Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park protects 33,970 acres in South Dakota's Black Hills, encompassing one of the world's longest and most complex caves with 154+ miles of surveyed passages. Above ground, the park preserves one of the few remaining mixed-grass prairies in the United States, supporting genetically pure bison herds. The cave is known for its rare boxwork formations, with 95% of the world's discovered boxwork found here. The park's prairie ecosystem supports bison, elk, pronghorn, and black-footed ferrets in one of the best examples of mixed-grass prairie remaining. The convergence of eastern and western species creates exceptional biodiversity, with ponderosa pine forests meeting prairie grasslands. The cave system provides habitat for nine bat species while the surface supports over 800 plant species. Wind Cave implements integrated management of surface and subsurface resources, including bison genetics conservation and prairie restoration. The park manages 650,000 annual visitors through cave tour limits and surface area access while protecting fragile cave formations. Research programs study cave geology, bat populations, and prairie ecology while restoration efforts focus on prescribed fire and native species recovery.

Water Features

Seasonal streams, Springs

Ecosystem

This destination features a grassland & savanna ecosystem.