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Custer, South Dakota

Black Elk Peak

The highest point east of the Black Hills' center, topped by a 1930s stone lookout.

Difficulty
Moderate
Length
7.4 mi
Elevation Gain
1,900 ft
Duration
4–6
Best Season
May–Oct
Permit
Not required
Dogs
Allowed
Features
Highest point in SD, Granite spires

About the trail

Black Elk Peak (7,242 ft), once called Harney Peak, is the highest point in South Dakota and the highest in the US between the Rockies and the Alleghenies. The trail from Greenleaf Peak climbs through ponderosa pine and past granite domes into a cirque of spires, then up the final steep pitch to a stone fire lookout built in 1931. The summit view takes in the entire Black Hills and, on clear days, prairie to the east.

Trailhead map & directions

Trailhead: 43.8622, -103.5370Get directions →

Turn-by-turn route

  1. Park at the Greenleaf Peak trailhead off Needles Highway in Custer State Park.
  2. Climb the Greenleaf Peak Trail through ponderosa forest.
  3. Pass the saddle below Mount Vernon and enter the granite cirque.
  4. Climb the steep boulder field to the summit lookout.
  5. Return via the same route, or loop via the Little Harney Peak Trail. Total: 7.4 miles.

Parking

Greenleaf Peak lot off Needles Highway — Custer State Park entrance fee applies; the lot holds about 30 cars.

Tips from the trail

  • Afternoon lightning is common in summer — be off the summit by 1 p.m.
  • Bighorn sheep and mountain goats live in the cirque below the peak.
  • The final climb is loose rock; trekking poles help on the descent.
  • Snow can linger on the north side into June.