Cathedral Spires in the Black Hills

This is a moderate hike with a huge payout in the form of some of the Black Hills' most beautiful features — tall granite spires rising hundreds of feet above the surrounding terrain, reaching a maximum height of 6,860 feet.

Starting from the Cathedral Spires Trailhead --where you may be treated to epic views of climbers above the parking lot dangling off ropes and pulling some serious stone -- the trail starts at a leisurely grade, actually dipping down a bit before you hit some of the scrambling sections. It is a very well-groomed trail with one small creek crossing over a wooden beam and very comfortably shaded.

There are two mild scrambling sections that account for the majority of the elevation gain on this hike. That makes for some of the best photography stops, so don't forget to look back, especially if the sun is getting closer to the horizon. The trail emerges into a relatively flat area, often referred to as "The Bowl" since it is completely surrounded by rock pinnacles.

Keep a keen eye peeled in this area, as mountain goats and their kids defy gravity along the sheer edges of the surrounding spires. At the end of the trail, enjoy views of Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak) to the northwest and the Badlands in the distance to the east.

As for wildlife, pinyon jay, gray jay, three-toed woodpecker, black-backed woodpecker, American dipper, and ruffed grouse are some of the birds that can be sighted. Also, mountain goats can be found along with white-tail and mule deer, bighorn sheep, and elk.

The Cathedral Spires Trail can be accessed from multiple locations. The most commonly used trailheads are the Sylvan Lake trailhead for Trail 4, the Little Devils Tower trailhead on Trail 4 (about 1 road mile east of Sylvan Lake on the Needles Highway) and the Cathedral Spires trailhead, located around 2 miles east of Sylvan Lake on a switchback in the Needles Highway Highway 87. Hikers are also able to access the upper end of the Cathedral Spires Trail from Black Elk Wilderness trails that intersect with Trail 4 closer to Black Elk Peak.