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Wind Cave National Park, Hot Springs, SD

Photo: National Park Service of the United States of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFreeFamily Favorite

Wind Cave National Park

26611 US Highway 385 · Hot Springs, SD

Why you should go…

Wind Cave National Park protects a cave with more than 168 miles of explored passages beneath the Black Hills, and about 95 percent of the world's known boxwork formations are found in it. Ranger-guided cave tours leave from the visitor center, 11 miles north of Hot Springs. Above ground, bison, elk and other wildlife roam a prairie you can explore by trail or scenic drive. No entrance pass is required, and the cave stays 54 degrees year round, so bring a jacket.

  • #national park
  • #cave tour
  • #bison
  • #prairie
  • #hiking

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Wind Cave National Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Local Gem

    Signature Black Hills Tours

    $50+

    Private, small-group guided tours of Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Black Hills led by a former National Park Service ranger.

    8.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    History Buff

    The Mammoth Site

    Under $25

    An active fossil dig site and museum in Hot Springs, South Dakota, showcasing dozens of Ice Age mammoth remains.

    9.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Hot Springs

    Free

    Southern Black Hills spa town with a historic sandstone downtown, mineral pools and Wind Cave nearby.

    9.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Custer State Park

    $25–$50

    Drive the Wildlife Loop past free-roaming bison, wind through the Needles Highway and walk the shore of Sylvan Lake.

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Black Hills Balloons

    $50+

    Sunrise hot air balloon flights over Custer State Park and the southern Black Hills.

    16 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Needles Highway

    $25–$50

    Drive 14 winding miles past granite spires, Sylvan Lake and narrow rock tunnels in the Black Hills of Custer State Park.

    20 mi awayMore like this