Hiking the Little Devils Tower Trail in Custer State Park in the Black Hills, South Dakota
Distance: 2.8 miles / 4.5 km
The Little Devil’s Tower Trail in Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota is a fun and beautiful day hike to a panoramic summit just to the south of Black Elk Peak that, in my opinion, is the best sunset hike across all of the Black Hills!
I say this because, with Black Elk Peak to the north and the Cathedral Spires to the east, Little Devils Tower is located in the perfect place to watch the light slowly fade on the towering granite rock formations that make the Black Hills so beautiful!
Now, all this goes without saying that, to reach the summit of Little Devils Tower, some minimal scrambling is required at the very end of the hike. By this, I mean that for what scrambling there is, it’s very short, there really isn’t any high exposure, which in turn makes it a really fun way to get to the summit!
All this to say, I could not recommend hiking the Little Devils Tower Trail more, and if you’re also planning to hike the Cathedral Spires Trail just a short distance away, the two make for great back-to-back day hikes, as I personally think the Cathedral Spires is best enjoyed in the mid- to late-afternoon hours, which can be immediately followed with the hike up Little Devils Tower for sunset!
My Print - Little Devils Tower Trail (Sunset)
Little Devils Tower Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Little Devils Tower Trail is located in one of two places, depending on where you decide to begin.
First, the Little Devils Tower Trail can begin from Sylvan Lake, but personally speaking, I don’t recommend this option because it adds an unnecessary 0.5 miles (0.8 km) onto the hike each way.
Instead, I recommend starting from the Little Devils Tower Trailhead that’s somewhat hidden off the Needles Highway, about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) up the road from the turn into Sylvan Lake.
Google Maps Directions: Little Devils Tower Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - South Dakota
According to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) and the U.S. Forest Service, there are Black Bears in South Dakota, but encounters are considerably rare.
That said, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in South Dakota.
Hiking the Little Devils Tower Trail
The Little Devils Tower Trail begins on a mostly flat path that winds through a number of beautiful granite formations for the first 0.7 miles (1.1 km), until the trail noticeably begins climbing up toward the south ridge that leads to the summit.
In the beginning, the Little Devils Tower Trail gains roughly 150 ft. (46 m) over the first 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the point where it starts to get steeper, which is hardly—if at all—noticeable over this distance.
Little Devils Tower-Poet’s Table Junction
After just 0.2 miles (0.3 km), the Little Devils Tower Trail reaches this lesser-known side trail, known locally as the Poet’s Table Trail.
That said, go right to stay on the much more obvious Little Devils Tower Trail, as Poet’s Table is truly a hike for another day.
After the Poet’s Table junction, the Little Devils Tower Trail simply continues through a mixed Ponderosa–Birch–Aspen forest as it winds its way up to the south ridge.
If you’re planning a full day exploring Custer State Park, I could not recommend hiking in a hooded sun shirt more, as many day hikes, including Sunday Gulch, the Cathedral Spires, and Little Devils Tower, can be fit into one long day for the most adventurous type of hiker.
On this trip, I definitely caught the Little Devils Tower Trail past peak fall colors, unlike my day hike up Black Elk Peak, which was perfect, as a two-day storm came through the Black Hills that stripped a lot of the trees.
This is why timing fall colors here, or anywhere, can be very tricky, but I am happy to say I caught both Spearfish Canyon and countless other areas at their peak, which is why I wasn’t too disappointed to miss the Little Devils Tower Trail.
I mention all this to say that peak fall colors in the Black Hills usually occurs around the last week of September through the first week of October, with a few days on either side of October 1st being the best.
However, there is a small amount of seasonal variability to this general rule of thumb, which is why I recommend using the fall foliage map linked below to narrow down the best window!
Explore Fall: Fall Foliage Map
For those interested in trail running, the Little Devils Tower Trail is a great option in the Black Hills, especially when combined with the nearby Cathedral Spires Trail.
That said, these are the shoes I love to use for both running and hiking across the Black Hills, as they are a great fit for almost any adventure across western South Dakota!
Even though I definitely missed the peak for a lot of the trees on the Little Devils Tower Trail, there were still amazing pockets of golden Aspens, which is why I often think it’s always a little better to visit an area slightly after the peak rather than be slightly too early.
This is roughly the 0.7-mile (1.1 km) mark and the halfway point, where the Little Devils Tower Trail starts climbing more noticeably, gaining roughly 530 ft. (162 m) over the next 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from this point to the summit.
Similar to the Black Elk Peak Trail, the elevation gain on the Little Devils Tower Trail isn’t all that steep, apart from the short, fun scrambling sections at the very end.
This is where the Little Devils Tower Trail makes a hard turn to the north and starts to follow the south ridge up to the summit.
Little Devils Tower-Cathedral Spires Junction
When there’s about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) left before the summit, the Little Devils Tower Trail splits with the path that leads over to the Cathedral Spires, which is also the same route that some hikers opt to return on after hiking up Black Elk Peak.
From here, go left to continue hiking up Little Devils Tower, but if you are interested in reading about either of these separate trails, I recommend checking out my separate articles linked below.
Read My Separate Posts: Cathedral Spires Trail / Black Elk Peak Trail
This is where the summit of Little Devils Tower can start to be seen in the distance for the first time!
This is where the scrambling up to the summit of Little Devils Tower begins.
This short, narrow section is one of the more 'challenging' scrambles on the Little Devils Tower Trail, but in reality all the climbing up Little Devils Tower is very easy Class 3 or below, unless there is snow and ice on the trail.
After the first scramble, the Little Devils Tower Trail makes a hard right turn to continue up to the summit.
This is where micro-spikes may be necessary during the early summer and late fall, when there is snow and ice on the trail—if not for the sections below as well.
At this point, the Little Devils Tower Trail follows this small gully up to the final scramble just below the summit.
When the Little Devils Tower Trail reaches this flat spot, there is one more scramble left to reach the summit, which is the tallest rock in the center of the photo below.
That said, go left to begin the final climb up to the top!
Little Devils Tower
This is the end of Little Devils Tower Trail, with the true summit located just to the right of this photo looking north toward Black Elk Peak.
From the true summit, there are panoramic views of the Cathedral Spires (the Needles), Black Elk Peak, and the greater Black Hills area, with views as far east as Rapid City and the Badlands on the clearest of days!
While I cannot recommend sunset from the top of Little Devils Tower anymore, it’s important to come prepared with a good headlamp for the 1.4-mile (2.3 km) hike back in the dark if sunset is something you’re considering.
This is especially true given how quick the beginning portions of the hike get dark because of the granite rock formations that surround the trail.
South Dakota
Wyoming
