Black Elk Peak, South Dakota lies at 7,242 feet MSL and is ranked #15 in elevation among US Highpoints. I climbed Black Elk Peak, then called Harney Peak (presumably after some white colonizer asshat) with Teewinot and an ex-girlfriend as the first stop on a cross-country trip to move her from Montana to New England way back in 2004.
My memory of this hike was something in the order of 3 easy miles to the summit, which lies above treeline and provides excellent views of the Black Hills. The skies were mostly clear and it was a beautiful, brisk winter day. Around this time we also went by Mt. Rushmore, a monument that disgraces the beauty of the region, and also to Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City, which has hundreds of patches adorning the walls from fire departments around the country (and world) including one from Columbia, Missouri where I used to live.
From here I would head to Hawkeye Point Iowa
T-bone!
Great sunset photo! <3