Black Hills National Forest · South Dakota, Wyoming

Cliff Swallow

3.6 mi of trail, end to end · Cliff Swallow Trailhead (Trail #91): 3.7 mi loop in the Service's write-up · native material surface · trail No. 91 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 24-36 inches wide · hiking, bike · seasonal: hiking 04/16-10/31

Trailhead Cliff Swallow Trailhead (Trail #91) Drive there

Cliff Swallow Trailhead (Trail #91) 3.7 mi loop · the Forest Service's write-up

The Cliff Swallow Trail is a 3.7 mile loop trail.

Cliff swallows nest in the limestone bluffs above Beaver Creek. Look for gourd-shaped mud nests in the rock out-croppings below the ridge. Other wildlife commonly seen along the trail include white-tailed deer, elk, and turkey. Along Beaver Creek, watch for blue herons, beaver, and water dippers. High above, turkey vultures are often seen riding the thermal drafts.

Mountain lions, although rarely seen, also call this area home.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Black Hills National Forest

Other trails from the Cliff Swallow Trailhead (Trail #91)

All 535 trails in Black Hills National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.