and layers, wear sturdy shoes, and start early to beat afternoon thunderstorms and lightning on the exposed peak and lookout. Mountain weather changes fast, with possible snow in the cooler months. Watch footing on the granite and the lookout stairs, and keep a safe distance from mountain goats. Tell someone your plans. Respect the distance, the exposure, the storms and the rugged terrain.

A Custer State Park license (fee) is required to use the Sylvan Lake trailhead. The summit lies in the Black Elk Wilderness, where motorized and mechanized travel (including bikes and drones) is prohibited. Stay on trails; follow Leave No Trace. Camp only where permitted under wilderness rules. Pets must be leashed. Do not disturb wildlife or the mountain goats. Prevent wildfire; follow fire restrictions. Respect the sacred significance of the peak. Pack out all trash. Check the Black Hills National Forest for trailhead access, fees and rules before hiking.

Sylvan Lake at the main trailhead, the Needles Highway, the rest of Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, the town of Custer, and the high Black Hills lie near the peak. The granite high country of the Black Hills defines the region. Black Elk Peak crowns the Black Hills, a centerpiece of a South Dakota hiking adventure, easily combined with Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial.

Start early from the Sylvan Lake trailhead (about 7 miles round trip) to find parking, beat the afternoon thunderstorms, and enjoy the climb through granite spires and pine forest to the historic stone lookout on the summit — carry plenty of water, food and layers, and wear sturdy shoes. Savor the panoramic view across four states from the highest point east of the Rockies, watch for mountain goats, and treat the peak with respect for its sacred Lakota significance. Combine with Sylvan Lake and the Needles Highway.