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Accessibility
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.
The visitor center and the cave are accessible to people with limited mobility. Please call ahead to make special arrangements are at the information desk for a special tour. Limited areas of the cave are accessible to wheelchairs. There are fees charged for these services. Please call the park at 605-745-4600 for more information.
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.
Basic Visit Recommendations
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.
Wind Cave National Park is one of the world's longest and most complex caves and 28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ponderosa pine forest, and associated wildlife are the main features of the park. The cave is well known for its outstanding display of boxwork, an unusual cave formation composed of thin calcite fins resembling honeycombs. The park's mixed grass prairie is one of the few remaining and is home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and prairie dogs.
Backcountry Camping
The backcountry of Wind Cave National Park offers visitors a great opportunity to experience and enjoy the abundant resources of the park. Backcountry camping is limited to the northwest area of the park. This area, north of Beaver Creek, east of Hwy. 87, south of NPS 5 and west of Highland Creek Trail, is shaded in gray on the map. Within this area are several different habitats, prairie, forest, and riparian, with a variety of plants and animals living there. There are maintained and marked trails within that section and throughout the park, however, the entire park is open to hiking.
Camping
Elk Mountain Campground, with 75 campsites, is located one mile from the visitor center. Other camping is available throughout the area in federal, state and private campgrounds.
See the Camping Page for more information.
Cave Tours
All cave tours are ranger-guided and leave from the visitor center. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Long waits for tours may be encountered during peak summer visitation. To avoid waits, the best time to visit the cave is during the early hours of the day. During the summer, weekends are good times to visit; Tuesday and Wednesday are the busiest days. Reservations are recommended for the candlelight and caving tours. Reservations for organized groups are available. For more information please call: 605-745-4600. The same number is used for TTY.
Fees
There is no park entrance fee.
Fees are charged for cave tours and camping. Cave tour fees range from $4.00 to $15.00 per adult depending on the type of tour. Youth, ages 6 to 16, receive a reduced price for cave tours. Ages five and under are free although some tours do not allow children.
The camping fee at Elk Mountain Campground is $10.00 per night per campsite from mid-May to mid-September. From 01 Apr to mid-May and from mid-September to 31 Oct, 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.
Food and Supplies
A vending area offers limited snacks and beverages from 01 May 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.
Hiking
There are 30 miles of hiking trails in the park. Highway 385, Stateroad 87 and two backcountry roads make much of the park accessible to motor vehicles.
See the Hiking Page for more information on hiking trails and tours of the cave. See the Calendar Page for dates.
Lodging
Lodging is not available in the park.
See the Lodging Page and Camping Page for more information.
Pet Information
Help preserve the environment at Wind Cave National Park by keeping all dogs, cats and other pets on a leash at all times. Pets running loose disrupt the native wildlife, can disturb other park visitors and are sometimes the targets of larger wild animals. Pets are not permitted in the caves.
Programs
Regularly scheduled cave tours, year-round. Five types of cave tours are scheduled approximately every twenty minutes, from 8:40 am to 6:30 pm, daily. 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.
See the Calendar Page for more information.
Reservations and Permits
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 eight.
Group Tours
Reservations are available for organized groups for standard cave tours to occur between the hours of 8:00 am and 11:30 am only. Groups are welcome to participate in regularly scheduled tours on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours are limited to 40 people.
See the Hiking Page for more information.
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.
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.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center contains two exhibit rooms featuring cave exploration, cave formations, early cave history, the Civilian Conservation Corps, park wildlife, and Native American history in the Black Hills.
For more information on the hours of operation, see the Calendar Page.
Weather
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° F (11° C).
See the Weather Page for current conditions, forecasts and other weather data.
Copyright © 1995 - 2007 Hillclimb Media
This site is in no way associated with the United States Government, the Department of the Interior or the National Park Service
