I Redeemed Myself! :)
The Cube
- 11/7/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 3.39 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 39 minutes
Before ending my vacation, I drove from South Dakota to northern Wyoming to hike to The Cube. I was better prepared this time so I knew where I was going. I was hiking towards the Falling Blocks Climbing Area and came in above the area where The Cube was, so I had to hike down some loose shale (I call them broken dinner plates) to get down below the Climbing Area. I then had to traverse across and around a lot of giant boulders to get to my objective.
Success! I found The Cube, woo hoo!!! In fact, there are a lot of cubish boulders that have broken off the cliffs over the millenia and fallen below. This has creating the near vertical cliff faces in the Climbing Area as well as the boulder field, including The Cube.
I am so jazzed to cross this off my Bucket List. Yes!
As I stated before, the dirt road to get to the vicinity of this area gets very muddy. Even with 4WD, I wasn't able to get as far in as I did the previous attempt so I pulled off to park and hiked the additional distance.
Adventurous Trail
Notch Trail
- 11/6/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 1.55 Miles
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
My wife and I hiked the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park. What makes this short hike so dramatic is a ladder that you have to climb. It is a ladder made of log steps suspended by metal cord cabling. Once you get up to the top of the ladder, the trail continues along some cliff edges before it flattens out and takes you to the notch overlook. There is another overlook you can go to that is nearby. There is no way back but to go down the ladder, so be sure you are comfortable with this before you decide to go up the ladder.
Incredibly Beautiful Lake!
Sylvan Lake Shore Trail
- 11/5/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 1.46 Miles
Duration: 1 hour, 23 minutes
My wife and I hiked around Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. There is a $25 fee for automobiles, but it is good for 7 days. The lake is incredibly beautiful, on par with Lake Tahoe only much smaller. Overall the hike is easy and the trail is easy to follow, but there is one, short rocky section that you have to overcome that could be difficult if you are not in the best shape.
Beautiful Views of Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore Presidential Trail Loop
- 11/4/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 1.40 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 22 minutes
My wife and I hiked the Presdiental Loop at Mount Rushmore National Memorial and did some walking around the various spots. The Presidential Loop is paved the entire way and easy to follow, but it does involve a lot of stairs to climb so be aware of that. The loop takes you right along the front facade of Mount Rushmore so you get to see the four Presidents from various angles.
Black Elk Peak via Cathedral Spires Trail
Black Elk Peak
- 11/3/2026
[View Log Page]
Rating:
Difficulty:
Solitude:
Distance: 7.75 Miles
Duration: 4 hours, 38 minutes
While vacationing in the Wyoming/South Dakota area, I decided to hike up Black Elk Peak (the highest point in South Dakota). It is in Custer State Park, so there is a $25 fee for automobiles but it is good for 7 days in case you want to see and do other things in the state park.
The trail was not that difficult and easy to follow. I'd rate it a Class 1. There are several ways to get to the top of Black Elk Peak, but I chose this one because you start and finish through the Cathedral Spires section which has amazing geological rock formations. I walked around, did some exploring and a little scrambling to get a fuller appreciation of these spires. On the way back, I also went up Little Devils Tower which was a climb at the end. I'd rate that part a difficult Class 2 but only for a short distance.
Nice to bag the tallest peak in South Dakota.