Wind Cave
One of the longest caves on Earth, famous for boxwork, under bison-filled prairie
- Hours
- Open 24 hours; free entry
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Not required
- Size
- About 33,970 acres
Wind Cave Weather Now
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Wind Cave was the first cave in the world to become a national park, in 1903. It is one of the longest caves on Earth, with more than 160 miles of mapped passages packed into about a square mile of land, and new passages are still being found. It holds most of the world's known boxwork, thin blades of calcite that form a honeycomb pattern on the walls and ceilings. The cave is named for the wind that rushes in or out of its natural entrance as outside air pressure changes.
Above ground, the park protects one of the last intact mixed-grass prairies, where bison, elk and pronghorn roam freely. The Lakota people consider the cave a sacred place tied to their emergence story. There is no entrance fee, so many visitors spend a morning underground on a tour and the afternoon hiking or watching wildlife. Bison often walk right past cars on the main roads.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- May, June and September bring the best weather for prairie hikes, while the cave stays a steady 54 degrees year-round.
- How long to stay
- Half a day for one cave tour and a drive; a full day adds hiking and wildlife watching.
- Getting there
- Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is about 1 hour 15 minutes north; Denver (DEN) is about 5.5 hours away by car.
- Wildlife
- Look for bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, black-tailed prairie dogs, coyotes and the occasional black-footed ferret.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
- Hotels in Hot Springs (opens in a new tab)South Dakota
- Hotels in Custer (opens in a new tab)South Dakota
- Hotels in Keystone (opens in a new tab)South Dakota
- No lodging inside the park. The towns above are the closest bases.
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Wind Cave
- Light fleece or jacketThe cave stays near 54 degrees, cool after a warm day on the prairie.
- Shoes with good gripCave stairs are steep, dim and can be wet or slippery.
- BinocularsBison, elk and pronghorn are often spread across distant hillsides.
- Refillable water bottlePrairie trails have little shade and no water sources you should drink untreated.
- Small daypackHandy for layers and snacks, but keep it small since cave tours limit what you can carry.
A first day, start to finish
- Natural Entrance or Garden of Eden cave tour
- Visitor center exhibits and film
- Prairie dog towns along US 385
- Rankin Ridge lookout walk
- Evening wildlife drive on SD 87
Don't miss
- Natural Entrance TourA 75-minute ranger tour that starts at the small natural opening where the cave's 'breathing' wind was first noticed and descends about 300 stairs past boxwork.
- Garden of Eden TourThe easiest cave tour, about an hour with roughly 150 stairs, showing boxwork, popcorn and flowstone.
- Rankin Ridge Nature TrailA 1-mile loop to a fire lookout on one of the park's highest points, with wide views over the Black Hills and prairie.
- Prairie wildlife driveUS 385 and SD 87 cross open prairie where bison, pronghorn and elk graze and prairie dog towns line the road.
- Centennial TrailThe southern start of a 111-mile trail through the Black Hills, with a scenic first few miles across Wind Cave's prairie and creeks.
Know before you go
Do
- Book a cave tour on Recreation.gov ahead of time, especially from spring through fall.
- Bring a light jacket for the cave, which stays about 54 degrees all year.
- Bring a card, since cave tours and camping do not accept cash.
Don't
- Touch cave formations, because skin oils damage them.
- Get close to bison, which are fast and unpredictable.
- Rely on GPS to find the visitor center; follow park signs on US 385.
The park's surface is open 24 hours a day, year-round, though snow can briefly close remote areas. The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (longer in summer) except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, and cave tours run from there on a seasonal schedule. In 2026 Beaver Creek Road (Forest Service Road 391) is closed from May 4 for up to 180 days for construction, and park alerts list the Highland Creek Trail as closed.
If tours are sold out online, get to the visitor center right when it opens to buy same-day tickets.Trekker's tip