Rushmore, Black Hills, and Spearfish Beta Wanted

Hello everybody, me and my friends are planning on driving out to South Dakota from Minnesota next weekend.

We wanted to check out Sylvan Lake and the surrounding Needles area. I have a couple questions though. We have 4 people going, 1 person is decently comfortable on trad up to maybe 5.8, I have only led 2 trad pitches in my life (5.5's) but would like to get on some more pitches, and the other 2 have never placed gear, but one would like to learn how. Is there the ability to top rope any of the climbs in the Sylvan Lake area or are we just not going to have enough to do for all the people in our group? We are going to be climbing Friday, Saturday, and probably Sunday too. I thought maybe we could do Sylvan Lake for a day, Spearfish Canyon for a day, and sunday at either of those two or maybe Rushmore?

The other thing I have heard is that Spearfish doesn't really have that many moderate climbs. 2 in our group onsight 10+ sport, one 10-, and the other person maybe 5.7 on lead and 5.9/10- on top rope. Is the last person in our party going to have enough climbs there to have fun for a day? I'm assuming we could top rope (on our own gear of course) at Spearfish, right?

I haven't looked into Rushmore yet but I heard that there is some more moderate sport climbing there so maybe that would be better?

Lastly, what about camping? I know Sturgis is the week after we are there so is camping going to be hard to find? What about Wrinkled Rock campground by Rushmore, is that close enough to Sylvan Lake? Or we could just camp at Sylvan Lake in the state park right? What about Spearfish, is there camping there?

I appreciate any advice. The other option is Devil's Lake in Wisconsin if our group make-up isn't conducive to these areas. Okay I did a little more reading and it sounds like Rushmore might be a better destination but I just really wanted to check out Spearfish and the Needles because I've heard such great things about them. Is Rushmore also a "destination" climbing area worth a 9 hour drive for the weekend? Is there camping available there?

I also just check the Sylvan Lake campground and there is only one site left and it is only available on thursday so that's not an option for friday-sunday I guess.

I can't comment on Spearfish, but the group you've described will probably have a better time at Rushmore than in Custer SP. A lot of Needles trad is old-school trad, meaning possibly quite run-out at, say, two grades below the crux grade. And if you are not used to the rock, there may be an adjustment period.

I don't think the Needles is an ideal place to learn gear placement skills either. The irregularity of many placements plus the variable quality of the rock itself makes for a more than ordinarily challenging environment.

If you do go to CSP, I'd recommend starting on routes around 5.5 (and there are plenty of good ones at that level...)

the needles and rushmore are old school (read run-out and bold)climbing, even bolted climbs require a good lead head. At Rushmore I'd recommend Solitaire (5.7, a few bolts and the top traverse section takes good gear before a final bolt to the chains). As they are mostly spires there are few if any times when you can set a TR without leading to the anchors (if their are any anchors). Buy a guide book. Needles and Rushmore are badass and beautiful, have fun and be safe. Can't speak to Spearfish cause I haven't been yet.

Some beta on the needles is that most of the climbs are going to be pretty bold leads. Lots of long runouts, and routes that just straight up have no protection at all. Most of the routes are old school ratings, so from what I have been told by visiting climbers is that they are very sandbagged. If you feel comfortable leading a 5.7 trad, I would probably start with a 5.5 and see how you feel after that. A few routes you could try are the Conn Route on Aquarium rock, Innercourse, Trail of Teeth, Rhino, Old People's dome, and if those all go well give Sardine or Riddle a shot. The reason being for the runouts in the needles is that everything is bolted from the ground up, meaning no bolts are drilled on the rappel. So the only place you will find a bolt is where you can let go of the rock with both hands and hand drill a bolt for 25 minutes. Rushmore on the other hand is a different story, as rap bolting is allowed there. Most of the routes at rushmore will be relatively well protected with a lot of bolts, the trad climbing there is sparse, but what they do have are very very fun trad routes. As for spearfish canyon I have not been there, but from what I have heard you are correct on your statement that they don't have many easy routes.

Overall I would probably suggest going to Rushmore, its a lot easier area to navigate, and it is more likely you will run into other climbers who can assist you with directions to specific routes. The Spires are a good spot, but are pretty tough to find your way around in, and some of them can get a little spooky if you aren't used to long runouts. No matter where you go you'll have a great time! Enjoy!

Also for camping, in the Black Hills National Forest you are allowed to camp anywhere you want, however unless you are in a campground no open fires are permitted. So you can camp wherever you want.

Spearfish is sandbagged and may be rough. Rushmore should have enough moderate sport climbs for your group. I would not suggest the needles for the first time trad leader. I grew up in the Midwest and would still suggest the Black Hills area over Devil's Lake as I feel like there's substantially more to experience.

Spent a day at each of these areas last summer on a road trip (1.5 days at spearfish).

Spearfish is mostly pretty hard, but awesome. If you go to the Mohican wall, and work left to right throughout the day you will find enough 9s and 10s to keep you busy for a day. Lots of good routes, including Yippy-Ki-Yay 10b which is one of the best I have ever climbed in my life. Your friend who onsites 10+ will also be psyched to maybe hop on some of the 11- routes available (there are lots) and perhaps not onsite them but have a ton of fun! Stick clip will be nice there. If people in your group are willing to push the comfort zones you described you will have a ton of fun there. I know some people who lead 5.7 and are psyched to TR harder stuff, I know others who get super frustrated when they struggle, so I'd say it depends on the headspace and attitude of the group.

Rushmore will be great. Lots of well protected sport routes on rock similar to the needles but not so scary. Get on the Pollinator (5.10) another one of the best pitches I have ever climbed. It's a full 60m from the ground to the summit, and rad the whole way! This route and this area in general are not scary.

The needles...kinda scary. Possible to TR some stuff, in some cases by climbing an easier route on the same formation, but everything I climbed there felt run out and scary with the exception of the Dakota-Illinois which was a fun handcrack pretending to be an offwidth (can be TR'd but just lead the thing). You could also head out to the Middle Earth area (sylvan lake) and get on Waste Knot which is all bolts, really awesome at 5.8 and only a bit scary/runout. The rock seems so sharp and covered with jutting crystals everywhere I really wouldn't want to fall a significant distance.

+1 million for the black hills, which were not really on my radar until my homie from SD sprayed em up to me. Now I feel like it's an area I want to go back and spend at least 2 weeks in.

Camping was kinda weird. We camped in the rushmore parking lot, and a couple of spots up some USFS roads which we had to go pretty deep on to find a decent free site. But the people I was with were kinda picky, and we had zero camping beta.

Good luck, have a great trip. I say hit em all up, even if you gotta take some whippers at spearfish. That's the great thing about sport climbing!

The Black Hills is way too far to drive from Minnesota, plus 10 hours on I90 is super boring. Most of the climbs are sketchy out there anyways, and the camping is terrible. If you do go just stick to the faces at Mount Rushmore, they are truly a sight to behold. Maybe check out the Cosmos Mystery area too, and be sure to save half a day for Wall Drug, probably both on the drive out and the drive back.

In my opinion Rushmore is a destination for that amount of time. I've never been to spearfish or the needles so can't comment on them, but myself and my partner just spent 3 days there a few weeks ago and we could felt like we could have been there for a month. There are plenty of moderate routes there. We started a few grades lower than we are used to climbing and slowly built up. We are also from Minnesota and the rock is very different. We felt like we were just getting used to it as we were leaving. I'd recommend getting the guidebook if you go. The maps alone are worth it and my favorite climb I did there wasn't even on MP so I'm assuming there are many more as well. There were also lots of confused people we met that didn't have a guidebook and didn't know what they were climbing.

Neil and Cassidy wrote:The Black Hills is way too far to drive from Minnesota, plus it's super boring. Most of the climbs are sketchy out there anyways, and the camping is terrible. If you do go just stick to the faces at Mount Rushmore, they are truly a sight to behold. Maybe check out the Cosmos Mystery area too, and be sure to save half a day for Wall Drug, probably both on the drive out and the drive back.

I'm sorry but if you think the Black Hills are boring you're out of your mind and you weren't doing the right stuff while you were here. Wall Drug? Cosmos? Let's be clear, did you come here specifically to climb? or did you come on a vacation and bring a few quickdraws thinking you were going to squeeze a few routes in here and there. The climbs here are only sketchy if you climb routes that are too difficult for you. If you are comfortable at the level you are climbing, then a little runout shouldn't scare you. The needle's have the most unique style of climbing there is. I guess im not sure what's not to like about big crystals up a vertical face that has a summit the size of a barstool... Or some of the coolest summit scenery you'll ever see. Sorry our routes don't have a bolt every 4 feet like what most people are used to, but that is part of what makes it unique, and keeps people who shouldn't be climbing certain routes off of them. Bring yourself to the level of the route instead of bringing the route to your level by adding a bolt every 4 feet. Also to say that the camping sucks here is just straight ignorant.

I agree that not all the camping is bad. Iris isn't too far a walk from the good stuff up north...

Neil and Cassidy wrote:I agree that not all the camping is bad. Iris isn't too far a walk from the good stuff up north...

Some of the campgrounds aren't the greatest, but you can go off any forest service road you want and find a super cool place to camp. The nice thing about our area is that its not crowded. You will rarely be climbing the same route as other climbers in the needles, and if youre camping in the forest, I almost guarantee you wont see anyone else unless you are off a main backpacking trail. Also, not that far from MN, only about 9 hours.

brandonemery wrote: The nice thing about our area is that its not crowded.

I'm with you bud.

The bunny slope wall in the Sunshine area at Spearfish sounds like it would work for you. 7 routes in a row at 5.8 to 5.10c. Most you can traverse from an easier routes anchors to set a toprope for the harder routes. Those routes are not hard....great rests and closely spaced bolts. Easy approach as well. A buddy and I went up a lead the whole wall in a relaxed hour....maybe less. If you can't lead those easy 5.8's then you can't lead 5.8 anywhere! ;)

If you climb in Rushmore you gotta moon the sightseeing helicopters

Neil and Cassidy wrote:The Black Hills is way too far to drive from Minnesota, plus 10 hours on I90 is super boring. Most of the climbs are sketchy out there anyways, and the camping is terrible. If you do go just stick to the faces at Mount Rushmore, they are truly a sight to behold. Maybe check out the Cosmos Mystery area too, and be sure to save half a day for Wall Drug, probably both on the drive out and the drive back.

the free climbers campground is not bad at all...sorry its not a hotel, but its definitely an excellent place with good platforms and decent toilets, within walking distance to many stellar crags in rushmore. As to the drive, its 80mph pretty much all the way and is only 9 from the twin cities, not bad for amazing spires, bold leads, and remarkable scenery...skip wall drug and drive the badlands scenic highway.

Guys I think Neil and Cassedy was just trying to scare off some non-locals, doubt he was serious. Sorry for crowding your crag man! We're going anyway though, haha.

If I have time I'm going to try and respond to everybody individually but for now everybody has been incredibly helpful. I was really impressed with how knowledgable and friendly everybody has been with helping us out so on behalf of the group, thank you.

As of now we are thinking of 2 days in Rushmore, 1 day in Spearfish, and a half day in the Needles just to at least hike around and maybe get in a climb or two. We're camping at sylvan lake 2 nights, displaced camping the first night and hopefully going to find some camping up by spearfish for the last night.

There ought to be some things you can do in the Needles. If you are camped at Sylvan Lake, I'd recommend a 5.3 on Aquarium rock, mountainproject.com/v/conn-…. The Conn Retable route 5.6 (Piana) or 5.7 (MP) on the Inner Outlet mountainproject.com/v/retab… gets you up a substantial formation.

Some 5.6 (Piana) or 5.7 (MP) climbing will get you up one of the best routes in the Needles, the Conn Diagonal route on the Outer Outlet mountainproject.com/v/conn-….

If you want to climb in the Cathedral Spires, then the Conn 1952 East Chimney route on Spire 1 at 5.5 (Piana) or 5.7+ (MP) is one of the nicest outings, mountainproject.com/v/spire…, and if time is short the 5.6 (Piana) or 5.7 (MP) route on the Tent Peg in the Tenpins is a good choice, mountainproject.com/v/tent-….

I've linked some info on some of these routes on Mountain Project. I have copies of maps from the Piana guide I can email (and have posted on this site somewhere or other...) What you really want is a look at the Piana guide, which is out of print but might be available for inspection and note-taking in one of the stores mentioned above or at the Sylvan Rocks guide service, sylvanrocks.com/.

I only spent half a day in the Needles while on a longer trip through the west from the south, but I wish I would have spent more time there (rather than at 10sleep). Custer State Park is a pretty phenomenal place. I camped at the free spot down the road from Mt. Rushmore. It was peaceful and nice though minimalist. Guidebooks are available at Sylvan Lake. Without one, prepare to wander the maze. You can swim (read bathe) in the lake after climbing. Summits are awesome. Approaches can be very easy at Sylvan Lake. The climbing I did wasn't scary (Lander Turkey Shoot & Kamps/Classic Crack). I wish I would have done the Conn Diagonal.

Also, see Mt Rushmore but don't pay the high rate to park right there. Park down low and walk up. At sunset it was pretty swell.

Finally, If driving all the way to South Dakota, consider peaking your head into WY and climbing Devil's Tower. You can crag or summit. It's only 2hrs away. Camp at Frank's (look at the MP page).

We stayed at Fort Welikit Family Campground in Custer last year. It's a little off the beaten path but real close to Sylvan and Custer SP. Of course being a private campground it cost more.

Check out the South Seas area in Mount Rushmore Memorial. It's right off the road so almost no approach and more moderate climbs that you'll know what to do with.

I would recommend more than one day for Spearfish Canyon. I haven't gone back to the Black Hills since discovering Spearfish. Pick the side of the canyon that's out of the sun. Unlike the Black Hills, Spearfish is bolted with comfortable spacing between bolts. Bring a stick clip and you can work through the harder climbs and still have a blast. Mountain Project has a lot more climbs than the book but the book is still worth getting. The Trail of Tears Wall in The Mohican area in Sunshine has a 5.9, two 5.10's and 3 moderate 11's you can work through. The Euphamia Beresford Memorial area (also in Sunshine) has enough to keep everyone happy. Stay away from Skeletal Remains. Yuck. You could spend all day in the Slim Shady Wall and be out of the sun. It's a bit of a walk but most of it's flat. Mountain Project's classics are worth doing. Pakistani route route is near another 5.9. Yippey Kay Yay is a 5.10 but big and juggy all the way.

We stay at Chris' Campground which is at the top of the canyon with easy access to the evening beer and burger. On your next trip consider pushing through to Ten Sleep Canyon in Wyoming, climbing for a day or two and then hitting Spearfish on your way back.