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 A hike to Harney Peak hike is a Black Hills Adventure that the whole family can enjoy. Harney Peak hikes can begin from the many trailheads that surround the peak in Black Elk Wilderness and the Peter Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. The most popular Harney Peak hike begins at Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park near Custer South Dakota.
At 7,242 feet, Harney Peak is the highest point in South Dakota, as well as the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains, and west of the Pyrenees Mountains. Like Bear Butte to the north, Harney Peak is a sacred site to the Lakota Sioux Indians. Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux holy man, went there on his vision quest, and considered the area to be the center of the spiritual world.
To get to the trailhead, drive up Sylvan Lake Road from Custer or Hill City, SD. Once through the Custer State Park entrance station, continue driving Needles Highway and turn left to park near the Sylvan Lake Beach. The main trailhead is in the northwest corner of the parking lot.
The trail to Harney Peak begins on an old road-bed in Custer State Park, enters into the Black Elk Wilderness about half way up and finishes on top of the Harney Range pegmatite granite. When hiking Harney, don’t forget to fill out a free registration form as you enter the Black Elk Wilderness. Your Custer State Park entrance pass is not the same thing. Fill out the Wilderness Registration slip or risk a $125 fine from the Wilderness Ranger.
Directions: Hike up the old road-bed known as trail #9. It is easy to follow the blazes to the point where it junctions with trail number 3. Continue hiking up from there on trail number 9. Turn left at the Harney spur trail which is well signed. From there it is only about 10 minutes to the top. On a clear day, what five states can you see from the top of Harney Peak? (Answer at the bottom of the page.) To get back down, it is possible to hike a loop back to your vehicle. Hike down the Harney spur, and back to the junction of trails 9 and 3. Follow trail 3 down to trail number 4 at the edge of Custer State Park. Follow this trail past the Cathedral Spires and down to the Little Devils Tower trailhead. If you are feeling strong, take this opportunity to hike up Little Devils Tower and enjoy a great view of the Black Hills. The spur trail to Little Devils Tower is really steep for about a mile.
Once you get back down to Little Devils Tower parking lot, take the connector trail behind the bathrooms over to Sylvan Lake Beach parking lot to find your car. For the shortest Harney Peak hike, take trail number nine up and down. The entire adventure is just under 7 miles, and it will take 5+ hours to hike and enjoy the view. From Sylvan Lake the trail will climb over 1000 feet in elevation to the summit. It is important to note that you are entering a Wilderness area, and are expected to take everything you need and be able to take care of all emergencies for you and your party while you are there. One of the best things you can get before you go is a map of the Harney Range hiking trails and the Peter Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. You can get a hiking map at the Black Hills National Forest Service office outside of Rapid City or Custer. Afternoon thundershowers are quiet common during the most popular time of year to hike Harney, so even if it’s warm when you leave your car in Custer State Park, you need to take extra clothes (raingear), snacks and plenty of water with you. Seven miles up and down a rocky hill is a long way to hike, so make sure you have proper footwear.
Contact Sylvan Rocks Climbing to book your Black Hills Vacation.
Answer: South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Montana.
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