| Sylvan Lake | |
| Coords: | 43.8457°N -103.5635°W |
| Outflow: | Sunday Gulch Creek |
| Basin Countries: | United States |
| Area: | 17.3acres |
| Depth: | 12.8feet |
| Max-Depth: | 30feet |
| Shore: | 1 mile (1.6 km) |
| Elevation: | 6145feet |
| Pushpin Map: | South Dakota#USA |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Sylvan Lake in South Dakota, USA. |
Sylvan Lake is a lake located in Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States. It was created in 1891 when Theodore Reder built a dam (the Sylvan Lake Water Dam) across Sunday Gulch Creek.[1] The lake area offers picnic places, rock climbing, small rental boats, swimming, and hiking trails. It is also popular as a starting point for excursions to Black Elk Peak and The Needles. A hotel was operated on the shore of the lake in the early 20th century .[2]
The lake was featured in Disney's 2007 film . The film made the lake appear to be located directly behind Mount Rushmore when in reality it is actually five miles southwest of Mount Rushmore.