Black Hills Trails – Willow Creek Loop
Awhile back, our family did a hike in the Black Hills National For
est. We decided to try the Willow Creek Loop Trail across from the Mount Rushmore KOA (Palmer Gulch). According to our trail book, it was supposed to be a 1.5 mile “stroll,” taking about an hour.
Yeah, right! This isn’t exactly how I would have described this trail…and according to the information I found on the USDA Black Hills National Forest website after the fact, they didn’t agree either. The official website says the trail is:
- 2.8 miles
- “moderate” level hike.
That is definitely a more accurate description.
The trail itself had lots of up and down hills, was muddy in spots and tree-blocked in others. It just made scampering, log crossing and other inventive measures a necessity and lots of fun.
I’m not really complaining though. It was a gorgeous hike with varying landscapes to capture your attention – waterfalls, awesome rock formations, amazing mushrooms, tree-covered trail areas, awe inspiring views. It had it all.
This is one of those trails that you finish, but want to do all over again because you know you missed out on seeing everything it had to offer. So it’s going on my list of things to try again.
Since it can get quite cool at higher elevations, this would be a better trail during the spring or summer. The trees provide lots of natural shade, and with the stream running along most of the trail, you can always cool yourself down when needed.
Note to all though….we didn’t have cell reception for the majority of the hike – which is a good thing for getting away from it all; not so great if you get separated from your party or the trail. So register at the beginning of the trail and make sure someone knows where you are going, just in case….