Overview Of Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota and is known for its rare and impressive boxwork formations. This park contains one of the longest cave systems in the world!

While most visitors travel to Wind Cave for cave tours, there is as much action above the ground as there is below it.  The roads in the park provide great opportunities to see wildlife, and the park has little-known hiking opportunities to see bison and prairie dogs up close.

Why Should I Visit Wind Cave National Park?

Wind Cave offers a completely unique experience to neighboring parks in the region. It is a must see, complementing your visits to Badlands National Park and Custer State Park.

Highlights to your Wind Cave visit include:

• Ranger-led tours to one of the longest cave systems in the world
• Viewing rare, delicate boxwork formations
• Enjoying nature above and below the surface – with few crowds
• Hiking amongst huge populations of bison and prairie dogs

Our Experience at Wind Cave

We spent a half day at Wind Cave, and found that to be an ample amount of time.  You can certainly spend more time at Wind Cave, but I would not spend any less time than half a day.  To fully take in this park, you will need to participate in a cave tour, drive the loop road, and hike.

We started our day by participating in the Natural Entrance Tour at Wind Cave.  This tour was chosen because it allowed us to see highlights and the natural cave entrance, and was scheduled early in the day.  We wanted to be able to hike without having to rush back in time for the tour.

Our tour started by our guide showing us the very small original entrance to Wind Cave.  The cave was named because during storms and other air pressure changes, air will flow either into or out of the cave.  It was not blowing super hard during our visit but we could feel it.  We were told that the cave is important to the Lakota origin story, and it is where they believe that man first emerged.

Inside The Cave

This was the first cave tour that my wife had ever experienced, and she said that it felt like being inside of the mountain from Lord of the Rings.  We enjoyed seeing the formations in the cave, and especially the boxwork.

This cave is so special because of the boxwork, but it is also massive.  The cave is still being discovered, and every year it’s mapped length becomes longer.  It is currently the 6^th longest cave in the world at 165 miles, but this changes as more of the cave is discovered.

We thought that the boxwork was super cool, and this is the best place in the world to see it.  Our tour ended in a big room, and we took the elevator up.

Back On The Surface

Back at the visitor center, we got our stamps and saw a hollow wooden box on the floor.  A note on the box said that “Cavers need to be able to squeeze through small spaces.  Try your luck!”  I tried to squeeze through the box and got stuck halfway through, but was able to wiggle back out the way I came.  My wife successfully made it through the box, so I had to try again.  On the second time through the box, I breathed out to make more room, and was narrowly able to wiggle through!  Success!  I learned that I am too claustrophobic to become a spelunker, but I do qualify for the Wild Cave Tour.

We asked the ranger at the front desk what her favorite trail was, and she advised us to try the Rankin Ridge interpretive Trail.  We thanked her and went on our way.

Hiking At Wind Cave

The first trail we hiked was the Cold Brook Canyon Trail, which was 3 miles out-and-back.  It was cold and raining, and we saw a wet bison trying to hide from the rain.  Being wet, it looked like he had a funny hair-do.  We continued our hike, passing by more bison along the way. I should note that the pictures are zoomed in and we did our best to keep distance from the bison while also remaining on the designated trail.

The second trail we hiked was the Rankin Ridge Interpretive Trail, per the recommendation.  The trail was only 1.2 miles, but it had around 250 feet of elevation gain.  We considered this steep as we are from Florida.  It was enough to keep us warm.

The trail was neat in the fog, but when we reached the top, we were not able to see much of anything.  The trail marker shows what the view looks like on a clear day.  It was not a clear day.

We hiked back down and saw a ton of bison and prairie dogs on our drive out through the park.  We left and continued our day at Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore.

What We Would Do Differently

While we felt that a half day was sufficient to see the highlights of this park, a full day would have been better.  You could easily fill two days by adding a different style cave tour and a longer hike on the second day, to more fully immerse yourself in the park.

It would be great to visit this park on a less foggy day to fully see the sights while hiking and driving around.  We would also try to time our visit with when the wildflowers are blooming.

Where To Eat Near Wind Cave

There is not a lot of food close to Wind Cave.  However, there are great restaurants in Custer, SD. 

Your best bet for good food near Wind Cave National Park is in Custer, SD.  There are several highly recommended restaurants, but our favorite is the Sage Creek Grille.  The elk-stuffed mushrooms and Wapiti (elk) burger were delicious, and our waiter was excellent.

Crazy Horse Memorial is around 30 minutes from the Wind Cave visitor center and houses the Laughing Water Restaurant.  While the Native American Taco was just ok, the fry bread with Wojapi was very good and a unique way to experience the local culture.  It would be a good place to stop for desert and learn about Lakota history.

If you are willing to drive a little further to Hill City, we recommend dining at the Alpine Inn. The steak and wedge salad were great and it was a unique experience with great atmosphere and waitstaff.  I would recommend eating here for dinner.

I am told there is good food at Rapid City, but I would not want to drive all the way there from Wind Cave for a meal.

The food scene in the Black Hills is great and you really cannot go wrong trying local fare like elk, bison, walleye, quail, and trout.

Lodging Near Wind Cave

There is plenty of lodging available in the Black Hills.  I would recommend picking a location central to all of the Black Hills points of interest on your trip, like Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore.  We had a great stay at a fair price at the Everspring hotel in Hill City.

Tips For Visiting Wind Cave

Make sure to purchase your cave tour ahead of time at recreation.gov and arrive early.

Take multiple cave tours if you can – each explores a different section.

Bring a jacket as the cave is 54°F year-round.

Steer clear of the bison (do not pet the fluffy cows).

The deer in the Black Hills are plentiful, and half of them have a death wish.  Please use extreme caution or avoid driving at night.

Please do not touch cave formations, the oils in your skin will damage them.  Let’s leave this National Park great so the next generation can enjoy it too.

When To Visit Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is open year-round, but cave tours are more limited in the winter.

We recommend visiting in the early fall around September, as tour availability is good and the weather is less foggy.

Always check the Wind Cave National Park website or call for the most up-to-date information.

What To Bring To Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave is not super remote, but you should still bring the following:

• Water
• Jacket
• Hiking or trail running shoes
• Snacks for hiking
• Camera
• Rain jacket if forecasted

Does Wind Cave National Park Have An Entrance Fee Or Require Reservations?

While there is no entrance fee, cave tours require tickets.

Fees vary by tour type, and reservations are strongly encouraged, especially during the summer. It is ideal to get the first slot so you can hike without worrying about returning to the visitor center.

Sample Itinerary For Wind Cave National Park

We recommend that you visit for 1 day, with the following itinerary:

• Arrive early to your Cave Tour, explore the Visitor Center
• Take a Guided Cave Tour
• Drive through the park, stopping to see bison, prairie dogs, and occasional elk
• Hike the Rankin Ridge Interpretative Trail
• Hike the Cold Brook Canyon Trail
• If you are feeling adventurous, try the Sanctuary Trail and Centennial Trail Loop instead of the easier hikes.

Summary

Wind Cave is one of the most unique parks in the country, and it is worth a visit both to the surface and under it.

Our trip to Wind Cave was awesome, and we felt like we had enough time to see the highlights of the park in half a day.  In the future we will try to spend more time here, hopefully on a clearer day. 

We were surprised to see more bison here than at Badlands, and we were excited to be able to hike amongst the bison here at Wind Cave.  The rangers were friendly and knowledgeable and really added to the experience.

Other Sights Near Wind Cave

Click on the below links for our guide to other great parks near Wind Cave:

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site – This is very close to Badlands and is a great place to go to learn about the Cold War and Mutually Assured Destruction.

Badlands National Park – Dramatic landscapes formed by erosion and surrounded by grasslands.

Custer State Park – Bison, Donkeys, National Treasure 2, scenic drives, and access to the highest mountain east of the Rockies.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial – An American classic.  You should see Crazy Horse while you are in the area.

Jewel Cave National Monument – This cave is not talked about very much but is even more impressive than Wind Cave.  You have to see it to understand.

The Black Hills – A national forest sprinkled with awesome small towns and NPS sites.

Devils Tower National Monument – A giant rock in the middle of nowhere, but that you should see on a trip to the Black Hills area.