Rankin Ridge Trail - Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is a 28,295 acre preserve in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In addition to the spectacular cave, the park also has a noteworthy topside. The prairie and mixed forest support a variety of wildlife from Prairie Dogs to Bison. To really see and understand the topography and geography of the place, it is helpful to view large areas from an elevated level. One such place in the park is Rankin Ridge near the northern end of the park.

A lookout tower sits atop Rankin Ridge, the highest point in the park at 5013 feet above sea level. A one-mile loop trail reaches the tower from the paved parking area located off South Dakota route 87. To reach the parking area from the north road entrance to the visitor center, drive north on US-385 for 0.4 miles and then turn right onto SD-87 at its southern terminus. Drive north on SD-87 for 5.0 miles, crossing two one-lane bridges along the route. At this point, turn right onto the Rankin Ridge Access Road and drive ¼ mile to the parking area.

The trail climbs about 250 feet from the parking lot to the tower and then descends back to the parking lot. With the tower being approximately halfway around the one-mile loop, that yields continuous grades of over 9% each way. Although the trail is short, the steep grade and overall elevation pushes it from an easy rating toward a moderate one.

Due to an abundance of poison ivy along the trail portion of the route, I chose to hike up to the tower and back along the gravel maintenance road that constitutes one-half of the trail loop. The tower is not open for visitors. Even from ground level, the views encompass nearly the entire park and terrain in Black Hills National Forest, Custer State Park, and Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. On a clear day, Badlands National Park can be seen over 40 miles to the east. I hiked the trail in August 2017.

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

Trailhead

Gravel road in the woods

Climbing the hill

Forest and prairie

Disentegrating rock outcrop

Open forest or tree-filled prairie

Buffalo Gap (9.6 miles)

A closer view of Buffalo Gap

First glimpse of the fire lookout tower

Bench along the trail

Fire lookout tower

Another view of Buffalo Gap

"NO ENTRY"

Loop trail continues down the ridge

Wayside exhibit

Prairie and forest

A last look at the lookout tower

Beginning the descent

"The Long and Winding Road..."

Entry to Wind Cave National Park is free. Cave tours require a fee of $10 to $30 per adult depending on the tour. Prices are reduced for children and seniors. Tickets for the current day tours are sold at the visitor center on a first come, first served basis.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/wica.