Fog Over Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park, South Dakota

Granite boulders frame Sylvan Lake in South Dakota's Custer State Park under overcast skies.
Granite boulders frame Sylvan Lake in South Dakota's Custer State Park under overcast skies.

Sylvan Lake sits at about 6,145 feet in Custer State Park, near the start of the Needles Highway. It was created in 1881 when a dam was built across Sunday Gulch, and its granite outcroppings are part of the Harney Peak granite formation that also shaped Mount Rushmore and the nearby Needles. The lake covers roughly 17 acres and has long been a swimming and rock-climbing spot, with trails circling its shoreline and leading into Sunday Gulch. Custer State Park itself spans more than 71,000 acres, making it one of the largest state parks in the country.

Photo taken in July 2019.

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