ReckonTrails Open the map

South Dakota trails · Little Devil's Tower

Little Devil's Tower

A 2.9-mile network in South Dakota, with 777 ft of climbing. Reaches Little Devils Tower and other arch/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.

Open in the interactive map →

Length
2.9 mi
Elevation gain
777 ft
Difficulty
Moderate
Max grade
38%
Steepest mile
+694 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
1.0 mi
Shape
network
Bikes
no
Horses
no
Managed by
State

Elevation profile

6,183 – 6,963 ft12

Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 70% of the ascent, between mile 1.0 and mile 1.9. It gives back about 527 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Little Devil's Tower

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Terrain graded T3 (SAC scale) — exposed or hands-on hiking reported on part of this route.

Getting there

Little Devil's Tower access — parking nearby. About 56 min drive (37 mi) from Rapid City. 43.84613, -103.55937 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:38 a.m., the sun rises at 7:07 a.m. and sets at 6:12 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:41 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 05 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 2.9-mile route takes roughly 1 h 27 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 8:34 a.m. — 9 h 38 min before sunset.

Nearby trails