Horseback riders on Black Elk Peak trail, South Dakota

Horse on a mountain trail with fog
Horse on a mountain trail with fog.

Horseback riders ascend a trail on Black Elk Peak in South Dakota's Black Hills, a landscape often shrouded in mist. The peak, renamed in 2016 to honor Lakota spiritual leader Black Elk, has been a significant site for Indigenous peoples and later a popular destination for hikers and equestrians. The trail winds through ponderosa pines and rugged terrain, offering views of the granite formations characteristic of the region.

Photo taken in July 2019.

Photo Part Of
South Dakota
Badlands, Black Hills, and Custer State Park across multiple trips
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Black Elk Peak
Trails, fog, and the 1938 CCC stone tower at South Dakota's highest summit in the Black Hills
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Custer State Park
Bison along Wildlife Loop Road, granite spires on the Needles Highway, and trails to Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills
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