Intro to adventure logistics.

This is what the road looks like in the winter. No car or truck has a chance.

We are deep in build out planning mode, but there’s not a ton to share in terms of progress with the Ranger Cabin. This is chiefly due to the snow conditions and winter accessibility. As you can see in the photo above there’s a significant amount, about 3 to 5 feet, of snow.

In case you didn’t catch it before, the only access we have to the property once the snow sets in is via snowmobile. (UPDATE: We started plowing access in 2024) It is located inside the Black Hills National Forest off a National Forest road that is not plowed. The upside is that South Dakota and Wyoming (this part of the Black Hills sits on the state line) maintain an extensive, groomed snowmobile trail system that spans over 350 miles throughout the northwestern part of the National forest.

The map, click to expand, shows the available trails or see a digital version of the system here. There are several ways to get to the cabin on these trails from several access points. From Spearfish Canyon Lodge, take the 4 all the way through the canyon. From Trailshead Lodge, take either the 4, which is better for deep snow, or the 1 will take you to the back gate. You could also come in on the 1 from the north starting at Big Hill, which is the closest option from Spearfish. All these take roughly 35-50 minutes depending on conditions.

If you are into snowmobiling or general winter adventuring (more options to come), it’s truly the best place to be this time of year and has the most unbelievable landscape to be seen. It does, however, make it difficult to bring a whole house worth of building materials and furnishings in. Even if maps and trails are not your thing, Nate is happy to be there as your guide and chauffeur. Truly he was born to do adventure logistics.