5 Things to do in Wind Cave National Park

1. Wind Cave Visitor Center

Located in the central southern section of the park, the Wind Cave Visitor Center is the only one located in the park. It is the central hub of activity within the park, as this is area where all the cave tours start and end. At the visitor center there is plenty of parking for visitors, you should have no problems finding any. Inside the visitor center you will find the information desk. This desk is manned by a ranger, ready to answer questions you make have about anything related to the park. Further back by the windows, is the cave ticket desk, here is where you can sign up for tours of the cave. To the right of the entrance, is the gift shop. It has many Wind Cave souvenirs available for purchase. Downstairs, there are several exhibits about the cave, ongoing exploration, wildlife and history of the park. Outside the visitor center, be sure to follow the signs for the Natural Entrance Tour, passing the small pavilion keep walking until you reach the small hole, the only natural entrance to the cave. It is super cool to go down and feel the wind moving out or going into the cave. If you are going on the Natural Entrance Tour, you will see the entrance again as it is the first stop on the tour route.

2. Take a Cave Tour

The main attraction of Wind Cave National Park, is of course Wind Cave. Access to Wind Cave is restricted to ranger guided tour only. There are four tours available for park guests, I cover each tour in more detail on the Wind Cave Main Page. The first one is the accessible tour, it is only offered to those with limited mobility. The Natural Entrance Tour, is 75 minutes, 2/3 of a mile, with 300 stairs. This is the middle of the road tour in terms of being strenuous. This tour has some large rooms, but is mainly traversed through low clearance cave hallways between rooms featuring boxwork and cave popcorn. The Garden of Eden Tour is the easiest tour, it is an hour long, 150 stairs and 1/3 of a mile. Boxwork and flowstone are a feature of this tour. My personal favorite tour is the Fairgrounds Tour, it is the most strenuous tour with 450 steps, 2/3 of a mile and 90 minutes long. This tour has some of the most spectacular rooms in the cave and most picturesque route. Pro tip, I would recommend volunteering as the caboose of the tour when the ranger asks, this allows you to take your time and take many photos along the route. All the tours feature stops along the routes in larger rooms to talk about different topics such as formation of the cave and ongoing exploration efforts. They also turn out the lights temporarily to show how dark it is in the cave.

3. Hiking

Wind Cave National Park also features a beautiful surface, being located in the southern section of the Black Hills. The most popular trail is the Ranking Ridge Trail up to Lookout Tower, the highest point in the park. I like the Centennial Trail/Lookout Point Loop a lot as it is long and not to strenuous. Few people hike in Wind Cave, so it is a nice way to get out and see the park away from the crowds. You will likely see prairie dogs and bison on hikes, possibly even elk. This brings me to my next thing to do.

4. Wildlife Spotting

Wind Cave has two large game animals, elk and bison. Bison can be found pretty much anywhere in the park, along main park roads or backcountry roads and trails. They have near free range within the park so you will see them everywhere. Keep your distance though, these animals can be dangerous. In late August and early September is a great time to see elk. This is their rut season, when the bulls fight to mate, they can be heard with their loud and distinctive elk bugle. It has been one of my favorite experiences to hear the elk bugle as I quietly hike in the backcountry. It is like being in a time capsule, back when the continent was free of vast cities and technology. It is just you and nature.

5. Scenic Drives

Many of the national parks feature incredible scenic drives that you do not want to miss. Wind Cave is no exception, even though its park road may not be the most spectacular of the system, it is still a scenic, relaxing and pleasant drive. If you want to see this drive, I have a YouTube video on it, click here to see it. Highway 385 features many overlooks with exhibits about the park, you are likely to see bison at many of these overlooks as well as prairie dogs. The Highway SD 87 drive through the park is more scenic going through a more hilly area, solitary male bison can sometimes be spotted in this area. There are two great works of civil engineering along this road, the first being the Beave Creek Bridge, a picturesque, concrete, one lane, arch bridge. This makes for some cool photos. The other work of civil engineering is a pigtail turn, where the road turns and goes under itself. You may have see this particular spot in a few car commercials.