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Home › South Dakota › Little Devils Tower via Upper Norbeck Trail
About the Trail
This hike provides a quiet and strenuous way of climbing Little Devils Tower. It uses a combination of the Norbeck Trail and the Little Devils Tower Trail plus a spur to reach a stunning open summit with spectacular views in all directions. There are some difficult scrambles on the spur to the summit.
Map
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Directions
Description
From the trailhead, hike pass a gate and stay straight at a junction on the Norbeck Trail. The first part of trail is flat and is on an old road. Soon, the trails enters the Black Elk Wilderness and continues on an old road. Then it crosses a stream and becomes a narrow footpath that starts ascending in the valley. The trail has very little shade but the openness does provide nice views. The trail skirts below a rocky outcropping and keeps climbing all the way to a junction with the Little Devils Tower Trail. Take a left and soon pass some spectacular pinnacles. Now the trail enters a really nice mossy forest before entering an open area with spectacular views of the Cathedral Spires. Soon a junction with the Cathedral Spire Trail is reached. Stay straight on the fairly level trail and then reach a junction with the spur to the summit of Little Devils Tower. Take a right and hike through new growth on a trail with easy grades. Then the trail enters a rocky area before turning left and ascending a chimney. After the chimney, the trail ascends steeply on slab rocks all the way to the summit. At the top, walk around the large summit area for stunning views.
| Hike Facts | Trailhead Facts | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥾 Trail Features: | Views, pinnacles, forests and a summit | 🥾 Parking: | A decent sized paved parking area that is usually empty. | 🥾Nearest Services | |
| 🥾 Milage: | 🥾 Acccess Road: | Paved | 🥾 Nearest Lodging: | ||
| 🥾 Elevation Gain: | 🥾 Trailhead Features: | Parking and a vault toilet | 🥾 Nearest Camping: | ||
| 🥾 Trail Use/Surface: | 🥾 Trailhead Elevation: | ||||
| 🥾 Pets: | Yes | 🥾 Park Hours: | 24 | ||
| 🥾 Crowds: | No, but the summit itself could be crowded. | 🥾 Fee: | $20.00 for a 7 day license per vehicle and $36.00 for an annual pass. | ||
| 🥾 Bugs: | Minimal | 🥾 Best Season: |
Handicap Acccessibility
No
Tips for a Great Hike
🥾 Carry plenty of water and wear sturdy footwear.
🥾 This trail can be very hot in the summer.
🥾 Scrambling is needed on the final ascent to Little Devils Tower.
🥾 There are three shorter routes to the summit if you think this hike looks hard. The shortest way starts at the actual Little Devils Trailhead and is only 2.6 miles round trip. You can also climb Little Devils tower from the Cathedral Spires Trailhead and is 2.8 miles roundtrip. It is 3.4 miles roundtrip if you begin at the Sylvan Lake Trailhead.
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Recommended Resources
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd502930.pdf