National Park · NPS · SD · Roosevelt connection
Wind Cave National Park
Photo: NPS Photo, Boxwork in the Elk's Room
Alerts and conditions
Information Natural Entrance Tour Route Closes For Season October 1, 2026
The Natural Entrance Tour Route will be closed for the season beginning October 1st, 2026. The Garden of Eden, Fairgrounds, and Accessibility Tour Routes remain available. This annual closure will last through the winter season.
Information Centennial Trailhead Parking
Reminder: Overnight parking without a camping permit is prohibited. Permits are not issued specifically for parking. Shuttles are available in the Black Hills for through hikers on the Centennial Trail.
Information Wind Cave moves to cashless fee collection
Payments for cave tours, campground fees, as well as Interagency Passes at Wind Cave National Park, will be by credit/ debit cards or digital payments only. Cash and check payments will no longer be accepted.
Overview
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.
From the National Park Service
History
The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.
The Roosevelt connection
Protected by T.R.
- January 9, 1903: as President, Theodore Roosevelt signed the act creating Wind Cave National Park. The first national park anywhere created to protect a cave. Roosevelt signed the act on January 9, 1903.
craterlakeinstitute.com · nps.gov · en.wikipedia.org · Roosevelt’s Public Lands
What to see and do
Activities
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Caving
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Plan your visit
Hours
Wind Cave National Park: The park is open all day, every day. Snow or severe weather can limit access to some areas of the park, especially in winter. Visitor Center hours and cave tour schedules vary throughout the year. Visit the park website or call 605.745.4600 for current conditions.
Getting there
Wind Cave National Park is located in South Dakota about 11 miles north of Hot Springs, or about 22 miles south of Custer, on US Highway 385. The park Visitor Center, where all cave tours begin, is approximately 1/2 mile west of the highway.
Visitor centers
Campgrounds
- Elk Mountain Campground (64 sites) — reserve
Weather
Spring: Highs range from 50-70°F with highly variable weather. Spring is the park's wettest season. Summer: Hot and generally dry with daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 80°F (27°C). Strong thunderstorms are common and can produce large hail and lightning. Fall: Generally dry with warm days and cool nights. Highs 50-60°F. Lows below freezing are common. Winter: Highs are in the high 30s with lows around 10°F. Snowfall averages 30 inches annually, periodically closing park roads.
Phone: 6057454600
Whose lands these are
These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.
Photos
Pair it with
- Norbeck Wildlife Preserve National Game Refuge USFS · 19 miles
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial NPS · 20 miles
- Jewel Cave National Monument NPS · 22 miles
- Black Hills National Forest USFS · 32 miles
- Oglala National Grassland USFS · 47 miles
- Badlands National Park NPS · 48 miles