Black Elk Peak: The High Point of the Black Hills
The highest summit east of the Rockies rewards hikers with a stone lookout and a sweeping hills panorama.
Section
Outdoors
The Black Hills, the Badlands and a season lived under open sky.
Hiking the Black Hills: Trails for Every Season
From easy lakeside loops to rugged summit climbs, the hills offer hundreds of miles of trail.
The Mickelson Trail: Rail-to-Trail Across the Hills
An old rail line reborn as a crushed-limestone path links the hills' towns for cyclists and walkers.
Rock Climbing in the Needles
The granite spires near Sylvan Lake are a birthplace of American traditional climbing.
Fishing South Dakota: From Trout Streams to Walleye Lakes
Cold hills creeks and warm prairie reservoirs give the state a surprising range of angling.
Custer's Wildlife Loop: A Road Through the Herd
A slow 18-mile drive puts visitors among bison, pronghorn, elk and the park's famous burros.