This page includes Custer State Park Trails in the vicinity of Black Elk Wilderness,
that is, in the Sylvan Lake and Cathedral Spires area. For the Centennial Trail in Custer State Park, go to Centennial Trail Pages For the rest of Custer State Park, go to Custer State Park South Here's a Printable Trail Topo Map of the entire area.
Sylvan Lake Shore Trail | Length
miles (km) | Low
Elevation | High
Elevation | Change in
Elevation | Accumulated Climb
Round Trip | Difficulty | Uses | 1 mile
(1.6 km) | 6120 ft | 6180 ft | 60 ft. | 60 ft. | Easy | hikers | | —State Park Trail Description—TopoZone—Aerial Photo—The trail can be accessed nearly anywhere along the shore. Along the northeast segment of the loop are granite rock outcrops easily climbed for overviews of the lake. The trail drops down below the dam to the trailhead for the Sunday Gulch Trail and climbs slightly back up to the dam, where there is an aluminum railing allowing a view south over the lake. A "General Store" and cabins are near the SW segment of the trail, and a swimming beach is near the NE segment. Photos: Granite of Sylvan Lake, View from Top of the Rocks, From East Shore. |
Sunday Gulch Trail #6 | Length
miles (km) | Low
Elevation | High
Elevation | Change in
Elevation | Accumulated Climb
Round Trip | Difficulty | Uses | 2.8 miles
(4.5 km) | 5600 ft. | 6320 ft. | 720 ft. | About 820 ft. | Moderate-Difficult | hikers | | —State Park Trail Description—TopoZone—Aerial—This is a loop trail which is commonly done counter-clockwise. Just below the dam of Sylvan Lake, the trail leaves the Sylvan Lake Shore trail to desend several concrete steps and rock outcrops with handrails. Then the trail meanders along near the stream before making an about face to return to the lake. The return trip brings the hiker close to highway 87. |
Little Devil's Tower and Cathedral Spires Trail #4 | Length
miles (km) | Low
Elevation | High
Elevation | Change in
Elevation | Accumulated Climb
Round Trip | Difficulty | Uses | 3.2 miles
(5.2 km) | 6100 ft. | 6600 ft. | 500 ft. | ft. | Moderate | hikers | | —State Park Trail Description—Forest Service—TopoZone—Aerial—Trail #4, with trailheads in Custer State Park, is a part of the Black Elk Wilderness Trails System and connects trail # 9 to trails #7 from Grizzly Creek and #3 from Iron Creek. Trail #4 is often used as an alterate route to Harney Peak from Sylvan Lake and may be the more scenic route. It is the only established trail to Little Devil's Tower (through a spur from the main trail, see note on spur below). Though perhaps less crowded than trail #9, the hiker on #4 will usually meet other hikers on the trail. As a "Cathedral Spires" trail, #4 approaches the Spires from the west and passes by them on the north. It is not intended to connect with the other "Cathedral Spires Trail," which approaches the Spires from the south. Some maps still show them connected, but the hiker who attempts to make that connection on foot will confront some rocky difficulties in an unmarked route. Photos along Trail #4: Cathedral Spires from the West, Hillside Moss, Cathedral Spires from NE, Sunglow on Cathedral Spires. |
Little Devil’s Tower Trail #4 (Spur from Little Devil's Tower—Cathedral Spires Trail ) | Length
miles (km) | Low
Elevation | High
Elevation | Change in
Elevation | Accumulated Climb
Round Trip | Difficulty | Uses | 1 miles
(1.6 km) | 6100 ft. | 6960 ft. | 860 ft. | 860 ft. | Moderate | hikers | | —State Park Trail Description—TopoZone —Aerial—Trailheads are located at Sylvan Lake or at the less-crowded Little Devil's Tower Trailhead about a mile east of Sylvan on highway 87. About 1/2 mile NE of this second trailhead, the spur to Little Devil's Tower leaves the main trail for the climb up to the top of the granite outcrop of the Tower. Photos from the top of Little Devil's Tower: Cathedral Spires, Harney Peak. |
Cathedral Spires Trail | Length
miles (km) | Low
Elevation | High
Elevation | Change in
Elevation | Accumulated Climb
Round Trip | Difficulty | Uses | | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | 6200 ft. | 6640 ft. | 440 ft. | About 520 ft. | Strenuous | hikers, climbers | | —State Park Trail Description—TopoZone—Aerial—Not to be confused with Trail #4 as part of the Black Elk Wilderness Trail System, this trail is the rock climbers' preferred approach to the Spires. Despite maps which show this trail connecting to Trail #4, it is not intended to do so. The trailhead is located on a hairpin curve about a mile east of the Needle's Eye tunnel.
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