The Details
One of the world's longest and most complex caves lies beneath a bison and prairie dog-filled South Dakota grassland.
STATE
SD
ESTABLISHED
1903
AREA
34k acres
ECOSYSTEM
Grasslands
When To Visit
Best Time To Visit
MONTH BY MONTHBEST TIME TO GO
May–September for the full tour schedule; the cave stays about 53°F year-round.
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WEATHER
CROWDS
Weather: greatokaytough — heat, cold, snow, monsoon or closures
Crowds: quietmoderatebusy
CROWDS
Summer cave tours often sell out by midday, so get tickets early.
WEATHER
Prairie storms bring hail and lightning in summer, and winters are cold and windy.
General patterns — conditions vary by year. Check current NPS alerts and road status before you go.
How Far
Park Entrances
SET YOUR LOCATIONEvery entrance is a different drive. Enter your ZIP to compare:
Visitor Center
Nearest Airports
ESTIMATED DRIVE TO THE PARKRAP
DIRECTIONS →Rapid City Regional
≈ 50 mi · ~60 min drive to Visitor Center
Distances are rough estimates to the closest entrance. Check road and ferry conditions before you go.
What To Do
Top Things To Do
◆Take a cave tour (Natural Entrance or Fairgrounds)
◆Look for the “boxwork” formations
◆Hike up Rankin Ridge
◆Watch for bison on the prairie
Where To Stay
Camping
Campgrounds inside the park are booked through Recreation.gov, and many fill months ahead.
FIND CAMPSITES ON RECREATION.GOV ↗Lodging & Nearby Towns
GATEWAY TOWNS
Hot Springs, SDCuster
There’s no lodging inside this park, so most visitors stay in the nearby towns above.
Cool Facts & Figures
By The Numbers
#53
LARGEST OF 64
#6
OLDEST OF 64
33,971
ACRES
123
YEARS PROTECTED
◆In 1903 it became the first cave in the world designated a national park.
◆It has some of the world’s best examples of boxwork cave formations.
Links
Plan Your Visit
OFFICIAL & TRUSTED SITESREADY TO GO?
Plan a trip to
Wind Cave
Wind Cave