Wind Cave National Park hiking guide
Highland Creek Trail
A 13.4-mile loop with 1,500 ft of climbing in Wind Cave National Park, rated difficult.
Key facts
- Length
- 13.4 mi (21.6 km)
- Elevation gain
- 1,500 ft (456 m)
- Route type
- Loop
- Difficulty
- Difficult
About Highland Creek Trail
This route links several habitats in Wind Cave National Park, moving from open mixed-grass prairie into ponderosa pine forest and along the riparian corridors of Highland Creek, Beaver Creek and Wind Cave Canyon. Its variety makes it one of the park's most diverse hikes, with creekside stretches that contrast with the open grassland. You can start from the northern trailhead on NPS 5 or reach it with a one-mile walk down the Wind Cave Canyon trail.
Route map
This route was checked by Parka editors.
