Wind Cave National Park protects a 149-mile long cave that runs under the South Dakota prairie. It is known for its distinctive formations called boxwork, which you can see in the You Tube video at the bottom of this post. We enjoyed our tour of the cave with a park ranger, but I didn’t get any photos down below.
Above ground, we saw lots of bison and other wildlife on the park drive. The park is not far from Custer State Park and we found the scenery to be similar. The park took its name from the winds that alternately blow in and out of the cave, depending on the barometric pressure.
You Tube video of Wind Cave National Park courtesy of Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association
Location: 26611 US-385, Hot Springs, SD 57747
Designation: National Park
Date designated or established: January 9, 1903
Date of my visit: 7/30/2009
Click here for a discussion with Ranger Katie on the ecosystems of Wind Cave
