Wind Cave National Park: Rankin Ridge Trail (Blog Hike #81)

Trail: Rankin Ridge Trail

Hike Location: Wind Cave National Park

Geographic Location: north of Hot Springs, SD (43.62274, -103.48606)

Length: 1 mile

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: September 2000

Overview: A loop hike culminating at the fire watch tower on Rankin Ridge.

Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=137573
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From downtown Hot Springs, go north on US 385 past the Wind Cave Visitor Center to SR 87.  Turn right on SR 87.  Take SR 87 north 5 miles to the Rankin Ridge road on the right.  Turn right, and take the road 0.3 miles to the parking lot, where the road ends and the trail begins.

The hike: The main attraction at Wind Cave is and has always been underground.  Located at the southern edge of the Black Hills, one of the largest caves in the world has its only known natural opening some 100 yards from the visitor center.  Famous for its boxwork formations, the cave draws thousands of visitors each year. 

The park does not exclusively consist of the cave, but also contains 28,292 acres above the ground that are criss-crossed by 30 miles of trails.  The Rankin Ridge Trail is one of the shorter and more popular trails at the park.  Rankin Ridge lies at the very edge of the Black Hills on the boundary of the Great Plains.  This interesting trail can be hiked easily by most people and offers excellent views of the Great Plains to the east and the Black Hills to the west.

The trail begins on the east side of the parking area to the left of a gravel road.  Actually, this trail makes a loop around the top of Rankin Ridge and the road is the return portion of the trail.  A metal box contains trail guides (also available online via the link above) corresponding to the 14 numbered posts along the trail. Begin following the dirt trail north, gaining slightly in elevation.  The forest is almost exclusively ponderosa pine, one of the few species capable of surviving the dry, harsh Black Hills climate.  The thin, narrow leaves (needles) of the pine trees make them more efficient water users than their deciduous counterparts. 

View west from Rankin Ridge into Black Hills

            Post #3 talks about snags, dead trees that remain standing and become homes for many types of insects and birds such as the long-horned beetle, chickadees, and woodpeckers.  The trail begins ascending more noticeably as some small rock outcrops are encountered.  Post #7 describes a lockout to the Black Hills unfolding to the west.  From this point, a right turn and a set of steps brings you to the crest of the ridge, from which you can see the Great Plains to the east. 

View east from Rankin Ridge to Great Plains

            The trail takes a right hand turn and begins following the crest of the ridge, still climbing toward the fire tower.  Post #12 talks about the importance of fire to the natural environment of the Black Hills and the prairie.  Before fire suppression practices, fire would burn the pine trees on the edge of the Black Hills, preventing them from invading the adjoining prairie.  Today, looking east from the ridge, you can see patches of pines covering what used to be treeless prairie land. 

Gravel fire tower road

            The trail soon reaches the fire tower, which was staffed when I was here on a September morning during the dry season.  The ranger standing on the observation deck invited me to climb the 79 steps to the top of the fire tower, but given that I am afraid of heights, I felt forced to decline.  After a rest at the base of the tower, continue the trail as it picks up the gravel road, which switchbacks twice down the ridge to return you to the parking lot and complete the hike.