Family Nature Summits: Black Hills Summit

About 4.5 miles, 250 foot total climb "moderate" out & back hike; 37 min. drive each way.

This first hike of the week is a good intro to the region's granite-palisaded, wetland-bottom canyon ecology due to our local naturalist's expertise. Most of the hike is in one of Custer State Park's two designated natural areas (horses prohibited).

We'll want to take streamside stops, & must, to allow us to change from hiking shoes to the required sports (Teva) sandals. When scouted in Sept., elk, bison, rattlesnakes, & maybe bighorn sheep were expected but not spotted. It was dry enough so that all six crossings (if we get that far) were done with dry shoes using good to excellent rock-hopping skills, none of which we can count on! Due to thigh-high poison ivy in (not just adjacent, but in) the trail, long pants are highly recommended. The hike will be worth the trouble!

7.5 mile, 1500 foot total climb "strenuous minus" loop hike; 38 min. drive each way.

The Summit's toughest hike, you'll reach the historic lookout tower on top of the highest peak from here to the Canary Islands off Africa, at 7,242 feet. The four-state view includes "awe-inspiring rock spires". This popular but rocky hike is half-forested, helpful if a thunderstorm pops up. Our early start will beat the crowds & most likely the thunderstorms.

Your leaders will provide historical context, from the name change from Harney Peak to the attempt by Custer to summit this peak on horseback (unsuccessful, which, from West Point to Little Bighorn, was one of his specialties!)

4.0 mile, 450 foot total climb "moderate" loop hike; no drive.

What's special about this route is that nobody else will be there. That could improve our wildlife spotting chances, even in the heat of midday. Scouting this hike included a close encounter with elk & plenty of bison evidence. Instead of a peak, waterfall, lake, or rock spire, this hike gets to a "park". In this part of the country, a "park" is a high altitude meadow, a large open area, & relatively less steep.

We'll get some decent views and see up close the results of the Dec. 2025 Black Hills wind event of the century. We'll be off trail 1/4 of the time, in some rocky areas with awkward footing, but the poison ivy omnipresent elsewhere is absent here. This area has rebounded slowly but nicely from the big 1988 Galena Fire.

This is a short out-and-back hike, 2.5 miles with a 200-foot total climb, to a former gold mine where structures and equipment associated with the mine are still present. The main structures are located near the top of a slope. This is a fun chance to poke around interesting old wooden and brick mining ruins & excavations from as early as the 1890s. The photogenic old structures and interpretation from veteran Summit geology expert Dave Egan set this hike apart as a unique opportunity. The gold, silver, and garnet mining here began in the 1890s. Collectors have reported finding specimens of garnet, pyrite, and disseminated gold flakes in the area -- collecting is allowed.

50-minute drive each way