The Lakota had tried to get the name of the peak changed for 50 years, as Harney had massacred their people. Harney later commanded the United States military in the Black Hills area in the late 1870s. In punitive retaliation for other Sioux raids, in September 1855 Harney's forces killed Brulé Sioux warriors, women and children in what Americans called the Battle of Blue Water Creek in Garden County, Nebraska. Harney, his commander in a regional military expedition. The mountain was named Harney Peak in 1855 by American Lieutenant Gouverneur K. They considered it a sacred site within the Black Hills, which they call Pahá Sápa and Ȟé Sápa. They dominated this region and occupied the territory at the time of European colonization. This peak was called Hiŋháŋ Káǧa, or, "Owl maker," after rock formations that look like owls (and the association of owls with impending death by the Lakota Sioux). The peak's fire lookout tower and the staircase leading to it, as well as a nearby dam and pumphouse, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This is believed to be the only precise survey that has been made to determine the true elevation of this peak.
#Black elk peak trail professional#
In September 2016, a team of professional surveyors obtained precise GNSS data over the course of two days and found the highest natural rock to be at 7,231.32 feet (2,204.11 m) NAVD88 and a nearby secondary peak located approximately 300 feet south of the lookout tower and unofficially named "McGillicuddy's Peak", to be slightly lower at 7,229.41 feet (2,203.52 m) NAVD88. Board on Geographic Names, which has jurisdiction in federal lands, officially changed the mountain's name from Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak on August 11, 2016, honoring Black Elk, the noted Lakota Sioux medicine man for whom the Wilderness Area is named. It is also known as Hiŋháŋ Káǧa ('owl-maker' in Lakota) and Heȟáka Sápa ('elk black'). Though part of the North American Cordillera, it is generally considered to be geologically separate from the Rocky Mountains. At 7,244 feet (2,208 m), it is the highest summit in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. The peak lies 3.7 mi (6.0 km) west-southwest of Mount Rushmore. It lies in the Black Elk Wilderness area, in southern Pennington County, in the Black Hills National Forest. state of South Dakota and the Midwestern United States. If you like hiking, do not miss this experience.Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the U.S.
Again I can not say enough good things about it. At the peak, there is an old fire tower and platform that provides an amazing view of the surroundings. Our group loved the hike and being on top of the granite outcropping that is the highest point east of the rocks. This is why I felt compelled to initiate an attraction on Tripadvisor for others to know about it.įor me this was the perfect hike, 8 mile round trip loop and 1,600 feet of elevation, with lots to see, the peak and Cathedral Spires. While it looms over Mount Rushmore, the back of which is visible from the peak, it was relatively empty compared to other Black Hills attractions. Black Elk Peak is the highest point in the Black Hills, South Dakota and for that matter, Anywhere east of the Rockies. While you may not have heard of it, it is likely you saw it as you approached the Black Hills. In between Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore National Monument, the two most popular Black Hills attractions, sits my favorite Black Hills attraction, the hike to Black Elk Peak. The only negative about Cathedral Spires Trail is that parking at its trailhead can be difficult you would definitely want to start this hike early. It’s a longer route, but Cathedral Spires is a great trail, and once you’ve hiked to the top, you’re already 1/3 of the way up to Black Elk Peak. If you are also planning to hike Cathedral Spires Trail, you can combine the two trails by hiking up to Black Elk Peak via Cathedral Spires Trail- 7.2 miles, 1532 feet up. The last portion is all stair-climbing which was tiring but not difficult. The trail goes through beautiful lush meadows with views of the Cathedral Spires on the way you can eventually see your goal, Harney Tower, off in the distance. This hike is 6.4 miles out and back with a climb of 1276 feet. There are multiple trails up to Black Elk Peak, but we took the easiest route, the one that starts via Little Devils Tower trail. The trail ends at the highest point east of the Rockies, with 360 degree views of the surrounding area, and an observation tower to climb (Harney Tower). If you enjoy hiking, this is the hike you must do when visiting Custer State Park, although I would rank Cathedral Spires a close second.
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