SOUTH DAKOTA Trip Report

Although generally a flat state, with open land and amazing skies, South Dakota has a lot to offer, especially in the Western part of the state.  Harney Peak is a collection of large rock formations, topping out at well over 7,000 feet.  I drove from Western Montana, near Anaconda, off of I-90.  I headed East on I-90, past Billings, and then south through Sheridan, Wyoming.  I took the road to Devil's Tower in Wyoming before I got a hotel room for the night in Spearfish, South Dakota.  The eeriest part of the drive was driving through construction on a near pitch black Wyoming routeway in the middle of nowhere. 

The next morning I awoke, ready to travel to Sylvan Lake and tackle Harney Peak.  I took 385 south until I hit route 87, where Sylvan Lake was only 6 miles away.  The drive was very slow on 87 because it is a ridiculously curvy mountain road.  I payed $5 and drove into the parking lot right next to Trail #9 which leads convienently to Harney Peak in about 3 miles of moderate hiking and 1,500 feet of elevation gain.  The hike was pretty easy, and it took 54 minutes of walk/running to get to the summit.  There was very heavy traffic on the trail all the way up.  The trail is not very steep for the first 2 miles, and it even goes downhill at one point, however the last mile is pretty steep, and a manmade staircase leads to the summit.  At the top the view is quite nice, with huge rock formations that are quite unique in comparison to anything I have ever seen before.  This was my first state highpoint, and still one of my favorites.  I suggest to anyone interested in visiting the area to take a couple days to explore the Black Hills and the South Dakota badlands to the east.
 
 

Here are some more photos from Harney Peak
Rocky areas on the lower part of the trail
Rocky areas and green forests
Sylvan Lake
Rock formations forever