Wind Cave National Park guide · 1 min read
Hiking Rankin Ridge and Prairie Vista Trails
Rankin Ridge Trail is a one-mile loop that climbs to the highest point in Wind Cave National Park.
The walk is short, but the views are wide. You can start the loop in either direction from the trailhead, and both routes lead back to where you began.
Near the top stands the Rankin Fire Tower, a historic lookout that is not open to the public, so you admire it from the trail. On a clear day, the trail's eastern edge offers a panoramic view into Badlands National Park, roughly 40 miles away. From the top, you get 360 degrees of views across the area around the ridge.
The trailhead is off South Dakota Highway 87 in the northern part of the park, and parking sits right beside it. Bison are part of the scene here, and on one hike a massive bison blocked half the loop, so the group simply walked back the way they had come. If you meet one, keep a safe distance.
Prairie Vista Trail is also a one-mile loop. It travels through rolling fields of open prairie and passes the natural cave entrance, so you can see grassland and a cave entrance on the same walk. The trail is narrow in places, with occasional steep grades, and it is not wheelchair accessible.
