We were tired of the rain and the puddles in the RV park.
The rain started on Tuesday, September 18, and didn’t stop until Thursday the 20th. Weather.gov indicated 6.46 inches of rain fell, with record amounts recorded on Wednesday and Thursday.
We were happy when it sprinkled just a bit on Friday. We were even happier when the sun came out Saturday, with no rain in the forecast.
The previous weekend we’d purchased hiking boots. After slipping on trails in Texas and New Mexico, we needed better footwear. After putting our new boot on for their first ‘break-in’ hike, we drove from the RV park to nearby Garretson, South Dakota, home to Devil’s Gulch and Split Rock Park.
Devil’s Gulch
There was a trail map at the entrance that tells the story of outlaw Jesse James coaxing his horse to jump the 20-foot wide chasm to escape a posse. It states that Jessee “spun his horse and sprinted towards the chasm. With the lawmen watching with mouths agape Jesse’s horse hurled itself across the 20-foot gorge.”
The footbridge across Devil’s Gulch was supposedly built at the point Jesse and his horse sailed across, leaving the posse far behind. Whether this is folklore or truth, Devil’s Gulch is still a great place to hike.
Due to the recent rains, the water was up and flowing swiftly under the footbridge. This part of the creek is also known as the Bottomless Pit.
After crossing the footbridge, we followed the trail across the rocks and down to the shoreline.
We walked along the shoreline until it became too muddy to go further. At that point, we headed back up to walk the rest of the trail.
Though the trail is rocky, it is not difficult or strenuous. Because the trail backtracks a bit, we wished there were markers for the points of interest indicated on the trail map.
We saw the Devil’s Falls Cross Bridge in the distance and headed in that direction. After exploring that area, we continued to hike until we felt we had seen everything we wanted. At that point, we headed towards the Visitor’s Center and our car.
While walking the trail, we spotted a tree with a very strong survival instinct. Notice the roots extending across the gap in the rocks.
Split Rock Park
From the Devil’s Gulch parking lot, we drove the short distance through Garretson to Split Rock Park. This speed limit sign near the park entrance caught our eye. If you wanted to read them all, you would need to stop your car. But, don’t stop on the grass! The blue sign warns against that.
We parked in the lot near the dam and headed towards the water. The water was flowing fast and the creek was high.
We walked along the shore towards the tent campground, amazed at the amount of water flowing and how high it had risen into the park.
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As we were looking at the water, three kayaks floated past. Andy took a burst of photos and this video is the result.
We were also surprised to see a tent set up in the primitive area.
When we reached the park entrance, we turned onto the 5th Street bridge for a different view of the creek. We could see the kayaks in the far distance, as they rounded the bend.
After our stroll around the park, we headed back to our RV and the dogs. We put them in the car and drove to Spencer Dog Park, along the Big Sioux River. Since they had been inside while we were hiking, we wanted to treat them with some off-leash time.
The park was flooded and closed. However, the nearby soccer fields were not flooded and they enjoyed running around us while we walked.
