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Coordinates: 43°51′57″N 103°31′57″W / 43.865847725°N 103.532431997°W / 43.865847725; -103.532431997
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{{Short description|Highest point in South Dakota}}
{{Infobox mountain
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Infobox mountain
| name = Harney Peak
| name = Black Elk Peak
| photo = Harneygranite.jpg
| photo_caption = Black Elk Peak from Palmer Gulch (August 2006)
| photo = Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota.jpg
| photo_caption = Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota viewed from Black Elk Peak Trail, May 2018.
| map = USA South Dakota
| map_caption =
| elevation_ft = 7244
| elevation_ref = {{NAVD88}}<ref name="ngs">{{cite ngs |id=OT0810 |name=Harney |access-date=2008-11-08}}</ref><ref name=otm>{{cite opentopomap|Black Elk Peak|43.865848|-103.532432|2023-05-06}}</ref>
| location = [[Pennington County, South Dakota]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| prominence_ft = 2922
| label_position = right
| prominence_ref = <ref name="pb">{{cite peakbagger |pid=6236 |name=Black Elk Peak, South Dakota |access-date=2008-12-29}}</ref>
| coordinates = {{coord|43.865847725|N|103.532431997|W|type:mountain_region:US-SD_scale:100000_source:NGS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| range = [[Black Hills]]
| elevation_ft = 7244
| listing = {{unbulleted list
| elevation_ref = {{NAVD88}}<ref name="ngs">{{cite ngs |id=OT0810 |name=Harney |accessdate=2008-11-08}}</ref>
| [[List of the most isolated major summits of North America|North America isolated peaks]] 87th
| prominence_ft = 2922
| [[List of U.S. states by elevation|U.S. state high point]] 15th
| prominence_ref = <ref name="pb">{{cite peakbagger |pid=6236 |name=Harney Peak, South Dakota |accessdate=2008-12-29}}</ref>
}}
| listing = {{unbulleted list
| country = [[United States]]
|[[List of the most isolated major summits of North America|North America isolated peaks]] 87th
| state = [[South Dakota]]
|[[List of U.S. states by elevation|U.S. state high point]] 15th
| district_type = County
| district = [[Pennington County, South Dakota|Pennington County]]
| map = USA South Dakota#USA
| map_caption =
| label_position = right
| coordinates = {{coord|43.865847725|N|103.532431997|W|type:mountain_region:US-SD_scale:100000_source:NGS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = <ref name="ngs"/>
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] Custer
| first_ascent = July 24, 1875 by [[Valentine McGillycuddy]] and party<ref>McGillycuddy and party had the first recorded ascent, though sources call him the first non-native or the first white man to climb the mountain. See {{Cite book|title=Black Hills National Forest: Harney Peak and the Historic Fire Lookout Towers|last1=Cerney|first1=Jan|last2=Sago|first2=Roberta|publisher=Arcadia|year=2011|isbn=978-1439625729}} and {{Cite web|url=https://blackhillsvisitor.com/see-and-do/at-the-highest-point/|title=At the Highest Point|date=2017-08-25|website=Black Hills Visitor|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-15}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=James R. Macdonald, Ph.D.|year=2009 |url=http://museum.sdsmt.edu/home/history/ |title=Museum of Geology: History |publisher=South Dakota School of Mines & Technology |location=Rapid City, South Dakota |access-date=2012-11-10}}</ref>
| easiest_route = [[hiking|hike]], Trail 9<ref name="trailheads"/>
}}
}}
{{Black Hills and Badlands}}
| range = [[Black Hills]]
'''Black Elk Peak''', formerly known as '''Harney Peak''', is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of [[South Dakota]] and the [[Midwestern United States]]. It lies in the [[Black Elk Wilderness]] area, in southern [[Pennington County, South Dakota|Pennington County]], in the [[Black Hills]].<ref name="pb"/> The peak lies {{convert|3.7|mi|abbr=on}} west-southwest of [[Mount Rushmore]].<ref>''Mount Rushmore, South Dakota'', 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1977</ref> At {{convert|7244|ft|m|0}},<ref name="ngs"/> it is the highest summit in the United States east of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Though part of the [[North American Cordillera]], it is generally considered to be geologically separate from the Rocky Mountains.
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] Custer
| range_coordinates =
| coordinates_ref = <ref name="ngs"/>
| first_ascent = July 24, 1875 by [[Valentine McGillycuddy]] and party<ref>{{cite web |author=James R. Macdonald, Ph.D |year=2009 |url=http://museum.sdsmt.edu/home/history/ |title=Museum of Geology: History |publisher=South Dakota School of Mines & Technology |location=Rapid City, South Dakota |accessdate=2012-11-10}}</ref>
| easiest_route = [[hiking|hike]], Trail 9<ref name="trailheads"/>
}}
{{Harney Peak is the highest natural point in South Dakota. It lies in the [[Black Elk Wilderness]] area, in southern [[Pennington County, South Dakota|Pennington County]], in the [[Black Hills National Forest]].<ref name="pb"/> The peak lies {{convert|3.7|mi|abbr=on}} WSW of [[Mount Rushmore]].<ref>''Mount Rushmore, South Dakota'', 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1977</ref> At {{convert|7242|ft|m|0}},<ref name="ngs"/> it has been described by the [[Board on Geographical Names]] as the highest [[Summit (topography)|summit]] in the [[United States]] east of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. It is also known as '''''Hinhan Kaga''''' (in Lakota). The Federal Board of Geographic Names has designated it "Black Elk Peak".


It is also known as '''''Hiŋháŋ Káǧa''''' ('owl-maker' in [[Lakota language|Lakota]]) and '''''Heȟáka Sápa''''' ('elk black').
The [[U.S. Board on Geographic Names]], which has jurisdiction in federal lands, officially changed the mountain's name from "Harney Peak" to "Black Elk Peak" on August 11, 2016, honoring [[Black Elk]], the noted [[Lakota Sioux]] [[medicine man]] for whom the Wilderness Area is named.<ref name="blackelk"/>


The [[U.S. Board on Geographic Names]], which has jurisdiction in federal lands, officially changed the mountain's name from Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak on August 11, 2016, honoring [[Black Elk]], the noted [[Lakota Sioux]] [[medicine man]] and [[Catholic]] [[Servant of God]] for whom the Wilderness Area is named.<ref name="blackelk"/>
Professional but unofficial measurements in 2016 found the highest natural rock to be at {{convert|7231.32|ft|m}} NAVD88 and the nearby secondary peak slightly lower at {{convert|7229.41|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jerry Penry |url=http://www.penryfamily.com/harneypeak/survey.html | title=Harney Peak's Elevation|accessdate=2016-12-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Seth|last=Tupper|title=How South Dakota's high point ended up shorter than thought|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/how-south-dakota-s-high-point-ended-up-shorter-than/article_d028db66-74de-5868-b744-f5ef4828478a.html|work=[[Rapid City Journal]]|date=2016-12-26|access-date=2016-12-26}}</ref>


In September 2016, a team of professional surveyors obtained precise [[Satellite navigation|GNSS data]] over the course of two days and found the highest natural rock to be at {{convert|7231.32|ft|m}} [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988|NAVD88]] and a nearby secondary peak located approximately 300 feet south of the lookout tower and unofficially named "McGillicuddy's Peak", to be slightly lower at {{convert|7229.41|ft|m}} NAVD88. This is believed to be the only precise survey that has been made to determine the true elevation of this peak.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jerry|last=Penry |url=http://www.penryfamily.com/harneypeak/main.html | title=Harney Peak's Elevation|access-date=2016-12-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Seth|last=Tupper|title=How South Dakota's high point ended up shorter than thought|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/how-south-dakota-s-high-point-ended-up-shorter-than/article_d028db66-74de-5868-b744-f5ef4828478a.html|work=[[Rapid City Journal]]|date=2016-12-26|access-date=2016-12-26}}</ref>
==Hinhan Kaga==


The peak's fire lookout tower and the staircase leading to it, as well as a nearby dam and pumphouse, were listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1983.<ref name="nris"/>
This peak was called ''Hinhan Kaga'' ("Making of Owls", after rock formations that look like owls<ref name="Moore">{{cite web |author=Carrie Moore |year=2015 |url=http://hillcityprevailernews.blogspot.com/2015/05/board-recommends-renaming-harney-peak.html |title=Hill City Prevailer-News |publisher=Hill City Prevailer-News |accessdate=2015-06-04}}</ref> and the association of owls with impending death) by the [[Lakota Sioux]]).<ref name="russell">[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/09/04/names-have-power-denali-and-other-colonist-lies-161635 Steve Russell, "Names Have Power: Denali and Other Colonist Lies"], ''Indian Country Today,'' 4 September 2015; accessed 4 November 2016</ref> They dominated this region and occupied the territory at the time of European colonization. They considered it a sacred site within the Black Hills, which they call ''Pahá Sápa,'' also written He Sapa.<ref name="russell" />


==Name==
The mountain was named Harney Peak in 1855 by American Lieutenant [[Gouverneur K. Warren]] in honor of US General [[William S. Harney]], his commander in a regional military expedition. In punitive retaliation for other Sioux raids, in September 1855 Harney's forces killed Brulé Sioux warriors, women and children in what Americans called the [[Battle of Blue Water Creek]] in [[Garden County, Nebraska]].<ref name="blackelk">[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/12/breaking-black-elk-peak-soars-above-he-sapa-no-longer-harney-peak-165445 David Rooks, "Breaking: Black Elk Peak Soars Above The He Sapa, No Longer Harney Peak"], ''Indian Country Today,'' 12 August 2016; accessed 12 August 2016</ref>
This peak was called ''Hiŋháŋ Káǧa'', or, "Owl maker," after rock formations that look like [[owl]]s<ref name="Moore">{{cite web |author=Carrie Moore |year=2015 |url=http://hillcityprevailernews.blogspot.com/2015/05/board-recommends-renaming-harney-peak.html |title=Hill City Prevailer-News |publisher=Hill City Prevailer-News |access-date=2015-06-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018031008/http://hillcityprevailernews.blogspot.com/2015/05/board-recommends-renaming-harney-peak.html |archive-date=2015-10-18 }}</ref> (and the [[Owl#Native American cultures|association of owls with impending death]] by the [[Lakota Sioux]]).<ref name="russell">[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/09/04/names-have-power-denali-and-other-colonist-lies-161635 Steve Russell, "Names Have Power: Denali and Other Colonist Lies"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114143338/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/09/04/names-have-power-denali-and-other-colonist-lies-161635 |date=2016-11-14 }}, ''Indian Country Today,'' 4 September 2015; accessed 4 November 2016</ref> They dominated this region and inhabited the territory at the time of [[European colonization of the Americas|European colonization]]. They considered it a sacred site within the Black Hills, which they call ''Pahá Sápa'' and ''Ȟé Sápa''.<ref name="russell" />


The mountain was named Harney Peak in 1855 by American Lieutenant [[Gouverneur K. Warren]] in honor of US General [[William S. Harney]], his commander in a regional military expedition. In punitive retaliation for other Sioux raids, in September 1855 Harney's forces killed [[Sicangu]] warriors, women and children in what Americans called the [[Battle of Blue Water Creek]] in [[Garden County, Nebraska]].<ref name="blackelk">[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/12/breaking-black-elk-peak-soars-above-he-sapa-no-longer-harney-peak-165445 David Rooks, "Breaking: Black Elk Peak Soars Above The He Sapa, No Longer Harney Peak"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812220454/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/12/breaking-black-elk-peak-soars-above-he-sapa-no-longer-harney-peak-165445 |date=2016-08-12 }}, ''Indian Country Today,'' 12 August 2016; accessed 12 August 2016</ref>
Harney later commanded the United States military in the Black Hills area in the late 1870s.<ref name="gnis"/>
The Lakota have tried to get the name of the peak changed for 50 years,<ref name="argus">[http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/columnists/stu-whitney/2016/08/12/harney-peak-black-elk-daugaard-thune-south-dakota-native-american-stu-whitney/88627694/ Stu Whitney, "Whitney: In defense of Black Elk Peak"], ''Argus Leader,'' 12 August 2016; accessed 15 August 2016</ref> as Harney had massacred their people.<ref name="braveheart"/>


Harney later commanded the United States military in the [[Black Hills]] area in the late 1870s.<ref name="gnis"/>
In 2014 the Sioux renewed their effort to get the name changed, in an effort led by Basil Brave Heart of the [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]]. A [[Korean War]] veteran, he felt that Harney had not honored the military with his action.<ref name="blackelk"/><ref name="braveheart">[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/15/black-elk-peak-answer-many-prayers-basil-brave-heart-165456 David Rooks, "Black Elk Peak ‘Answer to Many Prayers’: Basil Brave Heart"], ''Indian Country Today,'' 15 August 2016; accessed 15 August 2016</ref>
The Lakota had tried to get the name of the peak changed for 50 years,<ref name="argus">[http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/columnists/stu-whitney/2016/08/12/harney-peak-black-elk-daugaard-thune-south-dakota-native-american-stu-whitney/88627694/ Stu Whitney, "Whitney: In defense of Black Elk Peak"], ''Argus Leader,'' 12 August 2016; accessed 15 August 2016</ref> as Harney had massacred their people.<ref name="braveheart"/>


In 2014 the Sioux renewed their effort to get the name changed, in an effort led by Basil Brave Heart of the [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]]. A [[Korean War]] veteran, he felt that Harney had not honored the military with his action.<ref name="blackelk"/><ref name="braveheart">[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/15/black-elk-peak-answer-many-prayers-basil-brave-heart-165456 David Rooks, "Black Elk Peak ‘Answer to Many Prayers’: Basil Brave Heart"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817040023/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/08/15/black-elk-peak-answer-many-prayers-basil-brave-heart-165456 |date=2016-08-17 }}, ''Indian Country Today,'' 15 August 2016; accessed 15 August 2016</ref>
Some Lakota requested state officials in 2015 to reinstate their original name ''Hinhan Kaga'' for the peak. The Lakota Council of the Pine Ridge Reservation and descendants of [[Black Elk]], a noted medicine man, supported naming it for him, as the national wilderness area around the peak is named for the shaman.<ref name="argus"/>


He became known beyond the Lakota in part through the book ''[[Black Elk Speaks]]'' (1932), written by [[John G. Neihardt]] from long talks with the shaman.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Nord |agency=Associated Press |date=May 1, 2015 |title=Activists work for Native American-friendly site names |work=The Elkhart Truth |url=http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/national/2015/05/01/Activists-work-for-Native-American-friendly-site-names.html }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Lacey |last=Louwagie |date=July 6, 2015 |title=Despite Objections, 'Harney Peak' Name Stays |work=Courthouse News Service |url=http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/07/06/despite-objections-harney-peak-name-stays.htm }}</ref> South Dakota Governor [[Dennis Daugaard]] opposed the name change, as did other state officials, and no action was taken in 2015.
Some Lakota requested state officials in 2015 to reinstate their original name for the peak. The Lakota Council of the Pine Ridge Reservation and descendants of [[Black Elk]], a noted medicine man, supported naming it for him, as the national wilderness area around the peak is named for the shaman.<ref name="argus"/> He became known beyond the Lakota in part through the book ''[[Black Elk Speaks]]'' (1932), written by [[John G. Neihardt]] from long talks with the shaman.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Nord |agency=The Associated Press |title=Activists work for Native American-friendly site names |publisher=The Washington Times|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/1/activists-work-for-native-american-friendly-site-n/|date=May 1, 2015|access-date=2023-05-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Lacey |last=Louwagie |date=July 6, 2015 |title=Despite Objections, 'Harney Peak' Name Stays |work=Courthouse News Service |url=http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/07/06/despite-objections-harney-peak-name-stays.htm }}</ref> South Dakota Governor [[Dennis Daugaard]] opposed the name change, as did other state officials, and no action was taken in 2015.<ref name=wt2015>{{cite news|title=2 South Dakota officials oppose renaming Harney Peak|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/15/2-south-dakota-officials-oppose-renaming-harney-pe/|publisher=The Washington Times|work=The Associated Press|date=June 15, 2015|access-date=2023-05-06}}</ref>


The [[U.S. Board on Geographic Names]] officially changed the mountain's name from "Harney Peak" to "Black Elk Peak" on August 11, 2016, by a unanimous vote of 12–0, with one abstention.<ref name="blackelk"/><ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=1261770 |name=Black Elk Peak |accessdate=11 August 2016}}</ref> On August 18, 2016, Gov. Daugaard announced that the state would accept the new name.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tupper|first1=Seth|title=Gov: State won't fight Harney rename|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/gov-daugaard-state-won-t-fight-renaming-of-harney-peak/article_695d8162-52b2-5d7f-99b4-3c7e9b95bbd2.html|work=Rapid City Journal|date=19 August 2016|pages=A1}}</ref>
The [[U.S. Board on Geographic Names]] officially changed the mountain's name from "Harney Peak" to "Black Elk Peak" on August 11, 2016, by a unanimous vote of 12–0, with one abstention.<ref name="blackelk"/><ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=1261770 |name=Black Elk Peak |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref> On August 18, 2016, Gov. Daugaard announced that the state would accept the new name.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tupper|first1=Seth|title=Gov: State won't fight Harney rename|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/gov-daugaard-state-won-t-fight-renaming-of-harney-peak/article_695d8162-52b2-5d7f-99b4-3c7e9b95bbd2.html|work=Rapid City Journal|date=19 August 2016|pages=A1}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Harney Peak Lookout Tower, Dam, Pumphouse and Stairway
| nrhp_type =
| image = File:Harney Peak Tower (49531372206).jpg
| caption = Fire tower at Black Elk Peak
| nearest_city = [[Custer, South Dakota]]
| built = 1935–1938
| builder = [[Civilian Conservation Corps]]
| added = March 10, 1983
| area = {{convert|4|acre}}
| refnum = 83003019<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2013a}}</ref>
}}
Black Elk Peak and the Black Hills were located within the [[Great Sioux Reservation]] established by the United States government in the [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)|Treaty of Fort Laramie]] in 1868; it covered most of the territory west of the Missouri River in South Dakota (the area now called [[West River (South Dakota)|West River]]). American settlement was concentrated east of the river, where there was more water for farming.


The first [[American pioneer|American settlers]] believed to have reached the summit were a party led by General [[George Armstrong Custer]] in 1874, during the [[Custer's 1874 Black Hills Expedition|Black Hills expedition]]. The federal government took back the Black Hills and another strip of land in a new treaty in 1877. More than a decade later, it broke up the Great Sioux Reservation in 1889 into five smaller reservations, the same year that North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted as states to the Union. The government made some nine million acres of former Lakota land available for purchase for ranching and homesteading. Most American settlement in West River did not start until the early 20th century. The area attracted many [[European emigration|European immigrants]] as well as settlers from the East.
Hinhan Kaga and the Black Hills were protected within the [[Great Sioux Reservation]] established by the United States government in the [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)|Treaty of Fort Laramie]] in 1868; it covered most of the territory west of the Missouri River in South Dakota (the area now called [[West River (South Dakota)|West River]]). American settlement was concentrated east of the river, where there was more water for farming.

The first Americans believed to have reached the summit were a party led by General [[George Armstrong Custer]] in 1874, during the [[Custer's 1874 Black Hills Expedition|Black Hills expedition]]. He was looking for gold.<ref name="Connell, Evan S. 1984 281">{{cite book |author=Connell, Evan S. |title=Son Of The Morning Star |location=San Francisco, California |publisher=North Point Press |year=1984 |isbn=0-86547-160-6 |pages=237–238}}</ref> The federal government took back the Black Hills and another strip of land in a new treaty in 1877. More than a decade later, it broke up the Great Sioux Reservation in 1889 into five smaller reservations, the same year that North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted as states to the Union. The government made some 9 million acres of former Lakota land available for purchase for ranching and homesteading. Most American settlement in West River did not start until the early 20th century. The area attracted many European immigrants as well as migrants from the East.


Black Elk Peak is the site where [[Black Elk]] ([[Lakota Sioux]]) received his "Great Vision" when nine years old. He later became a [[medicine man]] known for his wisdom. Late in life, he returned to the peak accompanied by writer [[John Neihardt]]. Black Elk was sharing much of his life and philosophy with Neihardt through long talks translated by his son. Neihardt tried to express the [[medicine man]]'s wisdom in his book ''[[Black Elk Speaks]]'' (1932).<ref group="note">See chapter 3 and the Author's Postscript of ''Black Elk Speaks,'' Bison Books, 2004.</ref>
Black Elk Peak is the site where [[Black Elk]] ([[Lakota Sioux]]) received his "Great Vision" when nine years old. He later became a [[medicine man]] known for his wisdom. Late in life, he returned to the peak accompanied by writer [[John Neihardt]]. Black Elk was sharing much of his life and philosophy with Neihardt through long talks translated by his son. Neihardt tried to express the [[medicine man]]'s wisdom in his book ''[[Black Elk Speaks]]'' (1932).<ref group="note">See chapter 3 and the Author's Postscript of ''Black Elk Speaks,'' Bison Books, 2004.</ref>


Neihardt recorded Black Elk's words about his vision as follows:
Neihardt recorded Black Elk's words about his vision as follows:
<blockquote>"I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world," he is quoted as saying. "And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southdakota.com/harney-peak/371 |title=Harney Peak |publisher=SouthDakota.com|accessdate=2012-11-10}}</ref></blockquote>


<blockquote>"I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world," he is quoted as saying. "And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southdakota.com/harney-peak/371 |title=Harney Peak |publisher=SouthDakota.com|access-date=2012-11-10}}</ref></blockquote>
American settlers used Black Elk Peak as a [[fire lookout tower]] in 1911, with a wood crate placed at the summit for a seat. In 1920, a 12'x12' wood structure was built, and it was expanded to 16'x16' the following year. The federal [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] enlisted local men and completed [[Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) South Dakota|construction of a stone fire tower in 1938]], one of numerous projects in the state during the [[Great Depression]]. The Harney Peak [[fire lookout tower|fire tower]] was last staffed in 1967.<ref name="Saum, Bradley D. 2013 34">{{cite book |author=Saum, Bradley D. |title=Harney Peak Revealed |publisher=Createspace |year=2013 |isbn=9781478316756 |pages=34–36}}</ref>


New York mining promoter James Wilson organized the Harney Peak Tin Company around 1884<ref>{{Cite news |first=Amy |last=McKeever |date=2020-10-28 |title=South Dakota's Mount Rushmore has a strange, scandalous history |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-strange-and-controversial-history-of-mount-rushmore |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223233517/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-strange-and-controversial-history-of-mount-rushmore |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 23, 2021 |access-date=2023-02-24 |work=[[National Geographic]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Thomas |first=William |title=Mount Rushmore |date=2010 |publisher=[[Chelsea House Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-60413-515-2 |page=14 |language=en}}</ref> or 1885.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-03-02 |title=BBC will showcase story of 'Piano Man' |language=en |work=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2006/03/02/bbc-will-showcase-story-of-piano-man/ |access-date=2023-02-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Koestler-Grack |first=Rachel A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQYzMpzk2GAC&pg=PA18 |title=Mount Rushmore |date=2005 |publisher=Abdo Publishing |isbn=978-1-61714-362-5 |page=18 |language=en}}</ref> The Harney Peak Tin Company did not actually mine any tin and was liquidated by court order in the 1890s, losing investors almost $3&nbsp;million (equivalent to approximately ${{Inflation|US|3|1895|r=0}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) in the largest fraud scandal in Black Hills mining history.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Parker |first=Watson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aHs922gcTikC&pg=PT9 |title=Gold in the Black Hills |date=2012 |publisher=[[South Dakota State Historical Society Press]] |isbn=978-0-9852817-6-2 |page=9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cerney |first1=Jan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LCKrrSMX4GEC&pg=PA16 |title=Black Hills Gold Rush Towns |last2=Sago |first2=Roberta |date=2010 |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7385-7749-4 |pages=16–18 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wolff |first=David A. |date=2003 |title=No Matter How You Do It, Fraud is Fraud: Another Look at Black Hills Mining Scandals |url=https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-33-2/no-matter-how-you-do-it-fraud-is-fraud-another-look-at-black-hills-mining-scandals |journal=South Dakota History |language=en-us |publisher=[[South Dakota State Historical Society Press]] |volume=33 |pages=97–107 |access-date=2023-02-26 |number=2}}</ref>
A United States post office was operated at Black Elk Peak from 1936 until 1942, and again from 1945 until 1946.<ref>{{GNIS|1926751|name=Harney Peak Post Office (historical)}}</ref> The Harney Creek post office was reportedly one of the "most elevated post offices in the United States".<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Federal Writers' Project]]|title=South Dakota place-names, v.1–3|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027015455;view=1up;seq=115|year=1940|publisher=University of South Dakota|page=40}}</ref>


American settlers used Black Elk Peak as a [[fire lookout tower]] in 1911, with a wood crate placed at the summit for a seat. In 1920, a 12'x12' wood structure was built, and it was expanded to 16'x16' the following year. The federal [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] enlisted local men and completed [[Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) South Dakota|construction of a stone fire tower in 1938]], one of numerous projects in the state during the [[Great Depression]]. The Harney Peak fire tower was last staffed in 1967.<ref name="Saum, Bradley D. 2013 34">{{cite book |author=Saum, Bradley D. |title=Harney Peak Revealed |publisher=Createspace |year=2013 |isbn=9781478316756 |pages=34–36}}</ref>
In May 2015 the South Dakota Board of Geographic Names recommended renaming Harney Peak as ''Hinhan Kaga,'' to remove the name of a commander known for massacring Sioux women and children at the Battle of Blue Water Creek <ref name="sdboard">{{cite web |author=South Dakota Board of Geographic Names |year=2015 |url=http://www.sdbgn.sd.gov/documents/comments/HarneyPeak/Harney_Peak_Written_Public_Comments_Received_at_Public_Meetings_Part1.pdf |title=Harney Peak Written Public Comments |publisher=South Dakota Board of Geographic Names |accessdate=2015-06-04}}</ref> and to honor the original Lakota name for the mountain.<ref name="Moore" /> At the end of the following month, the board reversed the recommendation that the peak be renamed saying that "there was no public consensus on a new name."<ref name="sdboard"/> The Lakota were divided on a preferred name, and Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard and some other Americans opposed any name change.<ref name="blackelk"/>


A United States post office was operated at Black Elk Peak from 1936 until 1942, and again from 1945 until 1946.<ref>{{GNIS|type=retired|1926751|name=Harney Peak Post Office (historical)}}</ref> The Harney Peak post office was reportedly one of the "most elevated post offices in the United States".<ref>{{cite book|author=Federal Writers' Project|author-link=Federal Writers' Project|title=South Dakota place-names, v.1–3|series=American guide series|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027015455;view=1up;seq=115|year=1940|publisher=University of South Dakota|page=40}}</ref>
The recommendation for renaming went to the federal US Board on Geographic Names.<ref name=Pierre>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= In Reversal, SD Board Would Keep Harney Peak Name|url= http://www.kdlt.com/news/local-news/In-Reversal-SD-Board-Would-Keep-Harney-Peak-Name/33835740|publisher= Associated Press|location= Pierre, SD|date= 29 June 2015|access-date= 14 July 2015}}</ref> The federal board acknowledged that the name was of concern to the Lakota, and its spokesman said, "In this case, the board felt that the name was derogatory or offensive, being that it was on a holy site of the Native Americans."<ref name="blackelk"/> In a decision published August 11, 2016, the [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] adopted the name "Black Elk Peak."<ref name=Nord>{{cite news |first=James |last=Nord |title= Feds Rename South Dakota's Highest Peak to Black Elk Peak|url= http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-rename-south-dakotas-highest-peak-black-elk-41315318|publisher= ABC News|date= 11 August 2016|access-date= 11 August 2016}}</ref>


A manmade dam was also created on the peak in 1935. This concrete reservoir holds {{convert|5000|gal}} of water; a pumphouse was added in 1938. In 1982, the lookout tower and its stairway, dam, and pumphouse were nominated by the USDA Forest Service for inclusion in the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The Forest Service cited the site's cultural, recreational, and architectural significance to South Dakota.<ref name="nrhpdoc">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=83003019}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Harney Peak Lookout Tower, Dam, Pumphouse and Stairway |publisher=[[National Park Service]]|last1=Reetz |first1=Terrell W. |date=January 8, 1982 |accessdate=February 12, 2022}} With {{NRHP url|id=83003019|photos=y|title=accompanying pictures}}</ref> On March 10, 1983, the site was officially added to the register.<ref name="nris"/>
==Hiking==


==Climate==
The summit can be reached from [[Sylvan Lake (South Dakota)|Sylvan Lake]], Camp Remington, Highway 244, Palmer Creek Rd., [[Mount Rushmore]], or [[Horse Thief Lake]]. From the [[trailhead]] at Sylvan Lake in [[Custer State Park]], to the summit and back is about {{convert|7|mi|km}}.<ref name="trailheads">{{cite web |url=http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/custer/trails/harney-trailheads.aspx |title=Harney Area Trailheads |publisher=South Dakota Fish, Game and Parks |accessdate=2012-11-10}}</ref> This is the shortest, least strenuous, and most popular route. No permit is required for use of the first portion of the trail. However, the [[United States Forest Service]] requires hikers to obtain a permit at a self-service kiosk located at the entrance to the Black Elk Wilderness area en route to the summit.<ref name="sp">{{cite summitpost |id=150511 |name=Harney Peak |accessdate=2012-11-12}}</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = Black Elk Peak 43.8697 N, 103.5321 W, Elevation: {{cvt|6791|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)
|single line = y


|Jan high F = 32.9
An old stone tower, once used as a [[fire lookout tower]], is located at the summit. The ashes of [[Valentine McGillycuddy]] were interred near the base of the tower and a plaque reads, "Valentine McGillycuddy, Wasicu Wakan." ''Wasicu Wakan'' is [[Lakota language|Lakota]] for "Holy White Man."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blackhillstravelblog.com/mcgillycuddy-house-at-the-heart-of-city-history/ |title=McGillycuddy House at the heart of city history |accessdate=2012-11-12}}</ref>
|Feb high F = 33.1
|Mar high F = 40.8
|Apr high F = 47.1
|May high F = 56.6
|Jun high F = 67.7
|Jul high F = 75.5
|Aug high F = 74.5
|Sep high F = 66.4
|Oct high F = 52.3
|Nov high F = 40.5
|Dec high F = 33.0

|Jan mean F = 22.8
|Feb mean F = 22.8
|Mar mean F = 29.9
|Apr mean F = 36.2
|May mean F = 45.6
|Jun mean F = 56.1
|Jul mean F = 63.5
|Aug mean F = 62.5
|Sep mean F = 54.3
|Oct mean F = 41.4
|Nov mean F = 30.6
|Dec mean F = 23.6

|Jan low F = 12.8
|Feb low F = 12.4
|Mar low F = 19.1
|Apr low F = 25.2
|May low F = 34.7
|Jun low F = 44.5
|Jul low F = 51.6
|Aug low F = 50.4
|Sep low F = 42.2
|Oct low F = 30.4
|Nov low F = 20.8
|Dec low F = 14.3

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.77
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.95
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.41
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.85
|May precipitation inch = 5.10
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.09
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.06
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.61
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.86
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.75
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.91
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.77

|source=PRISM Climate Group<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/
|title= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
|publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
|access-date= October 2, 2023
|quote= To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking ''Coordinates'' (under ''Location''); copy ''Latitude'' and ''Longitude figures'' from top of table; click ''Zoom to location''; click ''Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp''; click ''30-year normals, 1991-2020''; click ''800m''; click ''Retrieve Time Series'' button.}}</ref>
}}

==Hiking==
[[File:Hike to Black Elk Peak (51475010443).jpg|thumb|View of Black Elk Peak from hiking trail]]
The summit can be reached from [[Sylvan Lake (South Dakota)|Sylvan Lake]], Camp Remington, Highway 244, Palmer Creek Rd., [[Mount Rushmore]], or [[Horse Thief Lake]]. From the [[trailhead]] at Sylvan Lake in [[Custer State Park]], to the summit and back is about {{convert|7|mi|km}}.<ref name="trailheads">{{cite web |url=https://gfp.sd.gov/pages/csp-trails/ |title=Custer State Park: Hiking, Biking and Horse Trails |publisher=South Dakota Fish, Game and Parks |access-date=2023-05-06}}</ref> This is the shortest, least strenuous, and most popular route. No permit is required for use of the trail. However, A South Dakota State Parks pass is required to access the Sylvan Lake trailhead.

An old stone tower, once used as a [[fire lookout tower]], is located at the summit. The ashes of [[Valentine McGillycuddy]] were interred near the base of the tower and a plaque reads, "Valentine McGillycuddy, Wasicu Wakan." ''Wasicu Wakan'' is [[Lakota language|Lakota]] for "Holy White Man."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blackhillstravelblog.com/mcgillycuddy-house-at-the-heart-of-city-history/ |title=McGillycuddy House at the heart of city history |access-date=2012-11-12}}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>

File:Granite Knob and Harney's Peak, by Illingworth, W. H. (William H.), 1842-1893.png|''Granite Knob and Harney's Peak'', by [[William H. Illingworth]], 1874
File:Granite Knob and Harney's Peak, by Illingworth, W. H. (William H.), 1842-1893.png|''Granite Knob and Harney's Peak'', by [[William H. Illingworth]], 1874
File:View from the top of Harney Peak.jpg|View from the top of the Black Elk Peak lookout tower.
File:View from the top of Harney Peak.jpg|View from the top of the Black Elk Peak lookout tower.
Line 78: Line 162:
File:Harney Peak mountain goat.jpg|A Mountain goat near the top of Black Elk Peak.
File:Harney Peak mountain goat.jpg|A Mountain goat near the top of Black Elk Peak.
File:Harney Peak dam.jpg|A man-made dam is located near the summit.
File:Harney Peak dam.jpg|A man-made dam is located near the summit.
File:Harneygranite.jpg|Black Elk Peak from Palmer Gulch (August 2006)
File:Aerial of Black Elk Wilderness (49531045633).jpg|Aerial view of Black Elk Peak and surrounding area
</gallery>
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
{{portal|South Dakota|Mountains}}
{{Portal|Geography|Mountains}}
*[[List of mountains in South Dakota]]
* [[List of U.S. states by elevation]]
* [[List of mountains in South Dakota]]
{{clear}}
{{clear}}


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist|group="note"}}
{{Reflist|group="note"}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|22em}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Black Elk Peak}}
{{sister project links}}
* {{cite news |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/travel/escapes/03harney.html?pagewanted=all/ |title=High in the Black Hills, as Seasons Turn |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2008-04-02 |last=Regenold |first=Stephen}}
* {{cite news |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/travel/escapes/03harney.html?pagewanted=all/ |title=High in the Black Hills, as Seasons Turn |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2008-04-02 |last=Regenold |first=Stephen}}
* {{cite web |url=http://climbing.about.com/od/usstatehighpoints/a/Facts-About-Harney-Peak.htm |title=Facts About Harney Peak |publisher=Climbing.About.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://climbing.about.com/od/usstatehighpoints/a/Facts-About-Harney-Peak.htm |title=Facts About Harney Peak |publisher=Climbing.About.com |access-date=2012-11-13 |archive-date=2012-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118184058/http://climbing.about.com/od/usstatehighpoints/a/Facts-About-Harney-Peak.htm |url-status=dead }}


{{US isolated}}
{{US isolated}}
{{U.S. State Highest Points}}
{{U.S. State Highest Points}}
{{Black Hills, South Dakota}}
{{Black Hills, South Dakota}}
{{South Dakota}}
{{Mountains of South Dakota}}
{{Mountains of South Dakota}}
{{NRHP in Pennington County, South Dakota}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Mountains of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Mountains of South Dakota]]
[[Category:Black Hills]]
[[Category:Black Hills]]
[[Category:Religious places of the indigenous peoples of North America]]
[[Category:Religious places of the Indigenous peoples of North America]]
[[Category:Landforms of Pennington County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Landforms of Pennington County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Sacred mountains]]
[[Category:Sacred mountains of the Americas]]
[[Category:Highest points of U.S. states]]
[[Category:Highest points of U.S. states]]
[[Category:Black Hills National Forest]]
[[Category:Black Hills National Forest]]
[[Category:North American 2000 m summits]]
[[Category:Two-thousanders of the United States]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Pennington County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1938]]
[[Category:Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Fire lookout towers on the National Register of Historic Places]]
[[Category:Civilian Conservation Corps in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Dams completed in 1935]]

Latest revision as of 18:38, 5 January 2025

Black Elk Peak
Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota viewed from Black Elk Peak Trail, May 2018.
Highest point
Elevation7,244 ft (2,208 m) NAVD 88[1][2]
Prominence2,922 ft (891 m)[3]
Listing
Coordinates43°51′57″N 103°31′57″W / 43.865847725°N 103.532431997°W / 43.865847725; -103.532431997[1]
Geography
Black Elk Peak is located in South Dakota
Black Elk Peak
Black Elk Peak
Black Elk Peak is located in the United States
Black Elk Peak
Black Elk Peak
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Dakota
CountyPennington County
Parent rangeBlack Hills
Topo mapUSGS Custer
Climbing
First ascentJuly 24, 1875 by Valentine McGillycuddy and party[4][5]
Easiest routehike, Trail 9[6]
Black Hills Badlands National Park
Southwestern South Dakota
Sculptures
Geologic and natural history
Mountains
Caves
Forests and wildernesses
Lakes
Scenic byways
Historic sites

Black Elk Peak, formerly known as Harney Peak, is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the Midwestern United States. It lies in the Black Elk Wilderness area, in southern Pennington County, in the Black Hills.[3] The peak lies 3.7 mi (6.0 km) west-southwest of Mount Rushmore.[7] At 7,244 feet (2,208 m),[1] it is the highest summit in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Though part of the North American Cordillera, it is generally considered to be geologically separate from the Rocky Mountains.

It is also known as Hiŋháŋ Káǧa ('owl-maker' in Lakota) and Heȟáka Sápa ('elk black').

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which has jurisdiction in federal lands, officially changed the mountain's name from Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak on August 11, 2016, honoring Black Elk, the noted Lakota Sioux medicine man and Catholic Servant of God for whom the Wilderness Area is named.[8]

In September 2016, a team of professional surveyors obtained precise GNSS data over the course of two days and found the highest natural rock to be at 7,231.32 feet (2,204.11 m) NAVD88 and a nearby secondary peak located approximately 300 feet south of the lookout tower and unofficially named "McGillicuddy's Peak", to be slightly lower at 7,229.41 feet (2,203.52 m) NAVD88. This is believed to be the only precise survey that has been made to determine the true elevation of this peak.[9][10]

The peak's fire lookout tower and the staircase leading to it, as well as a nearby dam and pumphouse, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[11]

Name

[edit]

This peak was called Hiŋháŋ Káǧa, or, "Owl maker," after rock formations that look like owls[12] (and the association of owls with impending death by the Lakota Sioux).[13] They dominated this region and inhabited the territory at the time of European colonization. They considered it a sacred site within the Black Hills, which they call Pahá Sápa and Ȟé Sápa.[13]

The mountain was named Harney Peak in 1855 by American Lieutenant Gouverneur K. Warren in honor of US General William S. Harney, his commander in a regional military expedition. In punitive retaliation for other Sioux raids, in September 1855 Harney's forces killed Sicangu warriors, women and children in what Americans called the Battle of Blue Water Creek in Garden County, Nebraska.[8]

Harney later commanded the United States military in the Black Hills area in the late 1870s.[14] The Lakota had tried to get the name of the peak changed for 50 years,[15] as Harney had massacred their people.[16]

In 2014 the Sioux renewed their effort to get the name changed, in an effort led by Basil Brave Heart of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. A Korean War veteran, he felt that Harney had not honored the military with his action.[8][16]

Some Lakota requested state officials in 2015 to reinstate their original name for the peak. The Lakota Council of the Pine Ridge Reservation and descendants of Black Elk, a noted medicine man, supported naming it for him, as the national wilderness area around the peak is named for the shaman.[15] He became known beyond the Lakota in part through the book Black Elk Speaks (1932), written by John G. Neihardt from long talks with the shaman.[17][18] South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard opposed the name change, as did other state officials, and no action was taken in 2015.[19]

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially changed the mountain's name from "Harney Peak" to "Black Elk Peak" on August 11, 2016, by a unanimous vote of 12–0, with one abstention.[8][14] On August 18, 2016, Gov. Daugaard announced that the state would accept the new name.[20]

History

[edit]
Harney Peak Lookout Tower, Dam, Pumphouse and Stairway
Fire tower at Black Elk Peak
Nearest cityCuster, South Dakota
Area4 acres (1.6 ha)
Built1935–1938
Built byCivilian Conservation Corps
NRHP reference No.83003019[11]
Added to NRHPMarch 10, 1983

Black Elk Peak and the Black Hills were located within the Great Sioux Reservation established by the United States government in the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868; it covered most of the territory west of the Missouri River in South Dakota (the area now called West River). American settlement was concentrated east of the river, where there was more water for farming.

The first American settlers believed to have reached the summit were a party led by General George Armstrong Custer in 1874, during the Black Hills expedition. The federal government took back the Black Hills and another strip of land in a new treaty in 1877. More than a decade later, it broke up the Great Sioux Reservation in 1889 into five smaller reservations, the same year that North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted as states to the Union. The government made some nine million acres of former Lakota land available for purchase for ranching and homesteading. Most American settlement in West River did not start until the early 20th century. The area attracted many European immigrants as well as settlers from the East.

Black Elk Peak is the site where Black Elk (Lakota Sioux) received his "Great Vision" when nine years old. He later became a medicine man known for his wisdom. Late in life, he returned to the peak accompanied by writer John Neihardt. Black Elk was sharing much of his life and philosophy with Neihardt through long talks translated by his son. Neihardt tried to express the medicine man's wisdom in his book Black Elk Speaks (1932).[note 1]

Neihardt recorded Black Elk's words about his vision as follows:

"I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world," he is quoted as saying. "And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being."[21]

New York mining promoter James Wilson organized the Harney Peak Tin Company around 1884[22][23] or 1885.[24][25] The Harney Peak Tin Company did not actually mine any tin and was liquidated by court order in the 1890s, losing investors almost $3 million (equivalent to approximately $110 million in 2023) in the largest fraud scandal in Black Hills mining history.[26][27][28]

American settlers used Black Elk Peak as a fire lookout tower in 1911, with a wood crate placed at the summit for a seat. In 1920, a 12'x12' wood structure was built, and it was expanded to 16'x16' the following year. The federal Civilian Conservation Corps enlisted local men and completed construction of a stone fire tower in 1938, one of numerous projects in the state during the Great Depression. The Harney Peak fire tower was last staffed in 1967.[29]

A United States post office was operated at Black Elk Peak from 1936 until 1942, and again from 1945 until 1946.[30] The Harney Peak post office was reportedly one of the "most elevated post offices in the United States".[31]

A manmade dam was also created on the peak in 1935. This concrete reservoir holds 5,000 US gallons (19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal) of water; a pumphouse was added in 1938. In 1982, the lookout tower and its stairway, dam, and pumphouse were nominated by the USDA Forest Service for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The Forest Service cited the site's cultural, recreational, and architectural significance to South Dakota.[32] On March 10, 1983, the site was officially added to the register.[11]

Climate

[edit]
Climate data for Black Elk Peak 43.8697 N, 103.5321 W, Elevation: 6,791 ft (2,070 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 32.9
(0.5) 		33.1
(0.6) 		40.8
(4.9) 		47.1
(8.4) 		56.6
(13.7) 		67.7
(19.8) 		75.5
(24.2) 		74.5
(23.6) 		66.4
(19.1) 		52.3
(11.3) 		40.5
(4.7) 		33.0
(0.6) 		51.7
(11.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 22.8
(−5.1) 		22.8
(−5.1) 		29.9
(−1.2) 		36.2
(2.3) 		45.6
(7.6) 		56.1
(13.4) 		63.5
(17.5) 		62.5
(16.9) 		54.3
(12.4) 		41.4
(5.2) 		30.6
(−0.8) 		23.6
(−4.7) 		40.8
(4.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 12.8
(−10.7) 		12.4
(−10.9) 		19.1
(−7.2) 		25.2
(−3.8) 		34.7
(1.5) 		44.5
(6.9) 		51.6
(10.9) 		50.4
(10.2) 		42.2
(5.7) 		30.4
(−0.9) 		20.8
(−6.2) 		14.3
(−9.8) 		29.9
(−1.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.77
(20) 		0.95
(24) 		1.41
(36) 		2.85
(72) 		5.10
(130) 		4.09
(104) 		4.06
(103) 		2.61
(66) 		1.86
(47) 		1.75
(44) 		0.91
(23) 		0.77
(20) 		27.13
(689)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[33]

Hiking

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View of Black Elk Peak from hiking trail

The summit can be reached from Sylvan Lake, Camp Remington, Highway 244, Palmer Creek Rd., Mount Rushmore, or Horse Thief Lake. From the trailhead at Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park, to the summit and back is about 7 miles (11 km).[6] This is the shortest, least strenuous, and most popular route. No permit is required for use of the trail. However, A South Dakota State Parks pass is required to access the Sylvan Lake trailhead.

An old stone tower, once used as a fire lookout tower, is located at the summit. The ashes of Valentine McGillycuddy were interred near the base of the tower and a plaque reads, "Valentine McGillycuddy, Wasicu Wakan." Wasicu Wakan is Lakota for "Holy White Man."[34]

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  • Granite Knob and Harney's Peak, by William H. Illingworth, 1874
    Granite Knob and Harney's Peak, by William H. Illingworth, 1874
  • View from the top of the Black Elk Peak lookout tower.
    View from the top of the Black Elk Peak lookout tower.
  • Fire lookout tower at the summit.
    Fire lookout tower at the summit.
  • A Mountain goat near the top of Black Elk Peak.
    A Mountain goat near the top of Black Elk Peak.
  • A man-made dam is located near the summit.
    A man-made dam is located near the summit.
  • Black Elk Peak from Palmer Gulch (August 2006)
    Black Elk Peak from Palmer Gulch (August 2006)
  • Aerial view of Black Elk Peak and surrounding area
    Aerial view of Black Elk Peak and surrounding area

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ See chapter 3 and the Author's Postscript of Black Elk Speaks, Bison Books, 2004.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Harney". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  2. ^ "Topographic map of Black Elk Peak". opentopomap.org. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Black Elk Peak, South Dakota". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  4. ^ McGillycuddy and party had the first recorded ascent, though sources call him the first non-native or the first white man to climb the mountain. See Cerney, Jan; Sago, Roberta (2011). Black Hills National Forest: Harney Peak and the Historic Fire Lookout Towers. Arcadia. ISBN 978-1439625729. and "At the Highest Point". Black Hills Visitor. August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2019..
  5. ^ James R. Macdonald, Ph.D. (2009). "Museum of Geology: History". Rapid City, South Dakota: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Custer State Park: Hiking, Biking and Horse Trails". South Dakota Fish, Game and Parks. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1977
  8. ^ a b c d David Rooks, "Breaking: Black Elk Peak Soars Above The He Sapa, No Longer Harney Peak" Archived 2016-08-12 at the Wayback Machine, Indian Country Today, 12 August 2016; accessed 12 August 2016
  9. ^ Penry, Jerry. "Harney Peak's Elevation". Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  10. ^ Tupper, Seth (December 26, 2016). "How South Dakota's high point ended up shorter than thought". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  12. ^ Carrie Moore (2015). "Hill City Prevailer-News". Hill City Prevailer-News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Steve Russell, "Names Have Power: Denali and Other Colonist Lies" Archived 2016-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, Indian Country Today, 4 September 2015; accessed 4 November 2016
  14. ^ a b "Black Elk Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  15. ^ a b Stu Whitney, "Whitney: In defense of Black Elk Peak", Argus Leader, 12 August 2016; accessed 15 August 2016
  16. ^ a b David Rooks, "Black Elk Peak ‘Answer to Many Prayers’: Basil Brave Heart" Archived 2016-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, Indian Country Today, 15 August 2016; accessed 15 August 2016
  17. ^ Nord, James (May 1, 2015). "Activists work for Native American-friendly site names". The Washington Times. The Associated Press. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Louwagie, Lacey (July 6, 2015). "Despite Objections, 'Harney Peak' Name Stays". Courthouse News Service.
  19. ^ "2 South Dakota officials oppose renaming Harney Peak". The Associated Press. The Washington Times. June 15, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  20. ^ Tupper, Seth (August 19, 2016). "Gov: State won't fight Harney rename". Rapid City Journal. pp. A1.
  21. ^ "Harney Peak". SouthDakota.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  22. ^ McKeever, Amy (October 28, 2020). "South Dakota's Mount Rushmore has a strange, scandalous history". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Thomas, William (2010). Mount Rushmore. Chelsea House Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-60413-515-2.
  24. ^ "BBC will showcase story of 'Piano Man'". Tampa Bay Times. March 2, 2006. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  25. ^ Koestler-Grack, Rachel A. (2005). Mount Rushmore. Abdo Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-61714-362-5.
  26. ^ Parker, Watson (2012). Gold in the Black Hills. South Dakota State Historical Society Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-9852817-6-2.
  27. ^ Cerney, Jan; Sago, Roberta (2010). Black Hills Gold Rush Towns. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 16–18. ISBN 978-0-7385-7749-4.
  28. ^ Wolff, David A. (2003). "No Matter How You Do It, Fraud is Fraud: Another Look at Black Hills Mining Scandals". South Dakota History. 33 (2). South Dakota State Historical Society Press: 97–107. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  29. ^ Saum, Bradley D. (2013). Harney Peak Revealed. Createspace. pp. 34–36. ISBN 9781478316756.
  30. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Harney Peak Post Office (historical)
  31. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1–3. American guide series. University of South Dakota. p. 40.
  32. ^ Reetz, Terrell W. (January 8, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Harney Peak Lookout Tower, Dam, Pumphouse and Stairway". National Park Service. Retrieved February 12, 2022. With accompanying pictures
  33. ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 2, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
  34. ^ "McGillycuddy House at the heart of city history". Retrieved November 12, 2012.
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