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Let's welcome winter by hiking in Wind Cave National Park! The Prairie Vista Trail is a beautiful place to greet the sun and the start of winter.

Register Here!

Timeline
Meet at the Wind Cave National Park Visitor Center at 6:45 a.m. The Prairie Vista trail is about a 1-mile loop with ~200ft of elevation gain, the estimated total hiking time is about 1 hour. Black Hills Parks & Forests Association (BHPFA) Program Manager and SheJumps Event Coordinator Andrea Fountain will lead you on the short hike to the overlook where we will enjoy a sunrise and reflect on the past year. After sunrise, we will descend and have the option to depart or head back to the visitor center for coffee and bagels!

The hike: Curious to get more information about the trail? Check out this link to AllTrails that thoroughly describes the trail. The trail is not an ADA trail.

What to bring:
Please be prepared with warm layers, sturdy hiking/winter boots, and a water bottle. If you have any questions about what else to bring, please reach out to our Event Coordinator Andrea at afountain@shejumps.org.

Who can come?
We welcome all women and girls—transgender and cisgender, as well as non-binary people to participate in this event. Ages 8 and up are welcome. This hike is open to all skill levels - beginners are welcome! Pre-registration is required for all attendees. Please leave your dog(s) at home.

Remember to bring your mug for coffee afterward!

*Please note: the event is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. We will let you know as late as the night before if we need to cancel due to weather conditions.

FAQ's & Other Event Information

Parking and getting to the event:
Parking spots are available at the visitor center. There is no fee to park. While there are no public transportation options, we encourage you to invite a friend and carpool if you can!

To find us day-of: Come inside to check in and look for our event coordinator, Andrea.

Admission: Our event organizer will have a list of names for those who register, so no need to show your ticket on your phone or print out your ticket.

Amenities: There are vault toilets available at the trailhead for use before the hike. There are also gendered restrooms inside the visitor center that participants can use after the hike.

Can you offer accommodations?: If you need to request any accommodation(s) for this event, please do so at checkout. We will do our best to accommodate the needs of all of our participants so everyone can enjoy this event with us.

Questions? Contact Andrea at afountain@shejumps.org

Join Naturalist Paul Schweitzer for a New Year's Eve nature hike to Wind Cave National Park's highest point, Rankin Ridge. You will learn about the history of Wind Cave, and the significance of the Rankin Ridge Fire tower while you take in the beautiful winter views of the surrounding area. 

At the end of the hike, we will toast to a new year with hot coco! Bring your own mug, hot chocolate will be provided. 

The hike is a one-mile loop, with about 250 ft of elevation gain on uneven terrain. Please dress for the weather with sturdy hiking boots. All ages are welcome!

Register Here! 

 Who can come? This is open to anyone! Families are encouraged. This is open to all skill levels -beginners welcome! Please leave dogs at home. 

What to expect 
Cost:  FREE!

What to bring:  Please be prepared with warm layers, sturdy hiking/winter boots, and a water bottle.

Parking and getting to the event:  We will meet at the Rankin Ridge Trailhead. There is no entrance fee for Wind Cave National Park.  

Amenities: None. If you need to request any accommodation(s) for the program, please do so in the health concerns portion of registration. We will do our best to accommodate the needs of all of our participants so everyone can enjoy the program with us. Questions? Please contact Andrea afountain@blackhillsparks.org

Please fill out our online waiver here!