Wind Cave National Park Is a Breath of Fresh Subterranean Air

The first protected cave in the world, next to the Badlands, was also a portal to the spirit world.

The Black Hills of Western South Dakota are well - known for shimmering lake , bison - trod terrain , and colossal stone carving . But there ’s something hang around beneath the surface that many visitors to this Americana dreamscape do n’t ever see — and no , we ’re not talking aboutThe Lost City of Gold , despite what Nicolas Cage would have you believe . nestle underneath the iconic byways , province parks , and monument , Wind Cave National Parkis not only one of the most underrated destination in the region , it ’s also one of the more underrated national green in the country .

indisputable , much of its under - the - radio detection and ranging - ness can be attested to the fact that most of this car park is out of passel , literally beneath the Earth ’s surface . But especially compare to morewidely visit cave parks , like Mammoth Cave National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park , Wind Cave is a hidden muffin that deserves more of that subterranean A - listing status . What it lack inBatman credit , it more than fix up for with rare cave formation , epic wildlife , and an origin taradiddle that ’s both fabulous and wild - western . Here ’s what to know about visiting Wind Cave National Park .

See the portal to the spirit world

Between route trip locales like Custer State Park , Mount Rushmore , and Crazy Horse Memorial , there ’s piles of lore in western South Dakota . And Wind Cave boasts its own distinct history , bequest , and astonishing statistic . One of two internal commons in South Dakota ( the other being the more visitedBadlands National Park ) , the cave system is about 300 million years one-time , making it one of the one-time on the satellite .

Like most caves , it was formed — at a thrillingly frigid pace — by the steady dribble of impertinent body of water seeping into the Earth , converting gypsum to calcite , creating sulfuric loony toons , and dissolving limestone into present - twenty-four hours formations and passageways . Today , with more than 150 mapped passages , it ’s the seventh largest cave system in the world and the third largest in the rural area . Wind Cave is filled with speleothems ( a.k.a . cave formations ) like cave popcorn , helictite bushes , flowstone , needle - like frostwork , and most famously , boxwork . The latter is a rare feature , a meticulous patchwork of calcite blade weave along the cave ceiling , found almost nowhere else on Earth .

The Indigenous people who first inhabited the region had majuscule wonderment and awe for the cave , which is thread into folkloric tales . Oral history from the Lakota tells of an “ Emergence Story , ” about how humans first emerge onto the surface of the Earth via Wind Cave , or as they report it , Oniya Oshoka , where the Earth “ suspire inside . ” Somewhere , in the annals of this gnarly labyrinth , was a portal vein to the spirit humans .

Wind Cave National Park

Millennia later on , new explorers amount upon the cave with peculiarity , but a muckle less deference . Brother Jesse and Tom Bingham stumbled upon it in 1881 , after keep up what sound like a loud tedious tin whistle , leading them to the only natural possible action into the cave . This was the bakshish of the iceberg lettuce for devil - may - care adventurers who followed that wind into a out of sight world of craggy cavern and intricate formations . One such explorer was Alvin McDonald , a turn - of - the - century Nicolas Cage - eccentric who begin map the cave , drafting reports of its unique formations , discover some of the room , and charging fee to give curious visitant tours .

To prevent the rearing bastardization of this delicate admiration , though , the federal administration stepped in . They doom it Wind Cave National Park in 1903 , so name for the atmospherical pressure differences between the cave and the surface , thus creating gusts of current of air at the entrance . Theodore Roosevelt establish it as the sixth interior park in the U.S.—and the first in the world created to protect a cave .

Best time to visit Wind Cave National Park

There ’s never a forged fourth dimension to visit Wind Cave National Park . That ’s thanks to its constant , year - one shot cave temperature of 54 ° F , which can feel tonic in the hot summer months and downright balmy in the polar winter ones . June through September learn a mass of the crowds , but compared to more visited nearby attractions like Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore , it never reaches the kind of mosh pit hordes seen at , say , Zion National Park .

activeness that need tickets , like cave circuit , consistently have unresolved booking availability , even during peak season — a welfare of being the most underrated aspect of a touristed area . One affair to keep in psyche , however , is that westerly South Dakota can be quite arctic in the winter . While the cave itself might be comparatively well-off , the overall region is prone to ample snow and frosty conditions , which can impede driving and make hiking the surface trails an example in masochism . To quash the crowds and the snow , a natural spring or dusk visit can guarantee plenty of widely - open distance , intimate temps , and luminous plant life on the Earth’s surface .

Descend into the depths on a cave tour

As the first cave - centrical interior park in the world , you require to get underground at Wind Cave to really apprize its loftiness . Accessible only on ranger - take tours , which require just the ticket , some particularly popular routes are open foradvanced reservations , while others are offered first come , first serve .

of course , when traipse into a drear underground tangle draw with jagged speleothems , there are some extra safeguard to take with you into the cave . This includes being aware of potential claustrophobia and selecting a turn that feels right for you ( i.e. if you ’re loath to tight spaces , a narrow four - hour creep on the Wild Cave term of enlistment is best avoided ) . Also remember to not touch on any of the delicate formation , fall apart easy shoe with non - slip soles , and dress with layers for 54 ° F .

There are a handful of cave tours bid throughout the year , as well as a couple summer exclusives for the touristry surge . A good entrance - level offer is the Garden of Eden , an easy one - minute trek that gets guests up close and personal with iconic formation like boxwork and flowstone . The Natural Entrance tour is another comfortable option for cave fledgling — a 0.6 - mil outing that begins at the cave ’s rude entrance and descends via stairs into boxwork - lined passageways ( the natural entrance is only about 10 inches wide-cut , so it ’s only used to show visitor how and where the cave was discovered ) .

Wind Cave National Park

In the summer , the two - hour Candlelight tour is an quondam - fashioned walkaway that render how the cave face to its earliest explorers . The Wild Cave tour is the car park ’s toughest option — a straining four - hour liquidity crisis through cramped passage that requires a fair amount of crawl and climb . For those who laugh in the brass of claustrophobia , helmets and kneepads are allow for .

Hike wherever you want across the surface

Even for the claustrophobic , there ’s plenty to see and do at Wind Cave that does n’t call for any cave - link bodily function whatsoever . sprawl across the prairie , canyons , ponderosa woods , and coulees that be the southerly fringes of the Black Hills , the control surface is just as sensational . And with more than 30 miles of hiking lead , there ’s no shortage of vantage points .

easy options admit the Prairie Vista track , a one - mile hike through mixed grasses for bird’s-eye aspect and likely bison sightings ( just be indisputable to stay at least 25 yards forth , as these flossy rhinos are notoriously irregular and can lean a lot quicker than you ’d think ) . Rankin Ridge is another well option for all skill types . The one - mile track lead to the tallest breaker point in the green , with view as far as Badlands National Park some 54 knot away .

Cold Brook Canyon is billed as moderate , as it weaves 1.5 mile though ponderosa pine tree and adorable prairie detent town . East Bison Flats offer a more strenuous selection down into a canyon and up prairie hills . And at nearly nine miles , Highland Creek is the longest — and most geographically diverse — trail in the park , criss - crossing Creek and canyons as it meanders through fragrant forest and prairie .

Wind Cave National Park

If Wind Cave ’s marked trails were n’t enough , the parking lot has an open wage increase insurance , which means visitor can hike up off - lead anywhere they ’d like . Just be trusted to come prepared with plentifulness of water and navigation materials , lest you get lost in the WiFi - less wild .

Where to stay and eat near Wind Cave National Park

Perched within the rugged wild of the least prepare part of the Black Hills , the park is devoid of lodging or restaurants . The only way to stay directly inside Wind Cave National Park is atElk Mountain Campground , which is open year - round on a first seminal fluid , first attend to basis . Beyond the confines of the park , more camping and housing abounds in nearby communities like Hot Springs and Custer .

In Hot Springs , a nimble seven mi in the south of the park , Red Rock River Resortis the historical base . In a building that date stamp to 1891 , rooms are comfortable and ornate , especially in the spacious corner spa suites that make out with 24 - time of day entree to Sap Minnekahta . Custer has even more option . About 18 miles northerly of the park , the bustling tourist Ithiel Town is brimming with inn , hotels , and motel , from all the requisite budget chains to handsome indie properties like the cottage - filledChalet Moteland the fairy tale - lookingBavarian Inn . To immerse yourself in nature , Sylvan Lake Lodgein Custer State Park nestles you near the shore of boulder - robe Sylvan Lake , at the base of the tallest plenty in South Dakota , Black Elk Peak .

For nutrient , dig up a little deeper than trail premix with all fashion of name and address - worthy eatery in towns like Custer . Skogen Kitchenis a chef - get precious stone , presided over by a couple of Californians who curate an ever - switch raiment of eclectic seasonal fare like kimchi Brussels sprouts , lobster steam fanny , and Xiphias gladius with curried sweet potato and roasted baby squash . For something sweet , Purple Pie Placeis a seasonal staple ( unfastened in summer and free fall ) in Custer , offering a profuseness of sweet and savory comfort food , peculiarly pies . In Hot Springs , Buffalo Dreameris the emollient of the crop , a rigorously seasonal staple slinging everything from Turkish Solanum tuberosum salad and lemon - ginger mung bean noggin to lamb chopper in honey - mickle sauce .