A Refreshing Hike Along Sunday Gulch Trail
Sunday Gulch Trail is a 4 mile loop trail located in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. (Bring your swimsuit and a cooler with drinks and picnic to hang out at the lake after your hike!) You will park at Sylvan Lake and will need to follow the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail around behind the dam to find the trailhead. I prefer to do this trail clockwise, so at the sign for the trailhead, you will head to the left and you will follow the trail.
As you leave the trailhead, you will start a gradual climb that will get steeper as you go. You will have plenty of amazing views on the way up. This section starts out with a dirt trail and then transitions to a very rocky trail, so take your time and watch your footing. If you bring your mountain goats, er, I mean kids, they will have fun climbing on the rocks in this section. Once you get to the top, you are close to the road and will hear traffic for the next mile or so as you make your way through the forest of pine and hardwoods.
The trail continues in more of a rolling fashion for the next couple of miles with some downhill areas and some climbs. There are several areas along the trail where wild raspberries grow, so keep your eye out. Typically they will be ripe end of July to August depending on the weather we’ve had.
The last mile or so of this trail is where Sunday Gulch really differentiates itself from other trails in the area. You will start with crossing the creek a couple of times. You will begin climbing up and go through a rocky area with some small waterfalls and stairs. This is a great place to relax and enjoy the cool water.
As you continue to climb, you will go through more of a forest area before the trail opens into another rocky area. This time you will be climbing right next to or through the water falling down the rocks. There are several railings along the way that you will need to use to help pull yourself up. (The kids love this part!)
Depending on the water level, this is the area where you may get wet feet. You are more likely to encounter high water levels in the spring. As beautiful and amazing as the views ahead of you are, don’t forget to look back every once in a while. As you get closer to the top, you will be treated with some unique views of the area.
