Harney Peak (7,242')  by Brian Schultz   Wednesday    June 23, 2010

Roundtrip mileage: 6 miles from Lake Sylvan

Total elevation gain: 1,550'

My daughter and grandkids have wanted to climb a peak with me for a long time and South Dakota's Harney Peak beckoned with its minimal elevation gain and relatively short roundtrip mileage. We planned other activities in the Black Hills in case the climb proved to be too much for the kids but I needn't have worried. In the end they all did great.

Skies weren't as clear as the forecast called for but it still looked to be a fine day for a hike. We started at 8:10 AM from the Lake Sylvan trailhead, following the excellent trail and stopping only a few times for pictures and rest. The kids trooped up the well signed trail with ease and we pulled up to the summit tower at 10:15, surprising me at how quickly the hike went and how well they handled it. There weren't very many people at the tower nor were there many on the trail on the way up, but by the time we left the summit at 10:45, lots of hikers had arrived and many more were pressing up the trail. We stopped for lunch at a scenic overlook on the descent, relaxed for a half hour before continuing on, and pulled into the parking lot at 12:55. Lots of time left for other activities but hiking Harney today was the highlight of our family vacation.

Trailhead to summit- 2 hours 5 minutes

Summit to trailhead- 2 hours 10 minutes

Start to finish- 4 hours 45 minutes

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