Black Elk Peak
Trip Guide & 3D Map
Black Hills · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain
Planning snapshot
Black Elk Peak is a 7,242 ft summit in the Black Hills (USA). PeakAtlas rates it day hike (Class 1 hike); best season is May–Oct. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Custer (10 mi). Limited lodging data is mapped from OpenStreetMap for this region — stage in the listed town rather than expecting a full hotel directory. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.
- Elevation
- 7,242 ft
- Prominence
- 2,911 ft
- Difficulty tier
- Day hike
- Best season
- May–Oct
- Permits
- No special summit permit
- Staging
- Custer · 10 mi
- Mapped lodging
- Limited / none mapped
- Listed trails
- —
As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.
How hard is Black Elk Peak, and what do you need before you go?
Black Elk Peak is listed as Class 1 hike with a best season of May–Oct. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.
- Difficulty
- Class 1 hike
- Best season
- May–Oct
- Access / staging
- Custer, South Dakota
How tall is Black Elk Peak, and where is it?
- Location
- South Dakota, USA
- Elevation
- 7,242 ft
- Prominence
- 2,911 ft
- Mountain range
- Black Hills
- Difficulty
- Class 1 hike
What makes Black Elk Peak notable?
Highest peak in South Dakota; classic Black Hills fire-tower summit.
South Dakota’s high point (formerly Harney Peak) — a popular Black Hills hike to a stone fire tower with views across the plains.
After you check trip readiness for Black Elk Peak, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA.
Closest places
- Custer — South Dakota via Sylvan Lake
- Hill City — South Dakota via US-16