![]() ![]() ![]() The trail climbs about 400 feet right off the bat, then levels out for a bit, before one final surge up to the spires. That also meant we had the 1.4 mile climb up into the middle of the spires all to ourselves. We noticed when driving by a couple days earlier that the parking for Cathedral Spires Trail was full in the afternoon, and since we tend to be early risers anyway, we were at the trailhead by 6:00 and got the first parking space. We discussed this with our friendly receptionist at the fine Econolodge in Custer to see if this seemed like something that two 60-somethings could handle, and she said absolutely. Our plan was to start on the Cathedral Spires Trail, connect to the Little Devils Tower Trail (#4), then to the Norbeck Trail (#3), and finally the spur trail to the summit of Black Elk Peak, returning the same way.Īfter driving along the Needles Highway and seeing Cathedral Spires, then discovering there is a hiking trail that goes up in there, Dave and I said to each other, “we have to do that.” Then we learned the Cathedral Spires Trail also connects to one of the pathways to the summit of Black Elk Peak, another of our plans, and we were set. My brother Dave and I hiked this demanding circuit on Saturday, beginning about 6:15AM and finishing at 12:45PM. Craggy peaks and rocky slopes mixed with ponderosa pine, spruce and fir trees make for a varied ecosystem. Between the spires and the summit you pass through the rugged Black Elk Wilderness, named for an Oglala Sioux holy man. But, it affords you the opportunity to hike through the incredible Cathedral Spires, massive granite pinnacles that dominate the landscape in the Black Hills National Forest. This is the hard way to get to the summit of 7,242′ Black Elk Peak, the highest in South Dakota. Posted by Jeff on 11:03 am in Best Hike, Black Hills National Forest, Forest Hikes, Hiking, Hiking Blog, Rated Difficult Hikes, South Dakota, Vista Hikes | 0 comments | Last modified: August 4, 2020 Cathedral Spires to Black Elk Peak, Black Elk Wilderness ![]()
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