Stick around for a while after you visit the namesake cave. Above ground you'll find rolling prairie, interesting rock formations, and beautiful pine forests open to exploration. The park is also home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and prairie dogs.
Guided tours are the only way to explore the caves here, as the vast majority of the Wind Cave is off-limits to cavers unless they are under the Park Service's direct supervision.
Elk Mountain Campground near the visitor center is the only front-country camping option at Wind Cave. Nab a first-come, first-serve spot in one of the campground's west loops to be nearer to the short Elk Mountain Nature Trail.
The landscape surrounding Highway 385 as it enters Wind Cave National Park is still pretty barren, but pull over at the junction with the visitor center road to see a prairie dog town on the east side of the road, part of the stretch of prairie known as Bison Flats.
The one-hour Garden of Eden Tour descends via elevator and follows its namesake route a quarter mile through the cave. This is the least demanding tour, but still shows off the cave's honeycomb-like boxwork formations and other features.
Wind Cave National Park
Overview
For several centuries, American Indians have told stories of holes in the Black Hills through which the wind would blow and howl. But the first recorded discovery of Wind Cave came in 1881 when brothers Jesse and Tom Bingham were lured to the cave by a whistling noise. As the legend goes, the wind was rushing from the cave entrance with such force that it blew Tom's hat right off his head.
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1145 North River St.
Hot Springs, South Dakota
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Distance: 0.0 mi. (from destination center)
Description:
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