Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park from Rankin Ridge, the park's highest point.
Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds - one deep within the earth, the other a sunlit world of many resources. Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America's oldest national parks. Below the remnant island of intact prairie sits Wind Cave, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world.
Map showing location of park.
Large brown bull elk with tall antlers walks to the left in the photo.
Elk Bugling Programs and Cave Tours Offered this Fall at Wind Cave National Park
Rangers at Wind Cave National Park will be leading programs throughout September and early October to listen for the bugle of the Rocky Mountain elk.
Man dressed in a brown-three-piece suit standing and gesturing with his right hand. A forest scene is behind him.
Teddy Roosevelt Visits Wind Cave National Park
Teddy Roosevelt impersonator Gib Young will bring the country’s 26th president to life at a performance at Wind Cave National Park on July 5. This free program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Elk Mountain Campground amphitheater.
Woman ranger pointing to a map in front of a crowd of people who are watching her with their backs to the camera. She is wearing a green uniform and a ranger hat.
Cave tours resume at Wind Cave National Park
Cave tours through Wind Cave resumed Wednesday afternoon, May 7, after being suspended last week due to an issue with an elevator’s transformer.
A large bison in a prairie diorama is in the center of the photo with a family of five near it reading some exhibit reading rails. Bright sunlight is streaming through the windows on the right side of the photo.
Transformer Malfunction Shuts Down Tours At Wind Cave
Cave tours through Wind Cave are suspended until an elevator transformer can be replaced.
Map of Wind Cave National Park with a green background showing area of the proposed fire outlined in red.
Wind Cave National Park Prepares for Prescribed Fire
Planning is underway to burn 1,094 acres of land east of the park’s headquarters this April. Timing for the fire will depend on fuel moisture, weather forecasts, and crew availability.
a bison cow and calf on the prairie
Photo by NPS Photo / Dan Roddy
rolling hills of forest and prairie landscape
Photo by NPS Photo
criss-cross-patterned calcite fins of the cave feature boxwork
Photo by NPS Photo
a caver with pads and helmet crawling in the cave
Photo by NPS Photo
two prairie dogs watch from their burrow
Photo by NPS Photo