Black Elk Peak at 7,244 feet is the highest point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains — a distinction that makes it one of the more meaningful summit hikes in the country. Rising from the granite core of the Black Hills in Custer County, the peak is named for the Oglala Lakota medicine man Black Elk, who had a famous vision here. The 7.2-mile loop from the Sylvan Lake trailhead combines the Harney Peak Trail with the Cathedral Spires Trail through a remarkable Black Hills landscape: granite spire formations, Ponderosa pine forest, and mountain meadows.

The Cathedral Spires section of the approach passes through one of the most dramatic geological features of the Black Hills — massive granite spires rising from the ridgeline like fins and needles, popular with technical rock climbers. The summit itself hosts a 1930s-era stone fire lookout tower, restored and open during staffed periods, offering an enclosed room with windows in every direction and views extending into Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota. Bald eagles nest on the Black Hills granite and are frequently seen from the summit trail.

The trailhead at Sylvan Lake is within Custer State Park ($20/vehicle for a week pass) or Black Hills National Forest (free from alternate trailheads). Dogs are allowed on leash. Trail is open May through October in ideal conditions; snow is possible any month. No permit required.