Wind Cave National Park
South Dakota Est. 1903

Wind Cave National Park

Cave Prairie
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1903
Size
33,971 acres
Visitors / yr
489K
Entrance
Free
Best season
May through September
Nearest airport
RAP Rapid City Regional
Caution: Temporary Emergency Fire Closure +2 more Wildfire Tracker
01

Why Wind Cave is worth the trip

South Dakota · Established 1903

Wind Cave is two parks stacked vertically. Underground lies one of the longest, most complex caves on Earth, more than 150 miles mapped so far, holding most of the world's known boxwork, a honeycomb of thin calcite fins barely found anywhere else. The cave breathes through its natural entrance as barometric pressure shifts, the wind that named the park, and Lakota tradition holds this opening as the place their people first emerged into the world.

Topside, rolling Black Hills prairie carries one of the oldest bison herds in the country along with elk, pronghorn, and prairie dog towns. This became the first cave anywhere protected as a national park, back in 1903. Take the ranger tour below, then drive the prairie roads at golden hour. Two landscapes, and the entrance fee for both is zero.

Start with our full Wind Cave guide, then use the planning below.

02

Top things to do in Wind Cave

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.

Wind Cave National Park
Start here

15 Things to Do in Wind Cave National Park

Read the guide
01 Wind Cave Geology Driving Tour Self-Guided Tours - Auto · nps.gov Wind Cave Geology Driving Tour The geology driving tour is a great way to see the park while learning about the rich geologic history of the Black Hills. On... 02 Picnic at Wind Cave Picnicking · nps.gov Picnic at Wind Cave Looking for a quiet place to enjoy a picnic? Whether you're looking for a good picnic spot or just a place to eat lunch... 03 Watch Wind Cave Wildlife Wildlife Watching · nps.gov Watch Wind Cave Wildlife View some of North America's most iconic wildlife while enjoying Black Hills scenery. Wind Cave's combination of prairie and forest ecosystems allows visitors to... 04 Visit Wind Cave's Natural Entrance Hiking · nps.gov Visit Wind Cave's Natural Entrance You can still see the largest natural opening into Wind Cave without going on a tour. This small hole is one of the only...
Before you go

Get the Wind Cave heads-up

Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Wind Cave guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.

03

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Wind Cave.

Things to Do Fun Facts

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • Hot Springs, SDGateway town
  • Custer, SDGateway town
  • Elk Mountain Campground 64 sites · Reserve
Compare stays near Wind Cave

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Wind Cave field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Trail Shoes
    Lightweight with good traction for maintained trails. View on REI
  • Rain Jacket
    Mountain weather turns fast. Pack a shell even on clear mornings. View on REI
  • Merino Hiking Socks
    Prevent blisters and keep your feet comfortable for miles. View on REI
  • Day Hiking Pack
    A 22-30L pack fits water, layers, snacks, and a first aid kit. View on REI

Getting there

  • RAP Rapid City Regional 60 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Wind Cave map

VC Visitor Center CG Campground Nearby Park
04

When to go

Loading weather...

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
40°
15°
Low
Open
Feb
41°
16°
Low
Open
Mar
50°
24°
Light
Open
Apr
58°
31°
Moderate
Open
May Best
66°
41°
Heavy
Open
Jun Best
77°
50°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
85°
57°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
84°
55°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
76°
46°
Peak
Open
Oct
61°
34°
Light
Open
Nov
48°
23°
Low
Open
Dec
39°
15°
Low
Open
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)
A still from our Wind Cave film
Watch our film

Wind Cave National Park South Dakota 8K

Most people drive right past Wind Cave on the way to the Black Hills, and that's a mistake. One of the longest, strangest caves in the world sits under some of the prettiest prairie in the Dakotas. We filmed both, above and below.

2 min 36 sec Filmed in 8K
Watch on YouTube
Browse all our national park films
05

More Wind Cave guides

06

Parks near Wind Cave

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Badlands National Park
South Dakota

Badlands

57 miles away
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt

235 miles away
Rocky Mountain National Park
Colorado

Rocky Mountain

252 miles away
Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming

Yellowstone

361 miles away

Worth protecting

Wind Cave belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for South Dakota

Threatened Lands Map

Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.

View the Tracker
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