July 2019 — Early morning fog drifts across Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills of South Dakota, softening the granite spires and reflecting still light off the water’s surface. Created in 1891 by Theodore Reder’s dam, the lake sits at the head of the scenic Needles Highway and is surrounded by granite formations that attract climbers, photographers, and hikers. On this mist-covered morning, visibility narrows to the immediate shoreline, turning the familiar outcrops into shadowed silhouettes. The calm water and diffused light capture a rare quiet moment in one of Custer State Park’s most iconic and photographed landscapes.

July 2019 — Sylvan Lake is a lake located in Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States. It was created in 1881 when Theodore Reder built a dam (the Sylvan Lake Water Dam) across Sunday Gulch Creek. The lake area offers picnic places, rock climbing, small rental boats, swimming, and hiking trails. It is also popular as a starting point for excursions to Black Elk Peak and The Needles. -- Wikipedia

July 2019 — Along Highway 87 in the central Black Hills National Forest, this view captures the rugged landscape typical of the region’s granite highlands. Massive weathered outcrops rise sharply from the forest floor, remnants of the ancient Harney Peak granite formation that underlies much of this terrain. Scattered ponderosa pines cling to crevices in the rock, while fallen trunks and new saplings trace the slow recovery of the forest from past fires. The setting lies near the scenic Needles Highway corridor—an area known for its narrow tunnels, steep grades, and ever-changing mountain light that defines the wilderness character of western South Dakota.

July 2017 — Sunrise over our tent at the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. This Bureau of Land Management spot is one of our absolute favorite camping spots.