Located in Pennington County, South Dakota, Black Elk Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,204 m (7,231 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 12.9 km (8.0 mi) NNE of Custer.
Black Elk Peak, formerly known as Harney Peak, is the highest natural point in the Black Hills mountain range and the U.S. state of South Dakota. It lies in the Black Elk Wilderness area, in southern Pennington County, in the Black Hills. The peak lies 3.7 mi (6.0 km) west-southwest of Mount Rushmore. At 7,244 feet (2,208 m), It was once discussed to be a potential candidate for the highest summit in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, though definitions vary based on geographic classification as the Black Hills are geologically related to the greater Rocky Mountain Front. Lost Mine Peak, in the Chisos Mountains of Texas, lies approximately 16 miles further east based on the measurement of longitude at 103°15'30"W and stands at 7,547 feet (2,300 m). The Black Hills are part of the North American Cordillera and generally considered to be geologically related to the Rocky...From the Wikipedia article “Black Elk Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Elk Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:41 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 123° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 56m |
Local time (America/Denver), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Black Elk Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:24 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 63 | 69 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 106 | 108 | 104 | 101 | 89 | 76 | 64 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -9 | 8 | 20 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 28 | 2 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this mountain peak
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Black Elk Peak, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Natural Arch
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Willow Creek Horse Camp3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Lake Campground4.6 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Oreville Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Iron Creek Horse Camp7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Grizzly Bear Campground7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Elk Peak?
What time is golden hour at Black Elk Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Elk Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Elk Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Elk Peak?
How far is Black Elk Peak from Custer?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.