Trip Report: Ellsworth Echoes
First published in 2010. Reformatted 2025. A long weekend drive to South Dakota allowed me to complete my visits to Ellsworth AFB's former Minuteman II launch control facilities. Being late August, I had wonderful "severe clear" weather. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.Friday, 20 August 2010
Ellsworth Air Force Base SD, PIN 2564, ILC FXBM. I departed Denver at 0500, rolling past the city limits sign at Rapid City at noon. My first stop was the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. I took a good look at the fighter-interceptor alert hangar. This is a Butler type, and was relocated from the flightline to the present location to serve as the museum building. The doors have been modified to handle larger aircraft (F-101 or F-106 rather than the tiny F-86 the hangar was designed for) and the hangar is now assembled backwards--the rear doors face forward, and the front doors are on the rear of the hangar.General view of alert hangar from front
General view of alert hangar from front side
Outside view of modified front door
Inside view of modified front door
Outside view of modified rear door
Inside view of modified rear door
Center crew quarters with control cab--brick infill was added for museum The museum offers bus tours of Ellsworth AFB, so I signed up. Photography was allowed and encouraged on the tour! The tour route offered a distant view of the hospital, an elevated water storage tank, jet engine test cell, former rocket checkout and assembly building (that supported the fighter-interceptor alert mission back when the Butler alert hangar was new!) and perhaps the most significant building on base, the thin-shell monolithic concrete B-36 hangar.
Hospital
Elevated water storage tank
Jet engine test cell
Rocket checkout and assembly building
Thin-shell concrete B-36 hangar The bus took us to the Minuteman maintenance and procedures trainer--a mockup of a missile silo used for training. Topside, the museum has added missile maintenance trailers and a Peacekeeper armored vehicle. We entered the stairwell (not found at operational sites, this is to allow easy access for trainees, instructors, and visitors) and explored the silo area.
General view of Minuteman maintenance and procedures trainer
Minuteman transporter-erector
Peacekeeper armored vehicle
Payload transporter trailer positioned over silo
Personnel access area
Personnel access area
Silo lid
Artwork inside access stairwell
General view inside silo
General view inside silo
Bottom of personnel ladder
View up personnel ladder
Autocollimator bench
Autocollimator bench detail
Lifeline anchors
Elevator work cage
Work platform
General view inside silo
Training missile in silo
Training missile in silo
Training missile in silo After the tour, I departed Ellsworth AFB and drove east, hoping to see Ellsworth's two easternmost Minuteman missile launch control facilities this evening. Ellsworth AF Missile Site C-01 SD, PIN 8896, ILC FXEQ. To my surprise, I found this launch control facility is now operated as the Missile Inn Bed and Breakfast. Owners George and Sandee Gittings have decorated the individual dormitory rooms and if you've wanted to stay in a former Minuteman missile facility here is your chance. Contact them at 605-859-2265 or mobile 605-685-5497, or 22024 10 Mile Road, Philip SD 57567. Also, they are seeking information on the artwork on the dayroom wall; so contact them if you know the artist or when it was created.
View of launch control facility from access road
Mural inside the launch control support building
Water cisterns at side of launch control support building
Security gate and access road
Security gate, launch control support building, and vehicle garage
View of helipad from access road
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building and security gate
Vehicle garage
Hard High Frequency (HF) receive antenna
Hard HF receive antenna detail
Hard HF receive antenna detail
Hard Ultra High Frequency (UHF) antenna
Hard HF transmit antenna Ellsworth AF Missile Site A-01 SD, PIN 8795, ILC FXDS
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
Security gate and launch control support building
Vehicle garage
View of helipad from access road After 638 miles in 13.5 hours, I stopped for the night in Wall.
Saturday, 21 August 2010
I knew this was going to be a long day, so I got on the road at 0600. Ellsworth AF Missile Site H-01 SD, PIN 8521, ILC FXGXView of launch control facility from access road
Security gate and launch control support building
General view of launch control facility
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Vehicle garage and launch control support building
View of launch control facility from helipad
View of helipad from access road
Hard UHF antenna Ellsworth AF Missile Site I-01 SD, PIN 8353, ILC FXHJ
View of launch control facility from access road
View of launch control facility from helipad
View of helipad from access road
Gate and obsolete USAF sign
Security gate and launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Vehicle garage
Hard UHF antenna Ellsworth AF Missile Site G-01 SD, PIN 8337, ILC FXGL
View of launch control facility from access road
Security gate and launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
General view of launch control facility
Helipad viewed from access road
Vehicle garage
Vehicle garage
Current sign
Hard UHF antenna
Hard UHF antenna detail
Hard HF transmit antenna
Hard HF transmit antenna
Hard HF receive antenna
Hard HF receive antenna
Hard HF receive antenna detail
Hard HF receive antenna detail Ellsworth AF Missile Site J-01 SD, PIN 8906, ILC FXHV
View of launch control facility from access road
General view of launch control facility with current sign
View of helipad from access road
View of launch control facility from helipad
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
Hard HF receive antenna, and repositioned wind vane
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Vehicle garage
Hard UHF antenna
Buried cable sign Ellsworth AF Missile Site F-01 SD, PIN 8807, ILC FXFZ
View of launch control facility from access road
View of launch control facility from helipad
View of helipad from access road
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
Launch control support building and security gate
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Vehicle garage
Vehicle garage
Security gate
Water cisterns
Hard UHF antenna with cover in place
Hard UHF antenna with cover removed
Hard UHF antenna detail Ellsworth AF Missile Site O-01 SD, PIN 8947, ILC FXLE
General view of launch control facility
View of launch control facility from helipad
View of helipad from access road
Security gate and launch control support building
Launch control support building and security gate
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Vehicle garage
Vehicle garage
Hard UHF antenna Ellsworth AF Missile Site N-01 SD, PIN 8939, ILC FXKT
View of launch control facility from access road
View of launch control facility and cable marker
Distant view of launch control facility
Distant view of launch control facility
Distant view of launch control facility Ellsworth AF Missile Site M-01 SD, PIN 8911, ILC FXKG
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
Launch control support building Ellsworth AF Missile Site K-01 SD, PIN 8909, ILC FXJG
View of launch control facility from access road
General view of launch control facility
General view of launch control facility
Gate and signs Ellsworth AF Missile Site L-01 SD, PIN 8372, ILC FXJT
View of launch control facility from access road
View of launch control facility from helipad
View of helipad from access road
General view of launch control facility
Security gate and launch control support building
General view of launch control facility
Vehicle garage Ellsworth AF Missile Site No. 3 (850-C) SD, PIN 6944, ILC FXDK. This was the first Titan I site I ever visited, during 2001's "Rapid City Maneuvers" trip. I read recently that this site was being dug up and demolished, so I drove by to check it out.
View from access road
Security gate
Earth moving in progress Including the three I visited previously, I have photographed all 15 of the Ellsworth LCFs! When I stopped for the night in Sturgis, I had covered 490 miles in 11.75 hours.
Sunday, 22 August 2010
I departed Sturgis at 0630, driving back through the Black Hills into Wyoming then south. I made a fuel stop on Francis E. Warren AFB then continued south. I was back home in Denver at 1545, covering 458 miles in 9.25 hours. Total trip was 1,586 miles (about 200 of those on dirt/gravel roads). The trusty Forester averaged 25.3 MPG on this trip. Updated April 20, 2025If you like what you find here, please consider making a monetary contribution. Domain name registration, web hosting, and travel cost plenty. You won't find any ads here to annoy you.