Parking
Use the small parking area on NPS 6 (Red Valley Road), one mile north of its junction with NPS 5. It is the trailhead for the eastbound ridge walk.
Overview
About Boland Ridge Trail
Why go
- Wide views across Red Valley, the Black Hills and the plains
- Elk are often seen along the ridge
Heads up
- Little shade and no drinking water
- The 2.6-mile climb is followed by the same distance back
The widest west-facing view opens near the top of the second hill. From there you can look over Red Valley to the forested Black Hills and the plains beyond; the first hill gives you a smaller opening in the same direction. The second crest is the best place to stop for a photo. Keep a strip of the rolling ridge in the foreground so the picture shows the ground you crossed as well as the distant view.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe view worth savingMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Wind Cave map
Full mapElevation3,684–4,088 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Wind Cave alert
- ClosureNatural Entrance Tour Route closed for winterThe Natural Entrance Tour Route is closed for its annual winter season beginning October 1, 2026.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wind Cave Tour Guide
Your drive to Boland Ridge Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wind Cave National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Boland Ridge0:00 / 0:24
“You're nearing the Boland Ridge trailhead, for a longer walk across open prairie with views over Red Valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Wind Cave Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Prairie’s Night Hunter
- A Prairie Dog Greeting
- A Place of Emergence
- Highland Ridge Overlook
- 28 audio storiesacross Wind Cave’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Elk, Pronghorn, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 11 trails, 14 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Boland Ridge Trail
A 5.2-mile out-and-backBoland Ridge is a 5.2-mile out-and-back across Wind Cave’s open eastern prairie.
Boland Ridge is a 5.2-mile out-and-back across Wind Cave’s open eastern prairie. From the small trailhead lot on NPS 6, the route follows the ridge 2.6 miles to a signed end near the park’s eastern boundary, then returns on the same trail. Choose it for a longer walk through rolling grassland and broad views across the Black Hills, Red Valley and the plains beyond. Allow about 2½ hours, and expect to climb the same four rolling hills again on the return. The end is a trail marker beside a small ravine, not a built overlook; the best scenery opens before you get there.
Getting onto the ridgePark at the small NPS 6 area, one mile north of its junction with NPS 5.
Park at the small NPS 6 area, one mile north of its junction with NPS 5. This access is separate from the visitor center, so plan on the drive before you set out. The first 0.6 mile is mostly level or gently downhill; then the trail turns north and climbs. The first ascent has a short steeper pitch. A fork near that rise soon rejoins, and the signed route follows the right branch.
Four climbs and a simple endpointMost of the climbing comes in the first two hills; the second is the high point at about 1.
Most of the climbing comes in the first two hills; the second is the high point at about 1.1 miles. Beyond it, the trail trends east on a gentler descent before crossing two smaller rises. The last quarter mile turns north and reaches the signed end just before a small ravine. Turn around at the marker: there’s no loop at the far end. On the way back you’ll retrace every rise, so don’t mistake the low point after hill two for the end of the work.
Elk, bison and the prairieElk are often seen from Boland Ridge, so give the open hills a look as you walk.
Elk are often seen from Boland Ridge, so give the open hills a look as you walk. Bison roam the park too; wallows, tracks and other animal sign have been reported along this route. If wildlife is on or near the trail, leave plenty of room: stay at least 25 yards from animals, and farther from bison. Pets aren’t allowed on this trail.
Plan for the exposureThere’s very little shade on the open ridge and no drinking water on the trail.
There’s very little shade on the open ridge and no drinking water on the trail. Summer afternoons often rise above 80°F, and strong thunderstorms can bring large hail, so check the forecast and carry enough water for the whole walk. Ticks and poison ivy may be encountered in the park; enclosed footwear and long pants help. This is a strenuous-feeling prairie walk: the climbs are short, but they keep coming, and you still have to retrace them.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Wind Cave
600 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
258 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
14 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
131 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wind Cave. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
