- VISITATION:
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- Highest in June, July, and August; lowest in December, January, and February.
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- LOCATION:
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- Seven miles north of Hot Springs, SD, on U.S. Route 385.
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- ADDRESS:
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- Wind Cave National Park
RR 1, Box 190
Hot Springs, SD 57747-9430
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- TELEPHONE:
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- (605) 745-4600
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- OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:
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- Park open year-round. Visitor center open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas Days. Visitor center hours:
January 1 to March 14, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; March 15 to May 1, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; May 2 to June 5, 8:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; June 6 to August 21, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; August 22 to September 25, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
September 26 to October 9, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; October 10 to Spring 2000, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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- CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:
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- Spring and fall weather are the most variable with cool, damp days alternating with dry, warm ones. Summers are
generally sunny, hot, and dry. Winters are generally mild with little snow, but occasional sub-zero temperatures can be
expected. Dress appropriately for the season.
Persons touring the cave should wear low-heeled walking shoes with nonskid soles and a lightweight jacket or sweater.
The cave is 53° fahrenheit (12° celsius).
- DIRECTIONS:
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- Visitors traveling on I-90: At Rapid City, SD, exit onto U.S. Route 79 south. Follow Route 79 south approximately 50
miles to U.S. Route 18. Turn right onto U.S. Route 385 North, which will take you through Hot Springs and into Wind
Cave National Park. Follow signs to the visitor center for cave tours and general park information.
Visitors can also reach the park by following U.S. Route 16 west out of Rapid City onto U.S. Route 385 south.*
Visitors traveling from Nebraska can follow U.S. Route 385 north to the park.
* Please note that U.S. Highway 385 between Pringle and Wind Cave National Park will be closed to traffic
from September 7, 1999 to May 25, 2000. Wind Cave National Park may be accessed from Hot Springs on U.S.
Highway 385 North or on S.D. Highway 87 south through Custer State Park.
Area Map
- FEES, COSTS, RATES:
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- No park entrance fee. Fees are charged for cave tours and camping. Cave tour fees range from $4.00 to $18.00 per
adult depending on the type of tour. Children, ages 6 to 16, receive a reduced price for cave tours. Ages 5 and under
are free.
The camping fee at Elk Mountain Campground is $10.00 per night per campsite from mid-May to mid-September.
From April 1 to mid- May and from mid-September to October 31, campground facilities are reduced and the fee is
$5.00 per night.
Persons with Golden Age or Golden Access Passports receive a discount on cave tours and camping fees. This
discount applies only to the card holder for cave tour fees.
- FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
- Visitor Center/Exhibits:
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- The Visitor Center contains three exhibit rooms featuring cave exploration, cave formations, early cave history, the
Civilian Conservation Corps, park wildlife, and resource management.
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- Trails, Roadways:
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- There are 30 miles of hiking trails in the park. U.S. Route 385, S.D. Route 87 and two backcountry roads make much
of the park accessible to motor vehicles.
Two trails, the Rankin Ridge Trail and the Elk Mountain Trail are self-guiding nature trails with trail booklets.
Park Map
- Programs/Activities:
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- Regularly scheduled cave tours, year-round. Five types of cave tours are scheduled approximately every twenty
minutes, from 8:40 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., daily, June 11 to August 21, 1999. Tour schedules are reduced the remainder of
the year. Guided prairie hikes, evening campfire programs, and visitor center lawn programs, in season. A Junior
Ranger program is available for ages 12 and under.
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- Lodging and camping facilities:
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- Elk Mountain Campground, with 75 campsites, is located one mile from the visitor center. The campground has flush
toilets and running water during the summer months. There are no showers, dump stations, or electrical hookups.
Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Other camping is available throughout the area in federal,
state, and private campgrounds.
Lodging is not available in the park. Numerous lodging facilities are available in the nearby communities of Hot Springs
and Custer, South Dakota. Lodging is also available in Custer State Park.
- Food/supplies:
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- A vending area offers limited snacks and beverages from May 1 through October. Restaurants and grocery stores are
located in nearby Hot Springs and Custer, South Dakota. Custer State Park offers restaurants and mini-markets for
camper supplies in season.
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- Other Visitor Facilities and Opportunities:
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- The Black Hills Parks and Forest Association operates a bookstore in the visitor center. The bookstore includes books
on Wind Cave National Park, caves and caving, the natural and cultural history of the area, hiking, and other national
park areas. The bookstore also offers maps, posters, postcards, videos, audio tapes, CDs, and games. For additional
information call (605) 745-7020.
A small picnic area is located 1/4 mile from the visitor center.
- Accessibility:
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- The visitor center, including two exhibit rooms and restrooms, is accessible. Campground restrooms and one campsite
are accessible. Limited areas of the cave are accessible to wheelchairs.
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- Special Needs:
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- A special needs cave tour is available, by request, for visitors with physical limitations who cannot participate in the
regular tours. Please call ahead to make special arrangements or inquire at the visitor center information desk for this
special tour. A very limited area of the cave is accessible to wheelchairs.
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- RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE:
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- Touring the cave; hiking in the prairie and forest; walking the nature trails; observing plants and wildlife; bird watching;
photography, camping at Elk Mountain Campground or in the backcountry; attending evening campfire programs,
participating in the Junior Ranger program; taking a guided prairie hike, enjoying the view from the top of the Rankin
Ridge Fire Tower.
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- RESERVATIONS/PERMITS:
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- Cave Tours: Standard cave tours are available on a first- come, first-served basis. Reservations are taken for two
specialty tours, the caving tour and the candlelight tour. Reservations for these tours may be made no more than one
month in advance of the date. Those holding reservations must call to reconfirm within two days of arrival. Specialty
tours are limited to 10 people. Minimum age for the caving tour is 16 and for the candlelight tour is 8.
Group Tours: Reservations are available for organized groups for standard cave tours. Groups are welcome to
participate in regularly scheduled tours on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours are limited to 40 people.
To reserve a group cave tour please contact the park at least three weeks prior to your visit by calling (605) 745-4600
or by writing to: Wind Cave National Park, RR 1, Box 190, Hot Springs, SD 57747-9430. If your request is written,
please include your phone number. You will receive written confirmation, if time allows. Reservations must be
reconfirmed at least two days prior to arrival.
Group Campsite Reservations: Reservations are available only for large, organized groups. Small groups are invited to
occupy individual sites which can accommodate up to eight people and two vehicles. These sites are available on a
first-come, first- served basis. The campground rarely fills.
Requests for group campsite reservations can be made by calling (605) 745-4600.
Backcountry Permits: All overnight backcountry campers must obtain and complete a backcountry use permit. These
permits are free and can be acquired at the visitor center.
- BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:
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- Stay at least a day to leisurely view exhibits in the visitor center, tour the cave (length of tours vary), and spend time
viewing wildlife, hiking, driving park roads, and participate in the park's Junior Ranger program.
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- VISITOR IMPACTS:
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- Cave tours are often sold out. Waits from 1 to 1½ hours are not uncommon, especially for afternoon tours during the
peak season from July to mid-August.
All park animals are wild and can be dangerous. Always view wildlife from a respectful distance.
- ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:
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- Mount Rushmore National Memorial, near Keystone, SD; Jewel Cave National Monument, near Custer, SD; Custer
State Park, north of Wind Cave National Park; Crazy Horse Memorial, near Custer, SD; The Mammoth Site in Hot
Springs, SD; Badlands National Park near Wall, SD; Devils Tower National Monument in WY.
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- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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- Write Wind Cave National Park, RR 1 Box 190, Hot Springs, SD 57747-9430, or call (605) 745-4600.
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