Hiking the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail in Custer State Park in the Black Hills, South Dakota
Distance: 1.0 miles / 1.6 km
The Sylvan Lake Shore Trail, often called the Sylvan Lake Trail, in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota is a beautiful day hike around Sylvan Lake that leads hikers through a number of beautiful granite cliffs, including one narrow slot canyon—my favorite part of the entire hike!
That said, the 1.0-mile (1.6 km) loop around Sylvan Lake is often considered to be the easiest day hike in Custer State Park, inevitably making the Sylvan Lake Trail the most popular trail in Custer.
Nonetheless, the Sylvan Lake Trail is a beautiful and easy day hike, and it’s a fun adventure for Hollywood enthusiasts, as Sylvan Lake is the filming location in National Treasure 2, right before the lost city of Cibola was discovered!
To learn more about where to look for the location from the movie, keep reading below to find the exact rock!
Sylvan Lake Shore Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail in Custer State Park is located just off the Needles Highway, in one of a few different small parking lots surrounding Sylvan Lake.
Now, I want to stress the word small, as the Sylvan Lake area specifically is the busiest area within Custer State Park, meaning that parking can be a challenge to find.
This is why I recommend arriving early in the morning during the busy summer and fall travel season, so that you can enjoy Custer State Park and the Sylvan Lake Trail without having to worry about finding a spot.
Google Maps Directions: Sylvan Lake 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 Sylvan Lake Shore Trail
The Sylvan Lake Trail begins at the same trailhead that also leads to Sunday Gulch, as the two follow the same path around the lake to the far west side, where the Sunday Gulch Trail splits away.
On a different note, there are two ways to begin the hike around Sylvan Lake, but in this article, I began hiking on the north side of the loop.
Sylvan Lake-Black Elk Peak Junction
Immediately after crossing the bridge to begin the north side of the loop, the Sylvan Lake Trail splits with a short connector that leads over to the Black Elk Peak Trail.
From here, go straight (left) to continue around the north side of Sylvan Lake.
Read My Separate Post: Black Elk Peak Trail
At this split, it doesn’t matter which direction you decide to go, as both routes meet again shortly ahead.
However, those who are interested in seeing the location from National Treasure 2, where Nicolas Cage put his hand in the rock, should go left, as the big rock in the photo below is this exact location.
This is where both sides of the trail on the north side of Sylvan Lake meet again, which also happens to be adjacent to the National Treasure 2 rock!
When the Sylvan Lake Trail reaches this gap on the north side of the loop, the trail follows the ridge down on the left, instead of the gully between the rocks.
East Sylvan Lake-Sunday Gulch Junction
This is where the Sunday Gulch Trail leaves the loop around Sylvan Lake.
That said, go straight at this split to stay on the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail toward the dam, just a few steps ahead.
Read My Separate Post: Sunday Gulch Trail
Sylvan Lake Dam
This is the bottom of the Sylvan Lake Dam, as Sylvan Lake is not a natural lake.
Instead, it was created when Sunday Creek was dammed in the late 1800s, with the hope of increasing tourism in the Black Hills through recreation, before the creation of Custer State Park in 1919.
After the dam, the Sylvan Lake Loop Trail climbs a few stairs toward the second junction, where the Sunday Gulch Trail returns to the loop around Sylvan Lake.
West Sylvan Lake-Sunday Gulch Junction
This is where the Sylvan Lake Trail meets the other side of the Sunday Gulch Loop.
From here, go left to continue around Sylvan Lake toward the upper side of the dam, or if you don’t want to go through the slot canyon just around the corner, there is the option to bypass it by utilizing the trail on the right.
Read My Separate Post: Sunday Gulch Trail
This is the fun cave/ slot canyon that I mentioned is my favorite part of the entire hike around Sylvan Lake.
Sylvan Lake-Sylvan Lake Dam Junction
After the slot canyon, the Sylvan Lake Trail reaches a junction that leads over to the top of the Sylvan Lake Dam.
At this split, go right to continue hiking around Sylvan Lake, or there is the option to go left to walk across the top of the dam.
Sylvan Lake-Sylvan Lake Cave Bypass Junction
Shortly after the Sylvan Lake Dam junction, the Sylvan Lake Trail passes the second junction for the bypass around the cave.
From here, simply go straight to continue along the water toward the east side of the lake.
Read My Separate Post: Sunday Gulch Trail
This split is for the alternative trailhead parking lot near the Sylvan Lake General Store, but to continue around Sylvan Lake back to the beginning, go left to stay along the water.
Sylvan Lake Trailhead
This is where the Sylvan Lake Trail completes the loop around the lake, with the same bridge crossed at the beginning on the left and the main parking lot on the right.
Overall, since the Sylvan Lake Loop is such a quick and easy adventure, I highly recommend exploring more of Custer State Park, whether that means leaving from here to begin the hike up Black Elk Peak or driving up the road to hike the Little Devils Tower Trail or the Cathedral Spires on the other side of the Needles Eye Tunnel.
If the Little Devils Tower Trail is something you are considering, I could not recommend the hike for sunset more, as it is easily one of the most beautiful sunset hikes in the Black Hills!
For this reason, I recommend spending your time throughout the day exploring other areas of the Needles Highway or even heading out to visit Crazy Horse or Mount Rushmore, as sunset is truly the best time of day to experience the Little Devils Tower Trail!
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