Tag Archives: Harney Peak

Sylvan Lake Lodge

Sylvan Lake Lodge – 13389 US Hwy 16A, Custer, SD 57730

Stay in the Lodge or in one of their cabins just around the corner and you have a great place to start your trip around Sylvan Lake Sylvan Lake and up Harney Peak Harney Peak.  You can also take your chances through driving through Needles Highway, slow down and drive a smaller vehicle.

The front of Sylvan Lake Lodge

Here is their website.

Sylvan Lake Lodge Cabin, picnic table, and fire pit.

We stayed in one of the cabins.  Some cabins are bigger than others.  Ours had 2 beds and a bathroom.  The campfire outside was nice and the fireplace inside was fun to have in the room.  We found some flying insects in the room, but this is a park and bound to happen.

Sylvan Lake Lodge bed, fireplace, and appliances.

The cabins are a very short walk to the lodge and the restaurant.  We ate breakfast and one dinner at the lodge.  The lounge area is really nice.  We took our dinner on the outdoor patio.  There is an opening along the wall of the patio that you can take right off a ledge or down to the front of the building, I love South Dakota.  It is very tread at your own risk.

seating at Sylvan Lake Lodge

Breakfast the lodge can be a little slow, but the food is amazing:  pancakes, try the pancakes.  The bacon was pretty good too.  The restaurant is very high end for South Dakota.  Check out their menu.

This cost is high for South Dakota, but not super expensive.  Really the overall cost was rather reasonable.  Plus you are right there to start your trek up to Harney Peak or around Sylvan Lake.

Alpine Inn

Alpine Inn – 133 Main St, Hill City, SD 57745

The Alpine Inn is great from a location standpoint being super close to Harney Peak and a ton of other places like Mount Rushmore.  It has a long history and is family owned.  It’s history dates back to the gold rush.  I cannot speak to the lodging, but they keep the stairs to the upstairs area well watched and you have an excellent bar and restaurant right below your feet when you stay here.  The prices look reasonable.

Check out their rates and the restaurant menu on their website, Alpine Inn Hill City.

Alpine Inn sign with me

Now let’s discuss the restaurant and bar.  Expect to wait for a table in the evening and take advantage of their indoor or outdoor bar area as you wait.  The wait is well worth it.

Their lunch menu has a few more items to choose from on it than their dinner menu, but their dinner menu is awesome both the items on it and due to how short it is.

We went for dinner.  I enjoyed a nice glass of wine while we sat on the porch.  They moved the people through pretty quickly.  This is a cash only til so make sure you have cash on you before you go inside.  They also have an ATM available to use.

I love the atmosphere inside the restaurant.  It seems like a rather large restaurant, but it is divided into many little areas with very low lighting.  We ended up in a room with 4 tables and one other set of guests.

Your evening dinner choices basically come down to meat or vegetarian.  With a second choice of small cut of meat or large cut of meat.  Oh and the meat item is a dirt cheap filet mignon.  For those of you who have never heard of filet mignon this particular cut of meat is meant to be eaten medium rare so please do not ask them to burn it to a crisp.  The salad was a quarter wedge of lettuce covered in homemade ranch dressing, so good and simple.

I was scared based on the price, but this was a truly amazing meal.  Super cheap for what you get, but very good quality.

This place is well known for their desserts.  Order one.  Just do it.

Everything is great about The Alpine Inn.  If you are in the area definitely stop in, this place is worth it.