The trails at Sylvan Lake provide some of the best views in all of South Dakota’s Black Hills. Hike the easy and flat 1.1 Lake Shore Loop around Sylvan Lake, and add in the 3.1 mile Sunday Gulch Loop for a fun but challenging hike past a creek with several small waterfalls and then up into the mountains of the Black Hills. Other trail options also include Little Devil’s Tower, my favorite viewpoint within the Black Hills, and Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak) which is the highest point in elevation east of the Rocky Mountains. The trail to Black Elk Peak gains 1350ft, making it a tough trail. Little Devil’s Tower is shorter with less elevation, but involves a significant rock scramble at the end. There is also a spur trail to Cathedral Spires, a unique set of towering rocks.
Oberg Mountain is a 2.5-mile loop hike with a gradual elevation gain of 500ft. This is a relatively easy hike with amazing views around the entire loop of the surrounding hills, Lake Superior, and Oberg Lake.
Caribou Falls is an approximately 1-mile out-and-back hike, off of MN-61 between Tettegouche and Temperance State Parks. This is a subtly marked hike, meaning that although it is just a short distance away from the scenic highway that runs along Lake Superiors shore, you just might get to enjoy this waterfall by yourself. Enjoy the peacefulness of the Caribou River along your hike to the falls.
Vacation Ideas to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park - Plan a trip for your family.. This post includes favorite hikes, places to visit, and ideas on where to camp.
Peekaboo is a short beautiful slot canyon near Kanab (not to be confused with the Peekaboo Slot Canyon in Escalante). This canyon does require an off-road vehicle to get to the trailhead, but Peekaboo is an easy 1-mile hike once you get there. For anyone without an off-road vehicle, consider renting an ATV/UTV from Kanab, or hire a guide, like All Ways Adventure to take your family out there.
Belly of the Dragon is an amazing manmade water culvert under US-89 that is being carved slowly into a slot canyon by the water moving through the sandstone. Although it’s just a water culvert under US-89, this is a cool, free place to stop and spend 20-30 minutes on the way to Zion National Park from Kanab.
Hiking up to the Moqui Caverns (Kanab Sand Caves) along US-89 requires a relatively short walk but a steep scramble up a sandstone cliff. These caverns are manmade from the 1930s and are remnants of a sand mining cave. The caverns are covered in graffiti, but still offer beautiful photos when the sunlight enters towards the late afternoon / early evening hours.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a unique place to explore nearby Zion National Park with minimal crowds despite its beauty. Explore the sand dunes by foot, rent sand boards to sled down them, or schedule a UTV tour to drive over them. This is an awesome park to spend 1-2 hours at with young children.(in a non-summer month).
