Last Updated on: 29th June 2025, 07:59 am
Custer State Park is arguably South Dakota’s top attraction for hikers – perhaps even outshining the state’s two National Parks. The massive 71,000-acre park is known for its spiky granite outcrops, forests, lakes, and wildlife. When it comes to must-see natural landmarks, visitors shouldn’t miss Sylvan Lake, Black Elk Peak, Little Devils Tower, and the Cathedral Spires.
Luckily, for those who only have a day for hiking, or those who just prefer longer and more challenging hikes, all of these can be visited via a single loop hike. Keep reading for the full details.
For more information on where to stay in Custer and park entry fees, be sure to check the end of the article.
About This Hike
THE BASICS: There are multiple ways to see Black Elk Peak, Little Devils Tower, and the Cathedral Spires. For example, you could visit each landmark separately as its own out-and-back hike.
But all three landmarks are connected via the area’s extensive trail system and can be combined as part of one long loop hike, which is what we’ll be covering here.
The route detailed in this trekking guide is as follows: Starting at Sylvan Lake, hike up to Black Elk Peak via Trail #9, then descend via Trail #4, making short detours to the Cathedral Spires and then Little Devils Tower, ultimately returning to Sylvan Lake.
The full hike is about 8 miles long, with an elevation gain of about 1700 ft (518 m). In fact, this hike takes you to the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains!
All in all, expect this hike to take you somewhere between 4-6 hours. A lot will depend on how long you spend at each landmark and whether you decide to take any additional detours.
WHAT TO BRING: As with any long hike, you’ll want to come prepared with water, a hat and sunscreen. Wearing hiking boots would be ideal. Trekking poles aren’t necessary but might come in handy.
Given the length of the hike, also be sure to bring plenty of snacks and water.
RECOMMENDED APPS: If you’re using the AllTrails app, the closest thing to the hike described below is the hike titled ‘Black Elk Peak and Little Devils Tower Loop.’
For whatever reason, that hike leaves out Cathedral Spires, but it’s an easy detour to figure out by following the trail on the app and the on-site signage.
Note that AllTrails requires a yearly subscription for offline access. If you don’t want to pay, the free Organic Maps app should also come in handy.
The Ascent to Black Elk Peak
Hoping to beat the crowds, I arrived at Sylvan Lake around 7:00. And I was indeed one of the first people there. Note that there are a few different parking lots by the lake, but it’s not particularly important which one you choose.
Sylvan Lake, which is actually manmade, is one of Custer State Park’s most beautiful and popular landmarks. And as nice as it is to have the lake all to yourself, the lighting isn’t ideal so early in the morning.
In any case, I wanted to be one of the first ones atop Black Elk Peak, so I headed straight for the trailhead of Trail #9.
Trail #9 starts off fairly flat before taking you up a gradual ascent. It’s not particularly steep or tiring, especially considering how it leads to South Dakota’s highest point.
The trail is largely forested, though you will occasionally catch glimpses of the Black Hills’ iconic granite formations. At this time in the morning, the sun shining through the trees made the scenery especially dramatic.
Interestingly, though Black Elk Peak is synonymous with Custer State Park, it actually lies outside the park and in the Black Elk Wilderness area of the Black Hills National Forest.
While not really relevant to hikers, don’t be surprised to encounter a ‘Leaving Custer State Park’ sign as you continue along Trail #9. Don’t worry, as there are no staff or rangers checking for tickets on these trails.
The trail continues through the forest rather gently. But eventually, you’ll reach the section where Trail #9 and Trail #4 meet, with a third trail leading directly to the top of Black Elk Peak. From here on, the hike gets a lot more tiring.
Incredibly, Black Elk Peak is the highest mountain summit in the country east of the Rocky Mountains. But at just 7,244 feet (2,208 m) high, it’s quite accessible to hikers of different abilities.
As mentioned, the final stretch is the most tiring section of the hike, but it’s nothing compared with some of the better-known Rocky Mountain hikes.
Near the end, you’ll find some steps followed by a metal ladder taking you to the summit. And upon viewing Harney Tower, you’ll be sure you’ve reached the top.
All in all, the hike from the lake to the top of Black Elk Peak took me a little under two hours.
From the top, the views of the surrounding Black Hills are spectacular. The hills were named as such by the Lakota because from a distance, the evergreen trees atop them can make them look almost black.
Another thing you’ll notice are prayer flags, which have been tied here to denote how this land is sacred for the Lakota Sioux tribe.
Notably, this peak has only been officially known as Black Elk Peak since 2016. But who was Black Elk?
Black Elk (1863-1950) was a Lakota medicine man perhaps best known for being the subject of the popular 1932 book by John G. Neihardt, Black Elk Speaks. He was also a cousin of Crazy Horse, with whom he fought alongside.
Interestingly, he even performed with Buffalo Bill as part of his Wild West show.
Before its current name, this peak was known as Harney Peak after US General William S. Harney (1800-1889) who fought against the Native Americans in the Indian Wars. While the peak no longer bears his name, the tower at the top still does.
The tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939 as a fire lookout, dam and pumphouse, and visitors can climb to the top for a few additional vantage points.
Aside from the area around Harney Tower, there’s a trail that leads to another rocky outcrop located to the southwest. While nothing too different, it’s worth checking out for those interested in fully exploring the area.
To The Cathedral Spires
Heading down from the peak, it’s now time to descend via Trail #4. The trail starts rather uneventfully at first, but it would be long before you come face to face with these spectacular needle-like formations.
First, you’ll arrive at a little viewing area where you can see them from ‘behind’ (at least relative to the officially marked spot for Cathedral Spires). And shortly after reentering Custer State Park, you’ll want to veer from the east off the main path.
As mentioned, this detour is not featured on the main AllTrails map for some reason, but it’s rather easy to figure out.
The official Cathedral Spires viewing area is an out-and-back path that culminates in a dead-end. As mentioned above, this area can also be accessed as part of its own hike, with the trailhead being situated along the Needles Highway.
And the Cathedral Spires are indeed part of Custer State Park’s famous Needles formations. But in contrast to driving the Needles Highway (which is definitely worth doing), here you can take your time and linger as long as you like.
It had just gotten cloudy around the time of my arrival, but I stood around and waited in case the sun reappeared. It eventually did, fully illuminating the towering granite spires surrounding me.
The path here is relatively short and, as mentioned, culminates in a dead end. Nevertheless, this area is arguably the most scenic part of this entire long loop hike.
Though I considered moving on to the next major landmark, Little Devils Tower, something I spotted on the AllTrails app intrigued me.
Marked on the app’s trail map is a landmark called ‘Needles Other Eye,’ and as it seemed relatively close, I decided to take an additional detour to go see it.
But before detailing what I saw, I wouldn’t recommend this detour to most visitors and would suggest you just move on to Little Devils Tower instead.
Despite appearing so close on the map, one must make a steep descent down rocky terrain, and ultimately back up again.
While this is part of the trail that those hiking directly to the Cathedral Spires from the Needles Highway will use, it’s not ideal to add onto what’s already such a tiring and long loop hike.
Furthermore, after turning onto the small trail that leads to the ‘Needles Other Eye,’ it’s quite rough and largely unmaintained. After walking uphill over various plants and rocks, I finally found the landmark, which is indeed reminiscent of the Needles Eye that’s located along the Needles Highway.
But after the long and tiring trek back up to the main trail, I wouldn’t say that it was worth all the effort.
To Little Devils Tower
After seeing the Cathedral Spires, you’ll briefly return to Trail #4 and head south before making another detour. The trail to Little Devils Tower takes you back north and also uphill.
After enjoying the views from either side of the beginning of this trail, you’ll eventually get to a rocky section that requires some light scrambling to traverse.
The scrambling itself isn’t terribly difficult, but it can be tricky to figure out exactly where you’re supposed to go sometimes.
You will occasionally find arrows pointing you in the right direction, while returning hikers should be able to show you the way if you’re confused.
You will definitely want to wear good shoes with a sturdy grip for this portion of the hike, which has not just one but several scrambling sections. But it’s far from the most difficult scrambling I’ve ever done, and it’s not something to be too concerned about for most hikers.
Little Devils Tower stands at 6958 feet (2121 m) above sea level. And while when viewed from a distance, it does slightly resemble Wyoming’s Devils Tower, this formation is most known for the 360-degree views that its summit provides.
Not only can you see the Cathedral Spires in the distance, but even as far as Black Elk Peak!
Unfortunately, it became rather cloudy again upon my arrival at the summit. I waited and waited, but the sun didn’t reappear, so I finally started my descent.
Making your way down the scrambling section is fairly straightforward as long as you carefully watch your step. And eventually, you’ll find yourself back on Trail #4.
The return to Sylvan Lake via Trail #4 is indeed beautiful, but not particularly remarkable compared with the major landmarks featured above.
Eventually, you should see Sylvan Lake in the distance. And if you have limited time at Custer State Park, you might want to walk around the area if you still have any energy left.
But as we’ll cover in a future guide, the underrated Sunday Gulch Hike also begins and ends from this lake.
Additional Info
While Custer may be a small town with under 2000 residents, its proximity to Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, the Crazy Horse Monument, and Mount Rushmore make it a popular place for long stays.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from, but I ended up staying at the Super 8 and have no complaints about it. I found it to be a quiet hotel and I slept well each night.
Other popular options in the area, meanwhile, include the Comfort Inn & Suites, the Holiday Inn, and the Rocket Motel.
At the time of writing, Custer State Park costs $20 per vehicle and your pass will be valid for 7 days. For those traveling by motorcycle, the fee is $10.
Learn more information here.