Wind Cave National Park South Dakota

Wind Cave National Park South Dakota

Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world.

The cave is notable for its displays of the calcite formation known as boxwork. Approximately 95 percent of the world’s boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. Wind Cave is also known for its frostwork. The cave is also considered a three-dimensional maze cave, recognized as the densest (most passage volume per mi3) cave system in the world.

The cave passed Hölloch cave in Switzerland on February 11, 2006 to become fourth-longest in the world with 119.58 miles (192.45 km) of explored cave passageways. The cave’s current length is 131.04 miles (210.89 km), with an average of four new miles of cave being discovered each year. Above ground, the park includes the largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie in the United States.

Wind Cave National Park protects a diverse ecosystem with eastern and western plant and animal species. Some of the more visible animals include elk (also called wapiti), bison, black-footed ferrets, pronghorn antelope and prairie dogs. The Wind Cave bison herd is one of only four free-roaming and genetically pure herds on public lands in North America. The other three herds are in Yellowstone National Park, the Henry Mountai

ns in Utah and on Elk Island in Alberta, Canada.

The Wind Cave herd is currently brucellosis-free. Several roads run through the park and there are 30 miles (48 km) of hiking trails, so almost the entire park is accessible. The park had 850,000 visitors in 2003. The Wind Cave Visitor Center features three exhibit rooms about the geology of the caves and early cave history, the park’s wildlife and natural history, and the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the park. The 18-minute movie “Wind Cave: One Park, Two Worlds” is shown throughout the day, and slide and video programs are also shown.

The center is open year round except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. All cave tours leave from the visitor center. Elk Mountain Campground is located about 1.25 miles (2.01 km) from the visitor center. It is open year round. Located in ponderosa pine forest, there are 75 sites for tents and recreational vehicles. Campfire programs are given in the summer. There are limited services in the winter, but the campground is open.