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.

Photo Part Of
Custer State Park
Bison along Wildlife Loop Road, granite spires on the Needles Highway, and trails to Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills
36 photos
Map
OpenStreetMap Google Maps
More from Custer State Park
Granite Spires Along Needles Highway, Custer State Park
Granite Spires Along Needles Highway, Custer State Park
Custer State Park's granite formations here are part of the Harney Peak granite, an igneous intrusion roughly 1.7 billion years…
Needles Eye Tunnel Along Needles Highway, Custer State Park
Needles Eye Tunnel Along Needles Highway, Custer State Park
The Needles Eye Tunnel carries South Dakota Highway 87 through a granite spire along the Needles Highway in Custer State…
Foggy Summit of Black Elk Peak, Black Hills National Forest
Foggy Summit of Black Elk Peak, Black Hills National Forest
Black Elk Peak reaches 7,242 feet, making it the highest point in South Dakota and the highest peak in the…
Bison Herd in Custer State Park, South Dakota
Bison Herd in Custer State Park, South Dakota
A herd of bison grazes in Custer State Park, South Dakota. Established in 1913, the park is home to one…
Mount Rushmore Through Iron Mountain Road Tunnel, South Dakota
Mount Rushmore Through Iron Mountain Road Tunnel, South Dakota
Iron Mountain Road winds through the Black Hills of South Dakota, connecting Custer State Park to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.…
American Bison on Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park
American Bison on Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park
American bison graze along Wildlife Loop Road, an 18-mile route through Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South…
Nearby Photos

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

Browse by location, move through long-running series, or start with recent work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis