"I should have saved my ascent once I finished since I can't recall the GPX file from when I finished 🙃😅😫🤦 I made summit here one time before, and it was rewarding then as it was now! The Flume Trail from the right side of the trailhead started things out with some nice elevation gain & thus a solid workout, which is one of the things I was looking for 👌 I think that was a different starting route that I took the last time because I remember hitting Boulder Hill Road sooner/from a different direction. Once you reach the boulders this summit is known for, the scrambling you do is quite the adventure, and once you hit the peak, it's a 360°view all around. I picked an incredible day to do it since the weather was sensational & the trail was quiet the whole way through. The flume trail at the beginning was narrow, slightly overgrown and a bit buggy, so be cautious with that. " — HillClimbsMountains813 • Apr 15, 2025

"This was my first evening hike/summit of Buzzard's Roost, and the first summit of this peak for a friend of mine from work. Evening hikes under a full moon can be breathtaking, but you still will need a flashlight coming down the switchbacks of the Jack's Upper trail - you've got plentiful tree cover and you will also need to look out for the rocks of varying shape and size along the trail. As seen in the picture, though, those trees create quite the foreground for a dramatic moon shot. Speaking of visuals, the views all the way along the Rim Trail are incredible, but I highly recommend heading to the summit for a breathtaking 270° view, taking in the Hisega/Johnson Siding area all the way through Black Elk and neighboring peaks right down into Rapid City. The night views are incredible, but it's much more recommendable, safer, and even more exhilarating in the daytime!" — HillClimbsMountains813 • Apr 11, 2025

"Drove up the summit road. There is a big ski area development in process on nearby Deer Mt. along the way. Nice stepped path to the observation deck next to the USGS Summit marker. All the communication towers limit the views somewhat." — SteveM_StickMan • Jul 22, 2024

"Hadn't been to Black Elk since its name was changed. Saw a goat around the summit and talked with three fellas that had ridden up on horseback. All and all a pretty good day for a hike." — StoneMan • Jul 21, 2024

"Got a later start than Friday.. go figure. 2nd attempt on this one, only this time from the south. Weather was great.. more like an early fall day. During my attempt to locate a USGS marker, I went over to the obviously higher area than where the lookout tower is, about a 1/10 mile away, where a mountain goat was keeping watch! The 3 markers (2 reference and the summit one) are all marked with the original name Harney. Since the name change refers to the lookout tower area, why the name of the actual summit, now called McGillicuddy Peak, was changed to this is beyond me." — SteveM_StickMan • Jul 21, 2024