Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 43.96190°N / 103.3982°W
Additional Information County: Pennington
Activities Activities: Hiking, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 5331 ft / 1625 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

*Under Construction*
From the northBoulder Hill from the north


Boulder Hill is a surprisingly scrappy and rugged little peak in the eastern Black Hills near Rapid City, South Dakota. The peak is a splendid example of the surprising beauty of the Black Hills. The 10 or so minutes of scrambling at the top of the hill came to me as a very pleasant surprise. The summit area is characterized by two highpoints: A lower, southern highpoint with the ruins of an old lookout on top from which broad views can be enjoyed, and a smaller, northern true highpoint which includes the USGS marker.

The views from the top of this peak are mostly open and quite nice! Rolling hills are all around. Parts of Rapid City can be seen in the distance to the northeast and Harney Peak dominates the horizon to the southwest. The easiest route to the summit is a Class 2+ jaunt through and over boulders and up ramps, and this is a good introduction to scrambling for beginners or kids.

Rank: 124th highest peak in South Dakota
Prominence: 391 feet
USGS Quad: Mount Rushmore
Recreation Map: Trails Illustrated #751 | Black Hills North

Rank & Prominence: Lists of John

Getting There

Wild IrisWild Iris
Rocky TerrainRocky Terrain


Boulder Hill is just a few road miles out of Rockerville, South Dakota. Rockerville is approximately 15 minutes southwest from Rapid City and can be reached by travelling roughly 13 miles westbound on US 16. Boulder Hill is also readily accessible by visitors to Hill City, a popular Black Hills tourist town. The mountain is snuggled between US 16 to the south, US 385 to the west and County 228 / FS 433 to the north.

Ruins of old lookoutRuins of old lookout
Southeast down the ridgeSoutheast down the ridge
USGS MarkerUSGS Marker

Red Tape

Views to the northeastViews to the northeast
Harney Peak dominatesHarney Peak dominates

Generally, there is relatively little red tape in this area. There is no fee to visit this part of the Black Hills National Forest and permits are not required for parking or foot travel.
Please follow LNT (Leave No Trace) principals:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Camping

Along the ledge system (1)Along the ledge system
Ledge System (2)Beautiful ledge system


The nearest camping is in the Sheridan Lake complex (elevation 4,624 feet).

Sheridan Lake South Short Campground
• Open year-round
• $21/night
• 126 sites
• Grills, tables & vault toilets

Visit the Black Hills National Forest Website for Sheridan Lake Campsite for more information.

Toward Rapid CityToward Rapid City
Harney Peak to the SouthwestHarney Peak to the Southwest
Summit ViewsSummit Views

Weather & Seasons

Panoramic Views

Panorama (1)Views over boulders to Harney Peak


Panorama (2)Harney Peak dominates the southwestern skyline


Panorama (3)Mountains, mountains everywhere!


Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.