Harney Peak, near Hill City, is the highest point in South Dakota. The hike to the top is one of the most beautiful in the Black Hills and hikers make the trip year round – in all types of weather.

This winter, however, the trek to the top of Harney will be more of a challenge due to some hiking trails that have been temporarily closed. In recent years, much of the Black Hills National Forest has been infested by mountain pine beetles.

The beetles are quickly devouring large portions of ponderosa pine stands here in the Black Hills, particularly around the Harney Peak area. Many of the normally dark green trees are now brown and dead from top to bottom.

Although forestry managers often choose to let nature take its course, they have decided to step in and try to help combat the pine beetles through some planned thinning in the area during the coming months.

South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks has closed two heavily used trails in the area, to allow logging crews to work throughout the winter. The most popular hike to Harney Peak, trail 9 from the Sylvan Lake day-use area, was closed this past weekend.

Also, Little Devil’s Tower-trail 4 has been closed for a couple of weeks already and will remain closed until the logging crews have finished their work in the area.

Forestry crews will be working all winter to remove the beetle-infested trees. In some areas, they’ll cut the trees into small pieces, creating “slash piles” which can be burnt once the area has significant snow cover.

Other trees that are not as severely infected will be able to be salvaged and sold for lumber. Those trees will  be airlifted up and out of the forest via helicopter.

Even with the trail closings, Harney Peak is still accessible by using other routes to the top. If you are interested in making the hike this winter, check out the Lost Cabin or Willow Creek trails or give one of the forest service offices a call and they will be able to give you some pointers.