South Dakota peaks
South Dakota summits
First Ascent Awards
329 of 606 peaks 54%
Top climbing months
June 10%
August 10%
March 10%
South Dakota mountains highlights
Latest summits

"I probably underestimated this one a bit. Took lost cabin trail 2 up to the ridge and then bushwhacked to the summit. Was not easy, but the view is pretty rewarding. I enjoyed the summit area a lot, but the surrounding forest is very dense with lots of downed trees and I am not interested in doing that bushwhack again for a while. There’s definitely a class 3 route up the rocks, but it’s hard to find on the way up. If you’re a skilled scrambler, probably better to just work the class 3/4 NE ridge of Gap Lode. " — SchlongsPeak • Oct 18, 2022

"My new favorite in the black hills. The view is absolutely ridiculous. It’s a challenging bushwhack but well worth it. To reach the summit, you will need to be comfortable with low-end class 4/high-end class 3 scrambling, but if you are, that’s the best part. Not a ton of exposure. " — SchlongsPeak • Oct 17, 2022

"Drove up the dirt road, just past the radio tower. Rolled under the barbed wire fence and walked a short ways to the summit where the benchmark had been crapped on by a cow.
Had about 30 grasshoppers on the car when I got back on the road." — climbmtnsdmg • Aug 29, 2022
"Very hungover hike with Danny from Sylvan Lake. We opted for the loop. Lots of people out hiking Black Elk. Trails were easy to navigate. It was a very hot an humid day. We were happy to get back to the car when we were done. " — LGH-Tom • Aug 3, 2022

"We got to the highest point that was possible without ropes. Class 4 gully climb after an intense bushwhack. I am not sure if there is a non-rock climb route to the very top, but we got to 6,365 ft. If anyone knows of a class 4 route to the true summit, please let me know. " — SchlongsPeak • Jun 5, 2022