BHNF Trail #4: Cathedral Spires

Leaving from Sylvan Lake Trailhead or Little Devils Tower Trailhead, users will follow a small drainage with ample wildlife viewing and rock-climbing opportunities. As the trail climbs, vistas of granite spires and the town of Custer appear. A side trail leads to Little Devils Tower. Rather than a more distant, all-encompassing view of the granite formations, this trail leads you about to the bases of them. Glancing upward at these giants gives you a much better sense of scale as to their spectacular size.
The trail is fairly short, 1.5 miles one way, and connects with Trail 4 in the Harney Range Trail System. Rated as a strenuous trail by the park, Cathedral Spires can feel deceptively easy at the beginning, but once you reach some of the short rock scrambles, you€™ll understand the difficulty rating. Be prepared to clamber over some rocky stretches of trail as you gradually gain elevation. Despite these tricky spots, there is also a fair amount of level trail and no summit to achieve. A nice feature of this trail is the area of flat (or what passes for flat in these parts), open ground at the end where you can enjoy a picnic amongst the spires. Just remember to pack out whatever you packed in.

Trail Elevation: 6,100 feet -
Trail Difficulty: Difficult
Trail Distance: 2.3 miles

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