Wind Cave National Park Sign

Below the remnant island of intact prairie sits wind cave one of the longest and most complex caves in the world.

Wind cave national park sign. Annual pass cost 80 available to the general public and provides access to and use of federal recreation sites that charge an entrance fee for a full year from month of purchase. The cave is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork as well as its frostwork. A sign outside the visitor center provides directions. Wind cave national park is an american national park located 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 national park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world.

Wind cave national park. Passes can be purchased at the wind cave visitor center and at any staffed entrance station throughout the national park system. Early lakota indian inhabitants noticed wind coming from a small hole in the ground. Other key dates in wind cave history.

On january 3 1903 president theodore roosevelt signed the bill designating wind cave national park as the eighth national park in the united states and the first established to protect a cave. Address phone number wind cave national park reviews. Named for barometric winds at its entrance this. It s home to bison prairie dogs elk and numerous other species of birds and wildlife.

The main attraction of wind cave national park is the giant cavern stretching beneath the surface of south dakota s black hills. Wind cave national park offers scenic drives and over 30 miles of hiking trails through prairies and ponderosa pine forests.