This may be one of the most underrated national parks in the entire National Park System. Admission to the park is free, but if you're planning to take one of the cave tours, be sure to reserve your tickets through the park's website well in advance. The tours only cost a few dollars, but they sell out quickly, and we saw many visitors turned away after waiting to purchase tickets in person. The wildlife viewing alone made the trip worthwhile. We saw bison, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and mule deer from incredibly close distances, making it one of the best wildlife experiences we've had in a national park. We took the Garden of Eden Cave Tour and absolutely loved it. The cave formations were impressive, and learning about the Lakota emergence story added a meaningful cultural and historical dimension to the experience. Overall, it was an unforgettable visit and a park that deserves far more recognition than it receives. read more

I can't rate a park anything less than 5 stars; this is a small national park and easy to spend half a day here and add in to a trip. This was a last minute addition so we missed the opportunity to do a cave tour. Next time! The visitor center is surprisingly large and really neat even if not visiting the cave. You can walk to the original entrance of the cave from the visitor center which is neat to see and "cool" to feel cold the air blowing out of the opening. We saw soooo many bison! And a coyote hunting prairie dogs! This national park doesn't charge an entrance fee to walk around or drive thru, so if you are in the area and maybe missed wildlife at the state park, it's worth a drive through to try and catch a view of some animals! Make sure your kiddos get junior ranger badges at the visitor center! read more

There's a whole hidden world under the prairie. The Garden of Eden Tour took us deep underground through narrow passageways and into rooms full of rare boxwork formations and delicate honeycomb patterns that make this cave so special. Down there, everything feels slower. It's quiet, cool, and feels almost untouched. Then you step back outside and it's a complete contrast. Open skies, rolling hills, and bison grazing in the distance like something straight out of a movie. Two totally different worlds in one park. read more

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It's getting really depressing to be on a National Parks road trip through the US during a government shutdown. Wind Cave National park was really nice and convenient and had a few interesting things to see. Unfortunately the visitors center and all the restrooms were closed even though there was a park ranger sitting in his running truck in the parking lot trying to avoid the visitors that walked up to him. I can't blame the park for the shutdown and I did really like the ease of navigating the simple beauty here. We caught a glimpsenof a buffalo and saw some prairie dogs (I love prairie dogs!) but I doubt I will ever be back to see it when it is fully operational. read more

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What a great place to visit! The visitor center is an excellent place to learn about the Wind Cave! Just looking around the visitor center and walking to the natural entrance of the cave is so interesting. It was a pretty warm day to be outside, but after walking to the natural entrance to the cave and feeling the fresh cool air it felt like getting hit by air conditioning! Next time we are gonna make reservations to do a Cave Tour since they look real interesting! Please remember to make reservations for tours well before you visit! We say antelope on the nearby plain plus we saw a herd of buffalo! What a treat!! Hope to come back soon! read more

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The elevators are being renovated when we visited, so unfortunately there were no tours. However, the visitor's center had informative displays about the prairie ecosystem, the Native Americans who call this place home, and about the cave itself. I thought it was pretty well done. The visitor's center also has a small gift shop. I walked to the natural entrance of Wind Cave, and I saw a few deer. They were so close and calm. I guess they're used to seeing people up close! Due to time restrictions, I couldn't do any hikes, although I saw plenty of wildlife on my drive to the visitor's center. It's on my to do list to return and have a guided tour of the cave, so watch out for my updated review, whenever the elevators are back online. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Wind cave geology - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

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If you want to see bison & prairie dogs without having to hike a lot this is a great park. If you're more of a hiker, the hikes here are mostly short & pretty boring. But a good park to visit. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Dam - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

Amazing tour. Amazing cave. Got there early to get tickets- no problem. Everyone super nice. We enjoyed it.

Our visit was incomplete [Hot Springs SD] Unfortunately the cave tours are temporarily suspended due to elevator replacement so we didn't get a chance to see the rare boxwork formations inside the caves but we still wanted to see the exhibits inside the Visitor Center. According to the National Park Services tours of Wind Cave will be closed beginning May 6, 2024 and continue into the late fall. A ranger-led guided tour took us to the natural entrance of Wind Cave. She began to tell us The Lakota Emergence Story which was both educational and entertaining... "and this was how the first bison herd came about..." hmm, interesting indeed. There are no entrance fees to enjoy the trails, scenic drives, and the visitor center. However, the cave tour has associated fees that is not covered by the annual pass. We did see a lone bison grazing on native grassland prairies. Looks like we have to give South Dakota another visit when that elevator is fixed. Review #3495 read more

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During our adventure through the Dakotas, we knew our trip wouldn't be complete without visiting every nearby national park. We were staying in Rapid City, so thankfully this park was only about an hour away. If you have ever been to any other big cave, there is a good chance you may be underwhelmed here. I think I got spoiled with Mammoth Cave being so close to home, that this felt like a baby version of that park. If you haven't visited a cave before, you will probably enjoy this place much more than I did. Wind Cave isn't bad, it's just ok. It is cool to see some Bison roaming around outside and you may learn a fun fact or two about their caves. We booked a tour through their website, which filled up surprisingly faster than I thought it would (so book in advance!) This was a one and done deal for me. But I'm still glad that I can say I visited. read more

I'll start by saying that we weren't able to get a cave tour. We did hike around the area, which is cool and say some bison, which was even better. read more

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We didn't do a cave tour. There are three cave tours and the one I wanted to do wasn't available in April. We stopped at the visitor center and did the Rankin Ridge Nature Trail after. It was a short, but nice hike that ends at the highest point in the park. Overall, it was a quick stop in our day. read more

I love the National Park Service! Nicest rangers I've met, beautiful grounds, and bathrooms. You'll see animals while you're here! read more

Wind Cave National Park - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

We drove to go see these caves. We arrived after the last tour. Our fault for not checking. We were in the area. You can still walk to see the entrance or have a picnic. Quiet area and lots of other trails and caves at this park. We didn't javelin time to venture out. No fee to enter the park only of pyu take a tour. Bathrooms are located on the top floor and bottom floor. The upper and bottom floor has several lots of memorabilia. Only gave 4 since I wasn't able to rate the caves. The staff were nice and helpful. Maps were also at the visitors center. read more

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Wind Cave National Park is so much more than just a cave. I mean, even beyond the cave experience it is almost 34,000 sq feet of prairies and grasslands occupied by Bison and groundhogs. At some point, the dirt pushed up by the underground dwellers turns red instead of flesh toned. It seemed for a moment that I could be in the southwest of the country. It is worth the drive through if you are in the area...whether or not you go to the cave at all. Personally, I chose not to do the cave tour because I would need the accessible option. This leaves you often looking through from where you are to another room. I chose to save my stamina for other parts of my adventure. read more

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100% worth the trip!!!! The caves were awesome and enjoyed by our whole family. We took the Fairgrounds tour. It was 1.5 hours and it was listed as a strenuous hike. However, that rating is based on stairs and our six year old was able to do it easily. There are ~5 different tours. Some very short and accessible. And the longest I believe is a 4 hour candlelit tour. The price was not that much and you are paying for a guide. Our guide Dave was very knowledgeable and kept it exciting for the kids. The guide takes you down 150 feet in an elevator and you start exploring from there. Adults will need to duck in several spots, as there are low ceilings. The views were awesome. It is boxwork created and you can see different stages throughout. It can take a bit of a drive to get here, but you won't regret it. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

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We attended the garden of Eden tour with ranger akex, he did an amazing job. The tour was one of our favorites and we have been to all the national park cave tours. I was slightly concerned as we have had hip and knee replacements but it was no problem. read more

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It's a different kind of cave than many you'd tour, and that makes it fascinating. It doesn't have the water fed features like stalagmites/stalactites but instead dissolved boxwork, which is nothing like you see anywhere else, along with a bit of frostwork and popcorn. Don't forget the park has a surface too, with lots of bison, pronghorn, & prairie dogs, as well as some great views. The visitor center has good information displays but was clearly setup decades ago, it isn't a modern approach. The Fairgrounds tour says "strenuous", but as long as you can walk up a couple flights of stairs, there's nothing difficult. All tours are on recreation.gov, be sure to book in advance any time of year -- I saw several disappointed people turned away. They keep some tickets for day of, but get there before they open at 8am. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Watch out for pedestrians - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

Visited Wind Cave National Park a few yrs ago on a 2 week road trip visiting several ntl parks. South Dakota has alot of outdoor hikes and history. I was really shocked how much natural beauty is in this state. The people where really helpful the entire trip. Make sure you get a yearly park pass, some of the parks didn't require a pass to enter. Much cheaper if you prepare before going to save a few coins. Plenty of free parking and clean bathrooms inside. I highly recommend if you want a cave tour to make advance reservations. We didn't have any issues when we went, I'm assuming its all about timing. The guide was knowledgeable and gave us plenty of time to wander thru. I've been to several caves thru out the USA, each one has its own uniqueness. This particular cave has alot of box formations and indigenous history. Lots of wildlife, buffalo, prairie dogs, etc...riding around just enjoying the nature was gem for us on this entire trip! Of course I have pics, still playing catch up on yr old reviews. Tip- Dont miss Custors State Park, it a must to see. Dani~ read more

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Get your tour tickets and enjoy exploring this national treasure. Really cool cave, not typical with stalagmites or stalactites, but that's what made it interesting. Plus you can explore all things above ground, too. There's some great hiking trails and neat wildlife to check out. Worth coming off the beaten path to see this place. read more

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This was a really cool cave tour. The Ranger was extremely knowledgeable and made the experience enjoyable. I liked the Natural walking tour, but there are so many different types of cave tours. You can literally get a different experience each time. Wear comfortable shoes, ones with decent traction. Take a jacket with you. It is cold in the cave, even during the hottest summer days. You can not take any bags or purses in the cave. read more

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We had a great stay. Saw many Buffalo and great scenery. We tok the back road (5) through the park as 87 was closed. Great drive, lots of prairie dogs and bison. Nice small campground, first come, first serve. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Sunrise in Wind Cave - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

We are not into caves but came here anyway as the above ground part of the park is worth seeing as well with beautiful rolling hills. There are plenty of bison - no large herds like Yellowstone but you'll see them just by driving through the park, some very up close right by the roadside or crossing the road right in front of your car. There are a ton of Prarie dogs as well, they are very fun to watch - although they are small and easy to miss. But once you've seen one then you'll notice many more all over. We tried a couple of hikes - the Rankin Ridge being our favorite given the fabulous view from top as well as it being mostly shaded, unlike many of the other trails - lookout point, centennial, cold brook canyon - where most of the time you will be in open fields/meadows with no tree cover whatsoever which may not be a problem in cooler temps but it could get pretty uncomfortably hot when it's sunny and in the 80s in mid afternoon. read more

Had never heard of this park until I was planning a trip to the Black hills. Luckily I read that you need to arrive early as the cave tours book up early. We visited in October and it was still not easy to get a cave tour. In summer the lines would be excruciating. The tour was about an hour, with a group of about 30. Don't go if you're claustrophobic. Interesting and scenic! read more

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What a great place and an even better tour of the cave, which is I believe the 6th largest cave in the nation. We had a2 hour wait so drove around and saw thousands of fat prairie dogs and beautiful buffalo roaming around. The cave experience was definitely worth the wait. I didn't want to do the strenuous one because we're not that athletic but we probably could've done that very easily. Don't miss out on this piece of history! read more

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Very nice park with an abundance of activities and plenty of space to be by yourself in nature. Upon entering the park there is the visitor center that has plenty of parking and a good number of park employees to answer questions and do a great job explaining all the activities like hiking, animal watching, scenic drives that were available in and around the park. We took advantage of the park ranger guided hike at night to listen to the elk bugle. Great experience you meet at the amphitheater and the park ranger gives a brief explanation and history of the elk then you hike about 15 minutes to the top of a ridge to hopefully hear the elk bugle. We heard elk as well as coyotes. We stayed in the tent camping spots and luckily got one of a couple that were more removed from out in the open. Bathrooms were very clean and flushing toilets were a plus! Park was quiet at night were you could listen and hear the animals. read more

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A return trip is needed to Wind Cave National Park. I did not even know that this National Park in South Dakota even existed. We were driving down to Colorado after visiting Mount Rushmore, and our route took us through Wind Cave NP. This review will be updated with thorough details after we explore this place more. read more

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Masks are required.. and so are reservations. We didn't realize this before we came. It would have been a much better experience had we known. My son and husband thoroughly enjoyed the tour while my Daughter and I napped in the camper. My daughter was not letting us talk her into walking through caves. read more

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Definitely a worthwhile tour for anyone interested in caves. We did the Natural Entrance tour, which covers a decent amount of the cave without being too strenuous a walk, and showcases a lot of Wind Cave's famous boxwork formations. The guide gave a lot of interesting insights into the cave's history, including the Indian legends and early candle-carrying explorers associated with it. However, Wind Cave just doesn't have the grandeur associated with Jewel Cave. If you're planning on seeing both, it's probably best to do Wind Cave first. After doing Jewel Cave first, Wind Cave could be a little bit of a letdown. Above ground are the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota and some nice hiking. read more

Wind Cave National Park - More than just a cave - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

Came her for a tour on a Sunday afternoon. The 1.5 hour guided tour was $12/adult. Our guide, Nathan, was very helpful and knowledgeable. He managed the tour group of 20+ people well. There is a wealth of knowledge to be learned about these caves and their creation/existence as well as the intricate geology involved in the forming of these sites. It was great to see the different rocks and formations and to walk through such an old cave. There is history here which your tour guide will reveal. They will even turn out all the lights so you can experience total darkness. It was fun and educational. About a mile in entirety with a few hundred stairs. A note-- * we had to do awkward introductions before we started the tour (your name, city you're from, and what caves you've been to). It's a time waster and unnecessary. Would be helpful to do away with this. read more

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Very little to see during COVID I feel certain that this must be an amazing place with a great tour during normal times but during COVID times you can only walk to the edge and feel the air rushing into a small hole. They have a nice but small gift shop that was open. There is plenty of parking in front of the visitors center. There was a Park ranger manning a table near the gift shop with suggestions on what to see and where to go to see it. We chose to go a few hundred feet past the gift shop to the hole that allowed you to feel the wind. It had a good informational graphic but was a little disappointing for the actual cave system not being open. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Informational graphic - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

Honestly, I have a really hard time writing reviews on a National Park because I love them so much. Out of the other parks we have been to, this was very underwhelming. We did the Gardens of Eden Tour of the cave and got a good look at the boxwork formation - the reason why this cave is set aside as a National Park. There are so many caves, but apparently this cave holds the most boxwork formation in the world and the way it is formed is also very complex. This is not a living cave, so the formations are in their final stage. The tour guide did not show an ounce of personality until he started talking about the human history of the cave and indigenous myths of the hills. Out of the cave is beautiful prairie landscape where we did see buffalo grazing. There are some decent trails to enjoy and beautiful spots for a picnic. The park is kind of overshadowed by the close Custer State Park. I don't think that this is a park that I will go out of my way to return to. PS When it comes to National Parks, I do not review on wildlife interactions and sightings. You cannot control nature and weather. read more

The caves are closed due to elevator renovation. No problemo. The park itself is stunning scenery filled with Buffalo and oh so many Prairie Dogs. We spent a while listening to the dogs squeaking and marveling about the prairie grass blowing in the gentle breeze. The visitor center had some interesting info and a good gift shop. We would not have done the caves so it all worked out well and we are going back again in a few days. The rangers will direct you to some manageable hikes. read more

We booked a tour in the wind cave several weeks in advance. A few days before our tour, they cancelled all tours to do maintenance despite us reserving so far in advance. We called the day of our tour to check in on it & ask if the maintenance was done or if you're were reopening. They told us yes - not maybe, not "we're working on it - they said YES the tours were back open. So we drove 3 hours total, show up for our tour, and they said "no the tours are closed for maintenance". ?????? So the person on the phone lied to us, cost us an entire day of driving, and wasted a day of our vacation. There is nothing else at this park but the tour in the cave. Without the tour, you cannot go in the cave. We were at the park 5 minutes before we had to leave. Next time, they should come up with a system to notify people rather than making families drive hours and plan a day around something just to turn them away at the door. How about a text notification system to let those who reserved in advance not waste a whole day showing up and getting turn read more

We went here on our last day of visiting SD. We came from Rapid City which was over an hour drive to be turned away. No tour of the cave was told they are fully booked. Attendants were not friendly and not very accommodating. Too bad. Never recommending this place as they were not helpful. Looks like they did not like dealing with people. We traveled from California to be just turned away. I will not recommend this place. Visit other parks instead of this place. read more

Wind Cave National Park - Hiking Near Me - Hot Springs, South Dakota

Not worth it for 16$. The cave is 135 miles long and you get to see less than a mile of it. It is pre-lit, pre, explored, and you can't go without a guide. The guide might be cool though right? No. He is going to ramble on about native american history/ bogus religious beliefs and fake evolutionary theories. Additionally because they want to preserve a native american religious location, you can't sit on rocks, touch rocks, or do any real exploring. The cave itself is dry and there aren't any stalagmites or stalactites. The lamest part though is that they don't leave any room for adventure/ exploration. read more

The kiddos enjoyed the cave tour - we did the natural entrance tour. This was my 4th time visiting in 40 years and I always appreciate the importance of both the native history and the geologic significance. Our ranger was great. Unfortunately, we left with an unpleasant experience - the female ranger tour guide with chin-length brown hair and glasses who was giving a tour to another group (1:40pm on 7/27/22) was EXTREMELY rude to the group coming up with us. No signage back to the visitor center and she called out, "The visitor center is that way! No? Okay, get lost then. Not my problem!" Gross. Do better, NPS. read more

The cave was cool and the visitor center was very informative with the exhibit and information. There are no theater showings now due to Covid. I will say that I went through quite some trouble getting a ticket for the tour. Due to covid. The tours have been at 75% capacity of 30 people per tour and there are 9 a day with the first one staring at 11:30. You have to wait in line outdoors as early as 7:15 AM to buy tickets, then go somewhere else, and then come back to see the wind cave. The ticket sales start at 8 AM. We didn't know this so we came the day before in the afternoon and we're told all tickets were sold out by 8:30 AM. I'm not sure this is the best system as so many people are turned away from buying tickets. Otherwise, the cave is pretty cool and we got to see the box work. The tour is 1 hr 15 min and the natural entrance cost $12 per adult. The garden of when entrance is $10 per adult. On the day where we could not get tickets, we hiked the prairie view trail and saw coyote! read more

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If you are planning on seeing both this AND Jewel Cave, see this one first. If you're dressed for 80 degree weather topside, bring a light jacket, sweatshirt or windbreaker down with you. We did the Fairgrounds tour which wasn't a tough as they make it out to be. Do yourself s big favor and read what you can and cannot bring with you on the tour. Do everyone else a favor and if you can't go on the date you have tickets for, call the Park and cancel so someone else has a chance to go on your tour. read more

Here goes...just want to say that I'm a nice person, lol. I've been on a journey these last few years to visit every National Park in the country and just last week I came here to Wind Cave NP....my 38th out of 59! Unfortunately....just being honest...this was one of the worst national parks I have been to. I'm shocked to see so many other reviews of this place get 4 and 5 stars?!? Let me explain... Not just a national park...but Wind Cave goes down as my least favorite destination for a cave exploration. Places like Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio, Howe Caverns in New York and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky just to name a few are far superior than Wind Cave. Wind Cave offers 3 different types of cave explorations: 1. Garden of Eden Tour - 1 hour, 1/3 mile designed for people w/ little time, $10. 2. Natural Entrance Tour - most popular tour, 2/3 mile lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes, $12 3. Fairgrounds Tour - 1 hour and 30 minutes, 2/3 mile w/ one flight of 89 steps going up, explores upper and middle levels of Wind Cave, $12. For my visit last week on Tuesday, July 17, 2018....the only tour available for the day was the NATURAL ENTRANCE TOUR, which was being offered every 20 minutes starting at 8:40am running through 6pm. Btw, the Visitors Center opens at 8am and cave tours depart from the Visitors Center. Also, tickets for tours are purchased on a first come, first served basis. When I arrived at 8:30am, there were no issues buying tickets for tours, though by the time I left Wind Cave at 10:30am, the parking lot had filled up plenty and there could have been wait times for tours by then. So if you do decide to visit especially in summer, I'd recommend arriving early. I went on the 9am tour with 25 other people. There was NOTHING TO SEE. Pretty much...the cave was a complete underground walk through where you stop in a few rooms while the ranger talks. There were NO PHOTOS to be had. NO PRETTY ROOMS. NOTHING. The ranger spoke about the abundance of boxwork in the caves and how long and expansive Wind Cave was as one of the biggest underground caverns in the country. But the boxwork wasn't picturesque, there were no stalagmites or stalactites. It was simply a lot of walking underground one tourist in front of the other in a single file, while the ranger recalled stories from Wind Cave's history and the people that helped discover it. Each room was bland and monotone it got pretty frustrating. What was so perplexing was.....I constantly questioned myself, "when's the good parts coming?" and "who cares about this room, what's next?" and "isn't there a grand room with pretty formations?" When the tour was completed, I was speechless. I felt disappointed that my National Parks journey took a sidetrack especially having traveled a long ways to the Black Hills of South Dakota to 1 of only 59 National Parks in the United States with nothing memorable to recall. And the area is abundant with amazing sights, monuments and unique places to see like Custer State Park right next door, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorials a few miles away, and beautiful Badlands National Park also nearby. So after the 1 hour 15 minute tour, there was nothing left to explore so I moved on with the rest of my day sightseeing at Custer SP down the road. I'd say the best part about Wind Cave NP was grabbing a photo at the entrance sign outside the Visitors Center as proof that I visited. Sorry everyone for being a downer. read more

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