Family Nature Summits: Black Hills Summit

7.5 mile, 1500 foot total climb "strenuous" 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!)

This is a 'moderate minus', no climb, one-way 3.0 mile hike, with a 26 min. drive to the start, 5-minute drive from the end.

Looking for something different? How about an easy, quiet morning photography (or time to sketch or just slow down and take in your surroundings) hike with Merlin? Merlin the wizard, you say? Nope, Merlin the bird ID app. We will walk slowly down the Grace Coolidge trail (an easy trail), which winds through a cool Ponderosa Pine forest along Grace Coolidge Creek, crossing the creek multiple times on easily navigated foot bridges. The intent here is not to cover distance but to slow down, observe, enjoy, and, when possible, identify and photograph (or sketch) species of both flora and fauna.

How does a bird ID app come into play? Well, first thing we will do, if you don’t already have the free app, is to help you download the app onto your phone and show you what it can do for bird identification. Then we walk…. slowly…. quietly…. trying to let all our senses show us what is alive. From there, it is up to you. Your guide(s) will always be available to give you one-on-one suggestions on how to compose the macro shot of the lupines next to the stream, or the broader landscape photo of the cattails swaying in the breeze, or identifying and then patiently waiting for that small bird you identified using the app, to stop just long enough for you to capture the perfect shot. Subjects to photograph may be as large as a bison or deer or as small as a dragonfly, frog, bird, or water strider. We will also scan the dead trees (snags) for cavity nesting birds. Hopefully, summer flowers will be in bloom. Bring your camera (or phone), your binoculars, your tripod if you have one, your journal, and join us for a diverse and magical morning along the creek.

Caution: Bison are beautiful animals and appear docile. They are beautiful, they are not docile. If you encounter one, give them a very wide berth (50 yards or more). Photograph them from a large distance away. Immediately let your guide know if you see one.

3.0 mile, 375 foot total climb "moderate" one-way hike; 5 min. drive out, 26 min. back.

The park's #1 oasis, we'll hit all six ponds dammed in the 1930s by the CCC. Midway, we'll briefly meet Matt Hays' Photo Hike. Our hike will be at a more brisk pace through this beautiful shaded valley named not after President Coolidge but for his wife Grace. One crossing requires a bit of rock hopping. We'll have time to relax at Center Lake at the hike's end. Poison ivy is rampant, but presents no threat as this popular trail is wide enough. The entire hike is in one of Custer State Park's two designated natural areas (horses prohibited).

2 miles, 50 feet climb, moderate, out and back, 44 min drive each way

This trail, designated by a (functioning) US Congress in 1977 as a National Landmark, is the shortest, gentlest hike for getting as close as possible to these "huge fantastic formations of granite". We'll also hike through an isolated botanical mystery: the only limber pine grove (trees hundreds of years old) to be found anywhere within 200 miles.

4.0 mile, 600 foot total climb "moderate plus' loop hike; no drive.

A usually verdant (drought-dependent) stream-side stroll over a dozen footbridges and nice views across the Black Hills, both in the same hike! With no vans to boot! This is "the" hike at our Summit lodging site. The version on the last afternoon with Matt will be at a more brisk pace.

The trail is particularly known for bison, big horn sheep, and wildflowers; thus, with Danny, we have the perfect hike leader (the wildflower part, at least!) An otherwise nice ridge walk on top provides stark evidence of the furthest reach, almost to the buildings near here, of the huge 2017 Legion Lake Fire, and "bomb-like" devastation from the Dec. 2025 wind storm. Easily avoiding the thigh-high poison ivy along the trail is possible 90% of the way; only those with more susceptibility may want long pants. Avoiding late afternoon thunderstorms requires a clockwise direction (which provides cover and actual shelter on the last 1/3 of the hike).

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