Wind Cave National Park

Year Established: 1903
Annual Visitors: 709,000
Size: 33,971 Acres
State: South Dakota

Best Time to Visit Wind Cave National Park

March to September

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks.

Best Experiences in Wind Cave National Park

• Wild Cave
• Rankin Ridge

A Brief History

The Black Hills’ Wind Cave is actually two parks in one. Above the surface, there are grass prairies and pine forests where bison, elk, prairie dogs, and wild turkeys live in groups. Below, there is a mess of 130 miles of tunnels, which makes them the sixth longest on the planet.

When you get close to the caves, you can’t help but hear a loud whistling sound coming from inside. This is caused by changing pressure inside the caves, which makes winds of up to 70 mph rush in and out of the entrance.

Many of the chambers have interesting minerals in them, like the honeycomb-like calcite formations called boxwork. The unique parts of the cave made Theodore Roosevelt decide to make this the first underground park in the world.

Wind Cave RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Wind Cave National Park or in South Dakota, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in South Dakota
• Best RV Resorts in South Dakota

Visitor Information

Fees

There is no fee to visit. You can drive around the park and go hiking without having to pay anything.

Contacting Wind Cave National Park

Phone Number

(605) 745-4600

Visitor Centers

Wind Cave Visitor Center

A trip to the park’s Visitor Center is a must. Whatever your interests, the park’s exhibit rooms are a great place to learn more. Everything from how the Plains Indians made use of the bison to the park’s approach to prairie management is on show in the upper exhibit area. This cave features an exhibit hall that details the park’s colorful history, cave formations, and the evolution of the cave itself. In our auditorium, we play a film called Wind Cave, Two Worlds, which depicts the cave, the prairie, and the park.