![]() Harney, a military commander in the Black Hills area during the Indian Wars. The peak was named in honor of General William S. ![]() If you think this might be an exaggeration, we were told that roughly 750,000 motorcyclists showed up for the event last year! During the 24 hours we spent in the Black Hills area we probably saw at least a couple thousand motorcycles, even though we never came within 20 miles of Sturgis. To add insult to injury, we were buzzed a couple of times by a tour helicopter with a Harley Davidson logo on it!ĭon’t get me wrong, I don’t have any problems with the Sturgis Rally, I just wouldn’t recommend visiting the area this time of year if you’re looking for quiet and solitude. Although we were miles from the road we could still hear the roar of the engines – even from as far away as the summit. The day we hiked this trail was the first day of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It was fairly easy to pick out – just look for the stone tower atop the ridge towards the north. Rushmore:Ībout a half-mile into our hike we had the first views of our destination. On the way to the trailhead we had a couple of interesting views of Mt. We opted for the shorter route, a 7-mile roundtrip hike from Sylvan Lake that climbs roughly 1500 feet. The Harney Peak-Willow Creek Trail, which begins from the Willow Creek Horse Camp and approaches the mountain from the north, is a 10-mile roundtrip hike that climbs roughly 2200 feet. There are two primary trails that lead to this summit in the southwestern corner of the “Mount Rushmore State”. The 7242-foot peak, the highest point in South Dakota, is located within the Black Elk Wilderness Area of the Black Hills. Instead, the trail to Harney Peak passed through a pleasant forest of spruce, ponderosa pine, a few aspens, a couple of meadows, and a surprisingly large number of wildflowers. Maybe it came from my experience hiking at nearby Badlands National Park several years back. For whatever reason I thought we would be hiking on a hot dusty trail through an arid, dessert-like environment.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |