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Sylvan Lake<\/strong> can be crowded, with a lodge, gift shop, restaurant, kayak rentals, and many many tourists. The walk around Sylvan Lake is beautiful, with views in every direction. This is a wonderful place to see the rock formations that are so unique to the Black Hills area. Unfortunately part of the trail was closed for repairs and construction while I was there, but I was able to do a short walk around part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Black Elk Peak<\/strong> – I wasn\u2019t able to hike to Black Elk Peak and the Harney fire lookout tower on my previous trip, so that was first on my agenda. It\u2019s the highest point in South Dakota. Fortunately the day I hiked it was not too hot, it would be miserable and unforgiving in heat. On long hikes I believe in starting ridiculously early in the morning to avoid crowds, I\u2019m so glad I did! There are multiple ways to get to Black Elk Peak, from the Sylvan Lake area or the Cathedral Spires area. From Sylvan Lake, the first part of the trail is not very steep, but it gradually climbs higher. At the base of the peak, the trail gets creative, climbing up metal stairs and tunnels to reach the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wind was so strong that I had a hard time standing upright to take photos. After exploring the tower itself, I found the small water pool behind it and almost got blown off my feet by wind. I managed to find a boulder to tuck behind as a windbreak, with expansive views across the Black Hills area, including the Cathedral Spires and Needles areas. A perfect place for breakfast and a rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the way back to the car via a different trail, I passed by the Cathedral Spires area but didn\u2019t explore further, it was getting hot and I decided to head back to the campground. I came across a massive piece of rose quartz on the side of the trail, proof that this area is literally a *gem*. So many wildflowers blooming this time of year made me happy, and a glimpse of a juvenile gopher or bull snake made my day (I love reptiles).<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cathedral Spires<\/strong> \u2013 I had decided to give myself a rest day and take to the road on scenic drives, but of course had to stop and do the short hike to Cathedral Spires along the way. Wow! It\u2019s a short but steep hike, very rocky in places, but once you enter the Spires area, it\u2019s literally 360 degrees of views. It felt like it should be in Lord of the Rings. I can\u2019t begin to say how many times I circled around looking in all directions (see pano photo), not knowing where to sit because of the views all around. This area can be accessed hiking to Black Elk Peak as well, but honestly I\u2019m glad I did it on a separate day as it\u2019s own hike, so I could appreciate it more. Again, photos don\u2019t do it justice, but you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Needles Highway<\/strong> and Iron Mountain Road<\/strong> \u2013 If you don\u2019t get car sick, it\u2019s possible to do a huge loop of scenic drives within and outside of Custer State Park. The roads are slow and extremely twisty, with several very short and narrow tunnels, not something I\u2019d be comfortable doing in a larger vehicle or truck. Beginning at Custer State Park, the drive along the Needles Highway (Hwy 87) offers spectacular views of the rock formations that make up parts of the Black Hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is also a good time to hike up to Cathedral Spires and be awed, though note that parking at the Cathedral Spires trailhead is very limited. The Needles Eye Tunnel is a fun experience! Stopping to look through the \u201cneedle eye\u201d and wonder at the tall rock columns is a must-do. A stop at Sylvan Lake to wander that area and walk the loop around the lake is also recommended, it\u2019s a beautiful area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To continue the loop, head east on Highway 244 toward Keystone. This takes you right to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial for another stop if wanted. After Rushmore, head back toward Custer State Park via the Iron Mountain Road (Hwy 16A) through more tunnels and some extremely creative hairpin turns \/ pigtail bridges. At the top viewpoint, stop and look across to far-off views of Mt. Rushmore. Continuing on, you\u2019ll connect with the east entrance to Custer State Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I highly recommend taking a day to make this drive if possible, it\u2019s a stunning area. Note: This loop is not for anyone who tends to get car sick or has problems with long, narrow, winding roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wind and Jewel Caves 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been to Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument before, and was excited to go again and try out some of the other cave tours. All entry to the caves is by guided tour only, and absolutely *fantastic* if you love caves. I had previously done one of the tours at Wind Cave (I can\u2019t remember which one!) and the Historic Lantern Tour (highly recommended if you\u2019re OK with ladders) at Jewel Cave. This time around was about new experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that while I took many photos, these are places that need to be experienced in person. Photos simply cannot convey what it\u2019s like to be hundreds of feet below ground in these incredible chambers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wind Cave National Park<\/strong> \u2013 the Natural Entrance tour includes the origin story of the Lakota People, which is fascinating. Wind Cave contains 95 percent of the world\u2019s known boxwork, which is a type of surreal formation in many parts of the cave, as well as flowstone and many other otherworldly sights. The Garden of Eden tour covers a different section of the cave, equally as fascinating and beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a barometric cave, with the internal air pressure constantly adjusting to the outside conditions. The wind had picked up during our time on the Natural Entrance tour, so after coming back up to the surface I rushed back to the original cave entrance and was able to hear the sound of wind moving, like a very soft whistle. As of this year, 168 miles of the cave system has been explored, and it\u2019s estimated that is only about 5 percent of the total based on wind and airflow studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jewel Cave<\/strong> \u2013 The Scenic tour of Jewel Cave is wonderful (as is the Historic Lantern tour, highly recommended), but be prepared for about 750 stairs, both up and down. Jewel Cave contains a large variety of formations, crystals, columns, and flowstone \u201cbacon\u201d (about 20 feet tall). Some of it glows in the dark under UV light as well. More information here: https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/jeca\/formations-of-jewel-cave.htm<\/a>. Jewel Cave is also barometric, and the original entrance to Jewel Cave was about the size of a softball, which was dynamited in the 1800s to open it up for exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n