UpToWhereWhat can you see from Black Elk Peak (Black Hills)?
Renamed in 2016 to honour a Lakota medicine man whose vision was received on its slopes.
From Black Elk Peak (Black Hills), the terrain-limited line of sight reaches up to 247 km. The single farthest piece of visible terrain lies 247 km to the southwest (bearing 234°), at 2,660 m elevation. These results account for Earth's curvature and standard atmospheric refraction, computed from 30-meter resolution Copernicus GLO-30 elevation data across 2,241,263 terrain samples.
Open the interactive visibility map →Visibility by direction
The horizon is most open toward the southwest, where sightlines run 169 km on average; terrain closes the view down fastest to the east-southeast, at 0.0 km.
| N | 71.1 km | |
| NNE | 141 km | |
| NE | 116 km | |
| ENE | 125 km | |
| E | 54.7 km | |
| ESE | 0.0 km | |
| SE | 0.0 km | |
| SSE | 0.0 km | |
| S | 60.8 km | |
| SSW | 135 km | |
| SW | 169 km | |
| WSW | 20.3 km | |
| W | 17.9 km | |
| WNW | 25.5 km | |
| NW | 42.2 km | |
| NNW | 50.3 km |
Farthest named landmarks in view
165 named peaks, hills and headlands stand inside this viewshed. These are the farthest ones you could pick out on a clear day:
| Landmark | Visible distance | Direction | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Mountain | 245 km | SW · 233° | 2,786 m |
| Twin Peaks | 245 km | SW · 232° | 2,814 m |
| Warbonnet Peak | 243 km | SW · 230° | 2,861 m |
| Buck Peak | 242 km | SW · 233° | 2,743 m |
| Twin Peak | 242 km | SW · 233° | 2,410 m |
| Roaring Mountain | 242 km | SW · 232° | 2,833 m |
About Black Elk Peak (Black Hills)
Black Elk Peak, officially renamed on 11 August 2016, sits in the Black Hills of South Dakota at 7,242 feet and stands as the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. The peak was formerly known as Harney Peak, named for General William S. Harney who led a massacre of a Lakota encampment in 1855 that killed at least 86 people. Lakota tribal members and descendants of Black Elk, the noted Sioux medicine man, successfully petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change the name, honouring the place where Black Elk received his transformative 'Great Vision' at age nine.
Did you know?
- A stone fire lookout tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938–39, still stands at the summit and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Black Elk, the Oglala Lakota holy man honoured in the peak's name, later recounted his life and visions in the 1932 book 'Black Elk Speaks,' which became a landmark of American literature.
- The Black Hills are known to the Lakota as Paha Sapa and remain the subject of an unresolved land claim; in 1980 the Lakota refused a Supreme Court-ordered financial settlement, insisting on the return of the land itself.
- The summit trail, part of the Black Elk Wilderness within Custer State Park, is among the most popular day hikes in South Dakota.
- The surrounding wilderness area was named Harney National Forest until redesignated in recognition of the name change.
Frequently asked questions
How far can you see from Black Elk Peak (Black Hills)?
On a clear day the terrain allows a line of sight of up to 247 km from Black Elk Peak (Black Hills). The average visible distance across all 360 directions is 64.3 km. Atmospheric conditions (haze, humidity) usually reduce practical visibility below the terrain-limited maximum.
What is the farthest point visible from Black Elk Peak (Black Hills)?
The farthest terrain visible from Black Elk Peak (Black Hills) lies 247 km to the southwest, at an elevation of 2,660 m. Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction are accounted for in this calculation.
How high is Black Elk Peak (Black Hills)?
The observation point at Black Elk Peak (Black Hills) sits at 2,190 m above sea level (Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model).
How is this visibility map calculated?
UpToWhere traces lines of sight in 360 directions from the observer using 30 m-resolution Copernicus terrain data, correcting for Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. You can run the same analysis for any point on Earth with the free calculator.
Run your own analysis
Want to know what you can see from your house, a summit you're planning to climb, or a plot of land? UpToWhere computes the same 360° viewshed for any point on Earth in seconds — free.
Try the viewshed calculator
