Black Elk Peak South Dakota Highest Point Hike Guide
Black Elk Peak is the tallest peak in South Dakota and has a number of ways to access the summit. The post popular is from the south side via Sylvan Lake, but for those looking to do some backcountry camping or just want to hike with less people, the Willow Creek approach is ideal. This hike is family friendly (for more seasoned hikers) and dog friendly, but keep in mind for both groups, there is no access to water along the way. Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek is a scenic hike and one I would recommend.
Black Elk Peak Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek
Black Elk Peak Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)
Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek Distance: 10.75 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 4,965 ft
Highest Point: 7,244 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 2,600 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 5-6 Hours RT
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult What does this mean?
Class: Class 1
Season: Year Round, expect snow November – March
Directions to Black Elk Peak
Trailhead: Willow Creek
Getting Here: From Custer
From downtown Custer, take US 385 for 10.7 miles, then turn right onto SD-244. Continue on this for 3.1 miles to find the entrance to Willow Creek on your right.
From Keystone
From downtown Keystone, take SD-244 for 9.3 miles (driving past Mt Rushmore) and find the well marked entrance to the Willow Creek Campground on your left.
Regardless of the direction you are coming from, you can enter Willow Creek Horse Camp into your favorite navigational device to get to this trailhead of Black Elk Peak.
Fees: N/A
Parking: Black Elk Peak has a parking lot that can fit 10-15 cars easily and based on the time of year we visited vs the number of cars there, I don’t feel that parking will ever be an issue for you. Willow Creek trailhead has a non-plumbing bathroom and maps available as well.
Summary
Camping: Black Elk Peak does have a campground that is horse friendly, you can read more about this here. However, there is also backcountry camping available for free along the trail. Camp spots are good within the first mile of the hike, but after that you probably will need to hike 3-4 miles before finding anything great after that. There is a lot of beetle kill and rolling terrain which can make for tricky camping spots.
Dogs: The to Black Elk Peak is dog friendly but has no sources of water along the way. Please bring enough water for your dog and of course pick up after your dog. Be aware, that the summit of Black Elk Peak can get very crowded with other people and dogs, so make sure your dog plays well with others if you want to take them on this hike.
Make it a Loop: The hike to Black Elk Peak is an out and back hike. Theoretically, you could hike to the south side of the lake instead of going all the way back to Willow Creek. In terms of other hiking in the area, there are a handful of other trails which you can view on the map here.
Trail X Factors: Lack of Water
On the 5+ mile hike up to Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek there are no sources of water along the way. Whether you are hiking with a dog, a thirsty human or plan on camping for the night – you need to remember that this hike is completely without any sources of water from the time you leave the parking lot until you get to the summit.
Hike Tip(s): If you want to have a trail to yourself on Black Elk Peak, the Willow Creek approach is the way to go. Unlike the southern side which has hoards of people on any given day, the northern approach is much more quiet and secluded. If you plan on hiking Black Elk Peak during the spring or early summer months, be prepared for lingering snow, mud and mosquitoes in areas. Finally, the trail up to Black Elk Peak from Willow Creek is horse friendly, so be sure to keep an eye and an ear out for them along the way.
Best Views: Black Elk Peak offers great views about 3-4 miles into the hike once you get onto the ridge. There are tremendous views in almost all directions at this point and for much of the remainder of the hike to the summit. Once on the summit of Black Elk Peak, you have picturesque views in all directions.
Black Elk Peak via Willow Trail Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Map of area (usually available at TH)
- Bug spray and bug net (in summer months)
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
Our Trip to Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek Trail: September 2019
When Jackie and I planned a trip to South Dakota over Labor Day of 2019, we wanted to do some hiking along the way. After a quick Google, we found Black Elk Peak to be a solid choice in the area we planned on staying. Even though its standard route gets quite crowded, we discovered that hiking Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek trail was not only less populated, but also gave us the option to backcountry camp, it was a win win.
We arrived to Willow Creek trailhead around 1PM on Saturday after a quick visit to Mount Rushmore (beautiful but complete CF) which was just down the road. When we arrived, there were 5-6 other cars in the parking lot and one other couple getting their backpacks ready to hit the trail. Honestly though, for Labor Day weekend, it was far less crowded than I expected it to be. Even though it was September, the weather was pretty hot (mid 70s) and unfortunately the hike up to Black Elk Peak offered no water sources along the way. Since we were bringing Juno along, we made sure to pack extra water in our bags before hitting the trail.
The information at the trailhead of Black Elk Peak was very informative and even had a trail map that we could take with us. After looking at the trails, we decided to take a left to start the hike and hit the trail. The hike started in a large field and the trail seemed to be somewhat drunk. We worked along the road and in the complete wrong direction as Black Elk Peak for about a mile until we finally worked back towards the south towards the summit. The air was hot with the sun high in the afternoon sky and Juno was panting like it was going out of style. We stopped several times to give her water, but as usual her stubborn ass didn’t want any. After about a mile of hiking, we reached the junction with trail 9N and took a left.
We did want to camp in the backcountry and the plan was to hike for about a mile, find a camping spot, set-up camp and continue towards the summit of Black Elk Peak. However, after a while, we realized this plan was going to fail epically. The terrain was rolling, full of open fields with tall grass and thick brush full of trees with beetle kill. In other words, it was impossible to find a camping spot. Eventually, after about 3 miles of hiking we found a small rock outcropping that had just enough space for our small 2 person tent. It was around 3PM at this point and we knew we had to keep moving in order to summit at a reasonable hour.
After the tent set-up, we continued through another open area that had thousands of dead trees in it all sitting beneath the funky rock formations in the area. We continued along the trail and hiked up some switchbacks to finally gain the initial point of the ridge and could see the fire tower on the summit of Black Elk Peak. This point offered the best views of the day so far, we had views in about 270 degrees of the surrounding area, it was beautiful. We stopped to take some pictures, attempt to give Juno more water and then continued on our way.
As we slowly worked up the ridge, we started to notice more and more signs of horses in the area and eventually encountered a group of 3-4 of them (and their riders). They were standing in an open rocky area that almost looked like the summit of a mountain. After we passed this group, we continued on the trail hiking up and down small hills through brush, patches of trees and open rocky areas.
Eventually, we reached yet another spot where we got fantastic views of Black Elk Peak and the summit area which seemed to be so far away but was supposed to be less than 2 miles at this point. We kept hiking and reached a series of switchbacks on the northern slopes of Black Elk Peak. After about 5-6 switchbacks, we emerged from the trees and connected with the southern (standard route) of Black Elk Peak which most people hike. Immediately, we encountered 2-3 groups of hikers and all of the silence and peaceful hiking we had enjoyed for hours before was gone. People’s conversations were so loud that I had to cut a ton of footage from my video in order to make it tolerable for all of you.
We continued up the trail to the base of the summit of Black Elk Peak and hiked up a series of stairs to finally reach the summit. On the summit, there were probably 20 other people even though it was past 5:30PM. I was truly surprised how many other hikers were up there and couldn’t imagine how much of a clusterfuck that other trail must have been.We enjoyed the summit, taking pictures, snacking and drinking lots of water. Juno even took a nap. We explored the area and the fire tower itself which was pretty cool. The summit of Black Elk Peak reminded me so much of mountains in New Hampshire: a rocky summit with views of trees and other small rock formations in all directions.
Eventually, we started the trip back down and arrive to our campsite as the sun had just set. I cooked some dinner for us while Jackie fed Juno hers and we all went to bed shortly after. All three of us were tired from a long day of driving, hiking and sweating under the hot sun. At night, the wind really picked up and I was glad to be somewhat sheltered by the large boulder that was behind our tent. At one point during the night, the winds were so loud they woke me up. Instead of going back to bed, I decided to try and take some pictures of the beautiful stars above us.
The next morning we hiked back to the trailhead and only encountered one jogger who was running the lower loop trail. Overall, I thought that the hike to Black Elk Peak via Willow Creek was quite enjoyable and offered great views, beautiful wildflowers and lots of seclusion. Of all the hikes on our trip to South Dakota, this was without a doubt the highlight of the trip.
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