Rankin Ridge Trail at Wind Cave National Park

Welcome to Travel Tuesday! We’re kicking off the year by heading to another national park from my summer road trip! Specifically, you’re coming with me on a hike on the Rankin Ridge Trail at Wind Cave National Park! (We’re still in South Dakota right now!)

We went to Wind Cave National Park after checking out Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial that morning. The original plan was to try to go on one of the tours so we could explore the caves, but sadly, it was not meant to be! The cave elevators were all down so all the tours were canceled.

Instead, we went to a ranger talk and got to see an opening (not for people) in one of the caves!

Come to think of it, I should have taken a photo next to it so you could see its effects on my hair (there was definitely wind coming from it!). Too bad I didn’t think of this sooner. Please don’t mind the random shoe in the corner of the photo. There were a good number of people there…

Rankin Ridge Trail at Wind Cave National Park

Since we couldn’t go down into the caves, we decided to go for a short hike and the scenic drive through the park instead! The Rankin Ridge Nature Trail is on the southeastern edge of the Black Hills and is the highest point (5013 feet) of Wind Cave National Park!

Distance: 1 mile loop
Elevation: 239 feet
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Admission: Free!
Parking: Free!
Trailhead Address: South Dakota 87, Custer, SD 57730 / 43.6228, -103.4859 (43° 37′ 22.07″N 103° 29′ 09.24″W)

This trail would be great for families! There’s a nature trail guide that you can download (or pick up at the trailhead) where you can learn more about the 14 different interpretative sites along the trail! Beware of rattlesnakes though! (We didn’t see any, but if you’re in the Black Hills, just be aware of em’.)

I liked that this hike wasn’t super heavily trafficked! We saw maybe…two-ish families while we were on the trail. No pets/bikes allowed though! :[

The fire tower is about 0.55 miles from the trailhead and is closed to the public. (Please don’t try to bypass the chain to climb. You can get a great view even without that!)

On a clear day, you might even be able to see Badlands National Park to the east! We saw a couple bison roaming in the prairies below (not pictured–my phone camera zoom wasn’t that great!).

• Have you ever been to Wind Cave National Park? Did you get to go down into the caves?
• Would you rather go on a scenic drive or a hike?