Little Devils Tower Trail Hiking Guide
Little Devils Tower is a short climb off the Needles Highway that ends with a hands-on scramble to a granite fin above the Cathedral Spires. From the top you look straight across at the stone lookout on Black Elk Peak. Most of the trail is ordinary forest walking; the last part is where it earns its reputation.
Permit: Custer State Park requires a park entrance license before you enter or park: $25 per vehicle or $20 per motorcycle, valid 1 to 7 days, sold at the entrance stations or online. Annual licenses are $40 for South Dakota residents and $60 for nonresidents.
Distance and the Two Listings
AllTrails' most-reviewed listing, the Little Devils Tower Spur Trail, maps the out-and-back at 3.8 miles with 839 feet of gain and rates it hard. Custer State Park gives 1.5 miles each way and a strenuous rating, and allows two to four hours. A second AllTrails listing starting from the Cathedral Spires trailhead comes in at 2.7 miles and 757 feet. The trail branches off Trail 4, the route that continues on to Black Elk Peak, so watch for the signed split.
The Summit Scramble
Near the top you leave the trail tread and work up through narrow rock chimneys and boulder slots. The park calls it a true mountain experience requiring careful hand and foot placement. The summit is a granite fin the park puts at about 6,962 feet, with a 360-degree view that on clear days reaches out over the plains. If you are uneasy on exposed rock, there is no shame in turning around at the base of the chimneys.
Getting There and the Needles Highway
The trailhead sits on the Needles Highway, SD 87, in the high country near Sylvan Lake. The state closes the Needles Highway to vehicles with the first snow of the season and does not reopen it until April 1 or later, so late fall trips can end at a gate. AllTrails notes that snow and ice can make the scramble hazardous or impassable in winter even when you can reach the trail on foot.
Dogs on the Rock
Dogs may come if leashed, and the park caps leashes at 10 feet. In practice most dogs can do the forest section but not the final chimneys, and AllTrails' description says the last scramble may be too much for most. Plan for someone to wait below with the dog, or choose Sylvan Lake Shore Trail for a dog-friendly walk instead.
License and Parking
A Custer State Park entrance license, $25 per vehicle for one to seven days, is required to park here. The lot is small for how popular the climb is, and AllTrails' popular-times chart shows mid-morning as busy, so come early or late in the day. There is no water on the trail.
Hiking tips for Little Devils Tower Trail
- Leave your hands free for the final scramble; stow poles and anything loose.
- Check whether the Needles Highway is open before a late-season drive.
- Come down the chimneys facing the rock if it feels steep.
- Watch for the split from Trail 4 so you don't end up on the long route to Black Elk Peak.
- Carry the water you need; there is none along the way.
Nearby trails to explore
- Cathedral Spires Trail
- Black Elk Peak Trail 9 from Sylvan Lake
- Sunday Gulch Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Little Devils Tower is a short, steep scramble that's more fun with someone spotting you. Use TrailMates to find hikers in the Black Hills headed for Little Devils Tower. Download the TrailMates app to connect.