![]() You could do the second loop route described above, but starting your hike from this point instead. Out-and-back options from here would be to Song Dog Road for a one-way hike of 1.4 miles or a 3.1 miles (one-way) hike to the canyon mouth and back. This loop would be about 4 miles.Īccess Point 2 - FSR682.2Q through the floor in the upper half of the canyon: Or, if you wanted a little longer loop route that included Onyx Cave, you could exit the canyon at Access Point 3 and hike FSR682.2N back to Song Dog Road and your start point. Of course, you can also do an out-and-back of any shorter length you wish from this access point too.Ī loop route from Song Dog Road would be possible by exiting the canyon at Access Point 2 and hiking back on FSR682.2Q, FSR682.2N and Song Dog Road back to your start point. You will encounter “no trespassing” private property less than a quarter-mile from where Wildcat Creek joins Cold Brook Canyon. ![]() Following the canyon 4.5 miles downstream will take you to the mouth of the canyon where it joins Cold Brook Canyon. This is just above where the watershed turns into a canyon. Onyx CaveĪccess Point 1 - The head of the canyon at song Dog Road:įor a 4.5-mile (one-way) out-and-back from the west, you can travel one mile north past FSR682.2N and park alongside the road there. At one time, there was a mountain bike race that centered on the Wildcat Canyon area. Mountain bikers often visit the canyon and have left a mostly narrow trail that can be followed through the upper half of the canyon. The grade for that old roadbed is mostly still intact, though overgrown with grasses. ![]() But there are only faint traces of that old road left. The lower part of the canyon at one time had a 2-track road through it, originating at the Lady C Ranch. There are no official trails in the canyon. ![]() Sometimes cattle are seen grazing in various parts of the area, but there is no way to tell when or where you will encounter them. The large number and variety of birds seen and heard in the canyon would seem to make this a great location for bird watchers. Most of the snakes seen in the canyon are harmless, but some rattlesnakes do reside in the area, so caution is warranted. There is a mountain lion population around the canyon and though rarely seen, they leave evidence in the form of tracks and scat. Pronghorns may be seen here, though less frequently. These are the same elk that migrate to and from Wind Cave National Park to the north and east. Deer and elk are abundant in the area, though the elk remain somewhat reclusive. The forest is managed by the Black Hills National Forest (605) 673-9200. ![]() Ponderosa pine, ash, cottonwood and aspen are found in and along the canyon. The canyon can be a dangerous place to be during flash floods. There is no regular stream flow in the canyon, but there are springs in various places – generally at the bottom of the highest limestone walls in bends of the canyon. The canyon portion of the watershed runs about 4.5 miles from Song Dog Road to the mouth of the canyon in the west side of Cold Brook Canyon on the old Lady C Ranch, dropping nearly 500 feet in altitude in that distance. Most of the canyon walls are less than 100 feet high, though there are a few places the walls approach 200 feet. Perhaps the most remarkable of these caves is Onyx Cave, frequently visited by area cavers. Those caves are one of the remarkable characteristics of Wildcat Canyon. For those who like to explore, opportunities exist to find ancient dinosaur tracks in the canyon, view wildlife or explore one of the many caves in the limestone walls. Wildcat Canyon is a beautiful little canyon northwest of Hot Springs that has been seeing increasing interest from Black Hills canyon explorers. ![]()
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