Sylvan Lake - Custer State Park, South Dakota
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 43° 51.108 W 103° 33.906
13T E 615328 N 4856413
Sylvan Lake is one of the most beautiful spots in Custer State Park, as well as a great place to go swimming.
Waymark Code: WM21YE
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 08/21/2007
Views: 89
The following excerpt is from the WPA South Dakota American Guide:
At o.2m. (L) is SYLVAN LAKE. No one viewing this beautiful body of water would imagine that it was anything but a work
of nature. It is only after going through a natural chasm in the
rock and emerging below the lake that the inconspicuous wall
holding back the waters of a mountain brook is seen. But there is
no surface indication to mar the beauty of this little lake, reflecting in its quiet mirror the rock walls that rise abruptly from its depths and those other rocks that jut from its placid surface to form picturesque islets. Overlooking it is the new State-owned hotel (see Tour 14), seeming like a continuation of the rock itself. At a broad wharf are boats in which one may idle away a summer afternoon, fishing from the rocky islands or from the boat itself.
For those who like the cold mountain waters, swimming suits are
available. In winter when deep ice covers the lake, winter sports
enthusiasts from all through the Hills convene here for skiing,
skating, and tobogganing. Perhaps no investment made in Black
Hills scenic improvements has yielded richer returns than Sylvan
Lake.
Well, you can no longer rent swimsuits (yuck) but the lake is still as lovely today as it was when the guide was written. The "new" state owned hotel is still next to the lake, as well as picnicking areas. I never realized that the little lake wasn't natural until I read the American Guide passage about it. It looks like it's been there forever.