Jackson County High Point Trip Report
Date: November 23, 2001
Authors: Dawn Howard and John Mitchler
A rolling pasture ridge on the Pine River Indian Reservation is host to this highpoint, and requires a 5 mile
drive on a ranch road.
This one looked easy, but the access proved confusing and the ranch roads posed a challenge to interpret.
By reading the topo map, I had determined with fair confidence that we had reached the highpoint,
but finding the BM along the fence was the clincher. From Allen Road in "downtown" Kyle (a reservation town
with some services), go east on paved BIA 2. At mile 5.5, notice a road to the right (south) to Allen.
At mile 7.9 watch for a gated ranch road on the right (south). This is your access.
Note: the ranch road in the
center of section 15 only leads to a ranch which was not occupied. After passing through the gate,
drive south on this newly graded dirt road. After 2.2 miles, pass through another gate and follow the road as it
veers to the left. At mile 4.9, the road passes over a high area on a ridge. This is the highpoint. At mile 4.9,
there is a gate. Several feet to the left of the gate along the fence there is a BM "39SJS 1975," but this is
lower than the high on the ridge. The ridge drops rather dramatically off to the right (east).
Be alert: just before you reach the gate at mile 2.2, the newly graded route takes a path that is farther west
than the trace drawn on the topo map. We could not find the BM at mile 2.2 along the section line of 22 and 27.
In the area: Badlands NP Visitor Center is 30 miles east and north of Kyle.
Follow BIA 2 east and turn left (north) on SD 44.