Family Nature Summits: Black Hills Summit

Explore the famous Custer State Park Wildlife Loop in an open-air jeep with a Custer State Park guide. A 1.5 - 2 private, guided adventure deep into the park to see free-roaming bison, pronghorn, elk, deer, the truly adorable prairie dogs, and begging burros. A much more intimate experience than one can do on their own, with exclusive use of private trails, and guides not only locating the wildlife but also imparting historical and educational facts.

Join Heather Fenyk in a grounding morning meditation class designed to help you transition from sleep to waking life with clarity, intention, and peace. Before diving into the noise and demands of your Summit Schedule, step into a calm, supportive space where you can quiet the mind, connect with your breath, and cultivate a sense of inner steadying.
Whether you are looking to reduce morning anxiety, improve focus, or simply find a pocket of stillness in a busy week, this class offers the perfect energetic reset.

2.5 mile, 700 foot total climb "vigorous" lollipop (mostly out & back) hike; 47 min. drive.

Same hike as the afternoon Mystery Hike. We'll almost certainly not see anyone else. It's the first Summit Mystery Hike since Dave Egan's one in the Redwoods in 2022, and the first with Dave L. since 2016 in New Mexico (like this one, historical sites are involved). Avoiding the thigh-high poison ivy along 20% of the trail is possible, but those with more susceptibility may want long pants. It's pleasantly shady 4/5 of the way.... Any more details, and it wouldn't be a mystery!

The land in Wind Cave National Park is sacred land to the Cheyenne and Lakota.   There is a story of how the Lakota emerged from the spirit world through a passageway called MAKA ONIYE, or “breathing earth”.  This was Wind Cave.  People were to wait in this spirit world until Earth was ready for them to be born.
 
As I scouted the land above the cave, I used my “camera eyes”, perpetually scouring the landscape for great photo opportunities.  As I peered across the spacious, rolling hills, I began to view the top layer of the prairie as skin.  When the skin is peeled back, what’s below emerges.  This field trip has us traversing two above-ground backroads of Wind Cave National Park.  The entry road into the southern boundary of the Park is aptly called Red Valley Road, and red it is!!   As we progress along these roads, we are quite probably traversing above some remarkable land features that are hidden to us by the prairie skin.  In a few places, the skin has been peeled back by the great powers of the Earth – water, wind, and fire, and we become privy to the beauty underneath the prairie skin. 
 
The treasures that await us are deep red winding gullies, solitary sentinel trees, yucca, mullein, bison, prairie dogs, fantastic rock formations, and curious donkeys. You’ll develop your “camera eyes” and with plenty of help available from your (mostly) fearless leader, you can maximize gorgeous compositions to bring home.
 
I will be bringing my cell phone, of course, but also my DSLR and one zoom lens that will accommodate my personal aesthetic.  I found the brightness of this environment to be challenging, due to my cell phone’s screen being quite hidden by the glare of the sun.  Cell phones will still gather amazing images, but help yourself out by bringing a wide-brimmed hat.  (If you don’t own one, before the Summit is the time to shop for one!)  It will shade the brightness sufficiently to help you see the screen and take your compositions more seriously.  A DSLR will be the key to slowing down and really painting your compositions on your image sensor.  With today’s image stabilization built in to most DSLR bodies and lenses, you will be able to make camera settings that allow you to leave the tripod at home or in your cabin.  Your (mostly) fearless leader will assist you in knowing those camera settings.
 
This is a road trip, not a hike, and will be offered twice.  We’ll stop and shoot at places where my “camera eyes” detected great opportunities for images that define the land that hides Wind Cave under the prairie skin.  I aim for you to develop your own interpretation of this remarkable landscape, and maybe you’ll adopt my sense that the prairie has many treasures hidden below its skin. 
 
Comfort Notes:
1)    There are no bathrooms, but halfway through the trip, I’ve identified a pretty good spot in some trees to pee discreetly. Bring a bit of tissue and a plastic sandwich bag to collect your tissue. I’ll have a larger plastic bag to contain your used supplies and we’ll toss everything when we get to a waste bin back in civilization.)
 
I strongly frown on sandals or open-toed shoes for this trip.  Closed shoes help protect from ticks.  I wear leg gaiters permeated with permethrin.  From the van to where you’ll stand for best compositions, you need to walk “over there” (i.e., not far) through short prairie grass.  Bring closed shoes, some kind of tick protection, and leave the sandals in your room.

Explore iconic sites of the Black Hills. From the historic 1880s train to the evolving image of Crazy Horse, this trip provides opportunities to see some of the famous sites of the area, guided by a photographer to make sure that you will get the perfect images to make your friends and family jealous. Maybe no other sound brings such visions of freedom or loneliness as does the sound of a train whistle. The sight of a steam-driven train chugging across the prairie and through the forest represents timeless history. We will travel to just east of Hill City to photograph an
authentic 1880 steam engine train as it climbs the 6% grade up Tin Mill Hill. The climb for the train should provide an ample amount of steam and smoke emitted from the train to make for some wonderful photographs, and the sound of the steam whistle as the train crosses a road will make for outstanding video if you choose to shoot that medium.

After our train photos, we will make our way to the Crazy Horse Memorial to photograph an amazing work in progress. This privately funded memorial began construction in 1948. Currently, the 87.5-foot face has been completed, and in 2023, the 263-foot-long left hand and arm were finalized, leaving only detail work for this section. We will shoot photos from the viewing deck, looking for morning light that will provide soft, directional lighting to enhance the features of the face. A telephoto shot will be required, so be prepared to use all the “reach” that your lens or phone camera can muster. If you have a tripod, bring it. To isolate the carved face, we will shoot f8 to f11, or if you are using a phone camera, you can isolate the face in post-production. Your guide will help you do this. A bonus photo will be a shot of a 1:25 scale white granite model of the completed sculpture, lined up with the current carving on the mountain, capturing both for comparison. Finally, we will drive to Mount Coolidge Lookout and Fire Tower at an elevation of 6,023 feet. This stone tower was built by the CCC in the 1930’s and 40’s. From this vantage point, you will be able to see Crazy Horse Memorial in the distance as well as the face of George Washington on Mount Rushmore in the far distance. If you have binoculars, bring them. Your guide will have a 60x spotting scope with an attachment for phones that will allow you to gather a photo of both Crazy Horse and Washington through the scope, weather permitting. This will be a fabulous morning of trains and faces, providing you with memories to last a lifetime. Let’s go have fun.

6.3 mile, 1300 foot total climb "strenuous"; one-way hike; 42 min. drive each way.

This gem of a route is simply the most lake and rock spire scenery one can pack into a hike. Not to be missed.** To make it more accessible & enjoyable, we will self-select into two groups. The group feeling a bit less fit will start from Cathedral Spires Trailhead, nicely providing an afternoon option for doing as little or as much of the Sylvan Lake & Sunday Gulch loops as desired. The other half will start on those loops and will have no options to skip anything in the afternoon. Your group may (or may not) switch leaders when you pass each other a bit before lunch.

**If not up for 1300 feet of climb(!), please choose, for some of the same scenery, the Cathedral Spires Hike, or one of the Summit rambles at the iconic, dramatic Sylvan Lake.

Explore the Custer State Park via a driving loop tour of the two famous highways. Needles Highway is a spectacular 14-mile scenic drive famous for its winding switchbacks, dramatic granite spires, and narrow tunnels. Iron Mountain Road is a 17-mile scenic byway. It is a masterpiece of rustic engineering featuring curves, switchbacks, pigtail bridges, and 3 granite tunnels that perfectly frame Mount Rushmore in the distance. Both roads feature spectacular scenic overlooks. 

This popular spot in Custer State Park gives us the chance to see awesome rock formations that line much of the shore of Sylvan Lake. It’s a sunny and pleasant level path, which we’ll do as an out & back ramble (close to 1 mile) due to a difficult section at the far end of the lake, which would not be suitable for a ramble. If time allows, we’ll explore the other side of the lake. We’ll return via Needles Highway with a couple of stops along the way.

Explore the famous Custer State Park Wildlife Loop in an open-air jeep with a Custer State Park guide. A 1.5 - 2 private, guided adventure deep into the park to see free-roaming bison, pronghorn, elk, deer, the truly adorable prairie dogs, and begging burros. A much more intimate experience than one can do on their own, with exclusive use of private trails, and guides not only locating the wildlife but also imparting historical and educational facts.

The Historic Lantern Tour is an adventurous tour into Jewel Cave.
Step back in to the past on the Historic Lantern Tour, where your Park Ranger is dressed in a 1930s-style uniform. This adventure gives you a sense of what it was like to tour the cave in earlier days. Visitors enter and leave the cave through the historic entrance using an unpaved trail. The only light is provided by a lantern that most tour participants carry. This tour is considered strenuous and lasts about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The tour route is approximately 1/2 mile long through low, narrow passages, and includes roughly 500 steep wooden steps (ladder-like stairs). Some of the stairs require participants to go down backwards. This tour requires some bending, stooping, and duck walking along an unpaved, rocky trail.

Preparing for a Historic Lantern Tour
- Sturdy, lace-up hiking boots or shoes (designed for trail) with aggressive tread are required. No slick-soled or open-toed footwear is permitted. Tennis shoes, five-fingered toe shoes, sandals, cowboy boots, and climbing shoes of any kind are not allowed. If questionable, park rangers may ask that you change your footwear before taking part in the tour. If the visitor does not have appropriate footwear, they will be denied access to the cave tour.
- Wear long pants and a light jacket or sweater. The cave temperature is 49°F or 9°C. Wear appropriate clothing to spend an hour and twenty minutes in the cool temperatures.
- Persons who have heart or respiratory conditions, foot or lower joint problems, have recently been hospitalized or have claustrophobia should talk with a park ranger before selecting this tour. All tour participants must be able to navigate the stairs unassisted.
- Due to the rugged nature of the cave and for personal safety, please leave large cameras, all bags, and other items secured in your vehicle. Cameras must fit in your pocket.
- All visitors participating in the Historic Lantern Tour are required to walk through a decontamination tray to prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is a fungal disease that impacts bats. All shoes, clothes, or gear worn in Jewel Cave may not be allowed in any other caves or mines. This includes private caves and mines within South Dakota and around the world.

We will do a deep dive into Mt Rushmore National Memorial, visit the museum, see the movie, walk the walk of presidents, and visit the sculptor’s studio. We will eat our picnic lunch at Mt Rushmore, be sure to bring some money to indulge in the Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream - handmade ice cream utilizing Thomas Jefferson’s original recipe, which has received rave reviews from everyone we have met! Next, we will take the short drive to Keystone, South Dakota, for a guided tour of the Big Thunder Gold Mine, a historic gold mine discovered in 1892. This mine has a fascinating history on a fully accessible tour.

A lot of walking, mostly flat with some stairs, canes, walking poles, and other mobility aids are allowed.

Join Michelle Reed in a fitness class inspired by Pow-wow dance. Founded by Michelle, N8V Dance Fitness is a high-energy exercise program that seamlessly weaves Indigenous heritage with modern fitness. This class is appropriate for all levels. 

The Jingle Dress Dance is one of the most recognizable and spiritually significant powwow traditions in North America. During this session, you will learn about the history, cultural significance, and design of the jingle dress. The class will end with a demonstration of traditional dances. This class will be led by Michelle Reed, one of the founders of the Woodland Sky native American Dance Troupe. 

See an example of Michelle's work here. 

Opened in 2022, the Custer State Park Bison Center has quickly become a must-see destination for visitors of all ages. This facility tells the full story of the park’s iconic bison herd through a broad array of engaging, interpretive, and hands-on displays. In addition to the indoor exhibits, ranger-led bison corral tours provide an invaluable up-close look at herd management and the ranching infrastructure that supports it. On these guided tours, staff explain the layout and function of holding pens, sorting chutes, and other handling facilities, show how feeding and water systems are organized, and discuss the practical aspects of population and range management. The tours are designed to demystify the day-to-day operations involved in maintaining a healthy, sustainable herd and to answer visitor questions about animal care, seasonal movements, and park stewardship.

Discover the peaceful side of Custer State Park from a brand-new vantage point. While most visitors explore the park by car, this paddling excursion invites you to slow down and experience the Black Hills from the tranquil, glassy waters of Center Lake. You will receive paddling instruction from a knowledgeable Custer State Park Naturalist. Center Lake is a designated no-wake zone, surrounded by towering ponderosa pines and dramatic granite outcroppings. This program is appropriate for all ability levels and will include a mix of canoes and kayaks. 

2.5 mile, 700 foot total climb "vigorous" lollipop (mostly out & back) hike; 47 min. drive.

Both time slots above are the same hike, on which we'll almost certainly not see anyone else. It's th first Summit Mystery Hike since Dave Egan's one in the Redwoods in 2022, and the first with Dave L. since 2016 in New Mexico (like this one, historical sites are involved). Avoiding the thigh-high poison ivy along 20% of the trail is possible, but those with more susceptibility may want long pants. It's pleasantly shady 4/5 of the way.... Any more details, and it wouldn't be a mystery!

Join Tony Duncan, a six-time world-champion hoop dancer, to learn the history and meaning behind the stunning stories told through hoop dance. Tony will also provide demonstrations of the dance. See a sneak peek here. This is an incredible opportunity to learn about hoop dancing in a small setting with opportunities for discussion. 

This will be an opportunity to meet up with others at the end of a day to travel to some former mines in the Custer area to rockhound and collect. You can keep what you find. Quartz, rose quartz, feldspars, mica, and tourmalines are abundant along the surface and in loose dirt. We will park close to the mines, but there is a short walk and uneven, wooded terrain. Bring something to carry your select specimens. Open to all ages. 

Spend a relaxing evening playing outdoor games, getting your face painted, and chatting with fellow Summiteers. Our formal, family-friendly evening program will take the night off. 

Let's look up at the night sky together and learn about the exciting state of astronomical research. Dr. Arika Egan, an astrophysicist who studies exoplanets (planets that orbit other stars in the Milky Way galaxy), will connect what you can see with your naked eye (as well as what you can't) to the questions astronomers are asking themselves day to day. You'll learn about stars, exoplanets, and galaxies, and how the more we study these faraway objects, the more we can learn about our very own Sun and solar system planets.