Rankin Ridge Trail (Wind Cave NP)

Trailhead Elevation: 4,751 ft.
High Point Elevation:4,992 ft.
Distance: 1.35 mi. (my Forerunner 230)
Elevation Gain: 225 ft. (my GPS)
Start Time: 3:30pm
End Time: 4:00pm
Trip Report:
Wind Cave has a number of nice, mostly short trails that are worth checking out. If I had a few days and time I would love to see them all. Some of the rolling prairie mixed into the forests of the southern Black Hills would make for fantastic landscape. I wanted to get a hike in somewhere in this beautiful park and in my typical style, I found one that hit a high point. I also needed something short in length to fit the family schedule for the day. The Rankin Ridge trail would check all the boxes for today.
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Buffalo in the meadow just before the trailhead |
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Luke on his way up the trail |
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Most of the ascent trail looked like this |
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On the ridge, the watch tower hidden in the trees ahead |
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From atop the ridge |
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Descending the double track service road |
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Back at the upper TH |
I have a track and waypoints from the hike all contained in a KML file that you are welcome to download and use (at your own risk).
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