QuikTrip: Creek Caves Trail

Last Monday evening we drove about 30 minutes outside of Rapid City to a trail I found on the AllTrails app. Creek Caves Trail is located just off a windy road in the Black Hills Forest. The entrance was a nondescript metal gate opening into a wooded area. If it weren’t for the app we wouldn’t have know this was a public trail. There were a couple of other cars parked nearby, so I felt sure we were in the right spot.

This 2.5 mile hike is an “out and back” trail, which means you take the same path back that you take out. When we headed out, we basically walked downhill through a beautiful pine forest until we got near the creek where it began levelling out. We had to shoo some cows off the path as we approached the first creek crossing. We continued on until we came to another portion of the creek that had some interesting cave-like features, which I assume is how the trail got its name. We continued a little further until we came upon a group of young men swimming and cutting up in the river. All around us were towering cliffs and trees.

The bad thing about a downhill out hike is that to get back to your car you have to walk back up! It wasn’t too bad though. The weather here is so much cooler than Texas, and less humidity. I can’t think of one time since we’ve been here where I have been really hot even though most of our adventures are outdoors. It is such a nice change.

If I could roll back the calendar to this day I would. Not because the hike was so good, but because there wouldn’t be flooding in Central Texas yet. As we enjoy beautiful weather here in South Dakota, our friends and neighbors in Texas are experiencing severe flooding. There are children who were washed away by the Guadalupe River that are still missing and many dead. It’s horrible.

Every day is a gift and I want to thank the Giver for my many blessings, including this day to walk the Creek Caves Trail.