A Day at Custer Peak
Hiking to the top of Custer Peak and standing at the Fire Lookout Tower is a fun adventure to experience in the Black Hills. There has been a lookout tower standing on Custer Peak since 1911 to help watchers alert people to nearby forest fires. The current lookout tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1941 and is still used by the Forest Service today. It is an impressive-looking building and one that I have been wanting to see for myself for a while now. So, I recently decided to finally make my way to the top.
The first thing everyone should know about reaching Custer Peak is that this is not a traditional hike. The route to the top is actually a gravel road leading up the mountain. However, because the final two miles of this road are so rocky, the only way to drive all the way to the summit is with an ATV or an off-roading 4×4. Otherwise, if you want to reach the peak and see the lookout tower, you will have to walk. Personally, I enjoyed the hike and didn’t really mind all of the ATVs passing me on the road. However, I could understand some people not enjoying that part of the experience.
And because a gravel road leads to Custer Peak, there is really no official trailhead for this hike. When it comes to parking, once you turn off Highway 385 onto Custer Peak Road, there are basically two options that you can choose from. One is to park at Mystic Hills Hideaway Campground, which has plenty of parking space, and start your hike from there. Walking this route is approximately 8 miles round trip. Or you can drive until you reach the first Y-intersection and park here. There isn’t an actual parking area at this location, but there is enough space for two or three cars to park on the shoulder. Starting from here, the hike is around 4.8 miles out and back.
For my hike to the top of Custer Peak, I decided to take the most direct approach, so I parked at the Y-intersection. Luckily, I was the only one there on this day, so parking wasn’t a problem for me.
Even though this was not a typical hike where I could feel lost in nature, especially with the occasional ATV roaring by, I still thought that this was a fun adventure with plenty of beautiful scenery. One of my favorite scenes was actually near the start of this trail. It was an open meadow of tall grass with a few old wooden structures scattered across it. There was something about this peaceful little valley that made me stop and enjoy the view.
For about the first mile or so the road was relatively easy to walk, though I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to drive my car over it. It wasn’t until I reached the next split in the road that the trail became steeper and a bit more challenging. There aren’t any signs along the road, so make sure you follow the road to the right at this split. About a quarter of a mile further you will reach a small clearing with a public restroom. There is also another junction in the road here. The road to the right continues up the mountain while the road to the left is another ATV trail.
From this point on I was treated to many spectacular views of the Custer Peak Fire Lookout Tower. This section of the road was also the most challenging to walk, with several very steep and rocky sections. The road finally ended at a small parking area for those who drove up because the final part of the trail is open to foot traffic only. This was definitely the most difficult part of the entire hike, but still manageable for most people. Once I reached the steps leading onto the tower balcony, it was amazing the feel the cool wind in my face and to see the stunning views of the Black Hills after such a strenuous climb.
Unfortunately, the tower itself was locked so I couldn’t go inside. However, I did walk all the way around the stone tower to get the full 360-degree view of the surrounding hills. I was surprised that I could even see Bear Butte from here! My main reason for wanting to do this hike was to see the lookout tower, and, after reaching the top and experiencing the amazing views, I am certainly glad I did.
After a short rest, I made the hike back down the mountain and to my car. Overall, I ended up walking about 4.8 miles in just under 2 hours. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon in the Black Hills!
