From the Savage Gulf North Trailhead in Savage Gulf State Park, take the one-mile Stone Door trail (which is actually paved for the first quarter-mile) all the way out to the Great Stone Door, namesake for the most prominent feature in this area of Savage Gulf and arguably the grand-daddy of all overlooks in Savage Gulf.  Continue your hike down the stone staircase, through the Great Stone Door, and then follow the Big Creek Gulf Trail, bearing right at its intersection with the Connector Trail (staying on the BCG trail).  

Enroute to Ranger Falls, you'll also have an opportunity to explore the Big Creek Sink. The bottom of Savage Gulf is honeycombed with caves, springs and other formations common to the limestone layers that line the bottom of the Gulf.  Where a stream disappears into one of these fissures is called a “sink”; where it re-emerges from the ground, a “spring” or “seep”.  Some of these sinks are large enough to swallow up an entire creek, as you’ll see here, where, in all but the wettest weather, Big Creek is completely consumed by this drain in the earth.

After exploring the Big Creek Sink, continue on the Big Creek Gulf trail another half mile, where you'll come to its intersection with the Ranger Falls trail, a half-mile spur that takes you to Ranger Falls, which has no visible outflow. Under normal flow, 100% of its water flows into an underground cave at the base of the falls.  At times of high water, some of the overflow may run in the rocky and usually dry creekbed below the falls, but most of the year, the Ranger Falls Sink swallows up all the water Ranger Falls can offer.  NOTE: Rocks, particularly ones that look black and wet, can be very slippery.  Please use caution around Ranger Falls.

After exploring Ranger Falls, retrace your route to the Savage Gulf North Trailhead.  Turn right at the junction of the Ranger Falls spur trail with the Big Creek Gulf trail.  About two miles along the BCG trail, look carefully for its intersection with the Connector Trail.  Here, you want to turn left to stay on the Big Creek Gulf trail, turning uphill toward the Great Stone Door.

The last section of the Big Creek Gulf Trail is a challenging climb to the base of the Great Stone Door, and then up the stone staircase inside "The Door".  At the top of the Great Stone Door, take one more moment to enjoy the majestic views; then continue on the Stone Door Trail, about a mile back to the Savage Gulf North Trailhead.\