Black Elk Peak elevation
7,242ft
above sea level · 2,207 m
Black Elk Peak (Harney Peak) is the highest point in South Dakota and the 15th highest of the 50 state high points. It’s in Pennington County, according to the USGS gazetteer.
By the All Map Tools Team
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Place facts
- Coordinates
- 43.87° N · 103.53° W
- In degrees, minutes and seconds: 43° 51′ 58″ N · 103° 31′ 52″ W
- UTM coordinates
- 13T · 618,025 E · 4,858,037 N
- Zone 13 · NAD83, the official US datum
- Time zone
- Mountain Time
- UTC−7 · UTC−6 in summer (daylight saving time)
- Ground height (3DEP)
- 7,225 ft
- What the USGS model gives at this exact point, on a 1 m grid. The official elevation is 7,242 ft.
Compared with other state high points
At 7,242 ft (2,207 m), Black Elk Peak is the 15th highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska (20,310 ft), and the lowest is Britton Hill, in Florida (345 ft).
The USGS table “Elevations and Distances in the United States” gives it 7,242 ft. The 3DEP elevation model gives 7,225 ft at the gazetteer point: 17 ft less, which is normal on a summit: the model averages the ground in each cell.
South Dakota’s capital, Pierre, is 162 mi away in a straight line and 5,763 ft lower.
The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Aurora (CO), 294 mi away in a straight line and 1,837 ft lower.
South Dakota’s lowest point is Big Stone Lake, at 966 ft: a total relief of 6,276 ft.
- 15 Black Elk Peak 7,242 ft
Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list
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Frequently asked questions
What people most often ask about the elevation of Black Elk Peak.
How tall is Black Elk Peak?
Black Elk Peak is 7,242 feet (2,207 m) above sea level. That’s the official USGS figure, from its table of state high points.
What are the coordinates of Black Elk Peak?
Latitude 43.86599 and longitude -103.53120, in decimal degrees (43° 51′ 58″ N · 103° 31′ 52″ W). In UTM, zone 13: 618,025 E and 4,858,037 N, on NAD83.
Is Black Elk Peak the highest mountain in the US?
No. It’s the 15th highest of the 50 state high points. The highest is Denali, in Alaska, at 20,310 ft.
What county is Black Elk Peak in?
The summit point falls in Pennington County, South Dakota. The USGS table lists Pennington.
Does Black Elk Peak have other names?
Yes: “Harney Peak”. The Board on Geographic Names (BGN) renamed it in 2016.
How is elevation measured?
Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.
Sources
- USGS, “Elevations and Distances in the United States” The official elevation of the summit. Public domain.
- USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The ground height at the summit point, to check the figure. Public domain.
- USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The position and official name of the summit. Public domain.
- TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
- timezone-boundary-builder The point’s time zone (ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors).
- Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).
Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know