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
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 |
View east from Rankin Ridge to Great Plains |
Gravel fire tower road |
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