The last item on our list of things to do in the Black Hills was to take the Harney Peak Trail to the highest point in South Dakota. We had tried earlier in the week but the trail was choked with snow and ice. Today was a great day to take on the challenge of hiking the 7 1/2 mile trail with an elevation gain of over 1,000 feet.
The hike to Harney Peak from the Sylvan Lake trailhead is one of the best in the park and provides spectacular views of both the plains ad the hills.
We passed several prayer offerings along the trail.
The trail begins in Custer State Park and crosses into the Black Elk Wilderness area which required us to register. Frederick filled out the form, deposited one copy in the slot and affixed the other copy to the back of his pack.
We reached the top about 2 p.m. and ate our lunch with this view of the Cathedral Spires, in the center of the picture.
Close-up of the Cathedral Spires.
Harney Peak is crowned with a fire tower/lookout that we had to pass through to get to the viewing area at the top of the peak.
We noticed that the plaque on the lookout claims that the "peak is the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Pyrenees Mountains of Europe."
We took another route down, one that took us into the midst of the Cathedral Spires formation.
We thought this looked like a family group.
Selfie at the top.
I love that distinction: highest peak between Rockies and Pyrenees. Some may disagree with that however. What about, for example, Nutakonckanut Hill, thought by some to be the highest.
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