Winter Mornings in West River

Jan 29, 2025

By Christian Begeman

Highland Ridge Road in Wind Cave National Park is one of my favorite places to experience the breaking of a new day. Flanked by prairie dog towns and grazing buffalo, an early riser is sure to hear a coyote chorus across the rolling landscape. If you are really lucky, grazing elk, pronghorn and even a glimpse of one of the coyote choristers is possible when the morning light breaks above the distant Boland Ridge to the east.

I spent two mornings in early January getting my fill of morning’s glory in this special place. The first morning was mostly clear and the rising sun revealed pronghorn grazing on the edge of a prairie dog town with a small herd of bison in the distance. Coyotes sang all around me, unseen but close enough to count five distinct voices. Elk grazed on the northern ridge just opposite Custer State Park’s southern fences. It's no wonder that folks liken this part of South Dakota to the Serengeti in East Africa. I have visited both places in the morning, and the experience does have similarities when it comes to wildlife and natural beauty.

As the morning progressed, I noticed slight hoarfrost in the lower draws of the park. Hoarfrost forms when water vapor in the air condenses on cold surfaces on clear, windless nights. Crystals freeze directly from the vapor state and do not turn into liquid water in the process. This is different than rime ice that is seen accumulating during fog events. Hoarfrost is typically finer and more delicate, but it is just as fun to photograph. With my trusty macro lens and some bright sunlight to help light the minutiae of grass, chokecherry branches and slender yucca blades adorned with ice structures, I spent nearly an hour bent close to the earth trying to record the beauty in detail. During the process, I came across a young buck overseeing a small group of mule deer. The does did not seem concerned, but they moved after the buck decided I was too close.

On the second magical morning, the sky was gray and colorless. There was fog in eastern parts of the park, which left rime ice on the grass and pine trees. Three bull elk weren’t far from the road and allowed me to photograph them before moving on. It was my last day of my West River winter vacation, and it did not disappoint. As is my usual habit, I detoured through Badlands National Park. Strong flurries added snowy drama to the scenery. My favorite sites were a few lone bison moving slowly through the weather and the colorful Yellow Mounds portion of the park framed by white snow. Winter in South Dakota may not get raving reviews, but in this case, my camera says otherwise.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he's not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.