Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park South Dakota
Sylvan Lake, known as the "crown jewel" of Custer State Park, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Created in 1881 when Theodore Reder built a dam across Sunday Gulch. It is also popular as a starting point for excursions to Harney Peak,The Needles and Little Devil's Tower. The lake was featured in Disney's 2007 film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The film made the lake appear to be located directly behind Mount Rushmore when in reality it is actually five miles southwest of Mount Rushmore.
We agree that this area is a "crown jewel" and is certainly among the most picturesque areas in the Black Hills of SD. I mentioned a connection to Chief Crazy Horse in our previous post. This is the area that Crazy Horse and his father Wagula came for their vision quest meditations. We can see why.
We have returned to Sylvan Lake area three times so far this visit and I think a fourth visit is imminent. We have walked the trail around the lake, the Sunday Gulch trail and the Little Devil's Tower trail. This post will cover the first two. I believe we may return for the Harney Peak trail this year, time and weather permitting. Let the scenery begin!
Walking around Sylvan Lake with Paul and Cheryl
Orientation of the lake area
The scenery of Sylvan Lake:
The walkway on top of the dam
Looking over the dam
This I call the Godzilla Rock, see what I mean?
Cheryl and Steve up on top
Gari passing through the crack in the rocks to get downstream of the lake and dam.
Steve's turn, don't look up.
A set of stone steps along the lake trail
Gari shading out the sun
The Sunday Gulch Trail Head - I am excited! So we peeked at the trail and will have to return!
Along Sunday Gulch
The trail that walks you in the gulch!
Cheryl and Gari taking five in the shade
Cheryl, Paul and Gari taking five in the sun
The view from the rest spot
Looking out the hole
Looking in the hole... who is that?
Close up... it's us!
Steve in the crack of Sylvan Lake scenery
Scampering Steve
Steve reflectng on the beauty of Sylvan Lake
Cheryl and Paul enjoying a fine overlook
Cheryl in her natural element
We discovered a mine; we could feel the cool air rushing out as we passed by. It looked just like a crack in the rocks.
We saw this as we entered the crack in the rocks
That's as far in as we go!
Magnificient!
The end of Sylvan Lake for now, but we shall return!
Sunday Gulch Trail walk
We walked this magnificient trail with Cheryl. Early miner's wives named this trail because they liked to walk here on Sundays.
A map of the 5.8 mile trail and a hint of some of the things we will see along the way.
That's us at the trail head, LtoR - Steve, Cheryl & Gari
Off we go.
Right away the magnificient rocks start.
Gari & Cheryl reading the new handheld GPS. It tells us where and how far we walk, how high we went in altitude plus how much of that we climbed ourselves and so much more.
Going up.
Magnificient views.
A rest at the top to enjoy the views.
Steve resting, er posing for the photo op at the top.
We met a pair of amateur photgraphers from MN near the top.
That's the Fire Lookout Tower atop Harney Peak.
Back in the valley now where we found flowers and birds.
Documentation!
Rocks framed by Birch.
Woodpecker
Where does the GPS say we are now?
Nature's version of Rock smashes Scissors.
Tiny pine cones.
Now we are going back up along the stream. There is more water in our future on this trail.
A beautiful stream. Row row, row your boat gently down the stream; merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
A little waterfall there.
Cheryl found an interesting little cave.
Gari at one of the many stream crossings
Waterfall.
Steve rock hopping.
Waterfall
Gari with our MN photog friend at a rock scrambling stream crossing
Cheryl negotiating a log crossing
Now the trail is going straight up the stream, we will get wet.
Gari and Cheryl going up.
Straight up the waterfall!
Cheryl braving the way, we have to get to the steps.
Sunday Gulch Trail completed!
A fantastic day and trail!
