View from Harney Peak, South Dakota

On our second full day in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we got up early and hiked the 3 miles (4.8k) to Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakota at 7,242 ft (2,207m). This makes it the highest peak east of the Rockies, all the way across the country. Yep, Mt. Washington is only a mear 6,288ft (1,917m).

The 6 mile round trip hike took the whole family about 5.5 hours to complete, but it was worth the trip. The deep forests of the Black Hills are beautiful, and the views from the lookout tower built on top of the peak were simply incredible. The shot below is from the base of the lookout tower, looking generally south.

Keep an eye out for the other hikers on the rock…. waaaay out on the tip. Should give a sence of scale for the photo. The site was amazing.