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Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park
26611 U.S. Highway 385
605-745-4600

The mission of Wind Cave National Park is to preserve and protect the natural resources. Wind Cave National Park is 28,295 acres. Because of its relatively small size and because there are missing parts, park managers must take an active role in helping the ecosystems function as they might have in the past. This requires understanding how everything in the park relates and how the naturally operating system would have functioned. Park rangers work with researchers to replicate that natural system using prescribed fires, bison round-ups, and biological control of exotic plant species.

How we accomplish the mission of the park is determined by what we know about the park. The land, the animals, and the cave are all related and it is only when we understand the resources and their connections that we can best protect Wind Cave National Park.

Recent News

Holiday Events Mark the Season at Wind Cave National Park

HOT SPRINGS, S.D. – Holiday events this year at Wind Cave National Park begin Wednesday, December 13, with the park’s holiday open house, followed by the park’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 17. The…

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Wind Cave Elevators Repaired Ahead Of Native Americans’ Day

Cave tours at Wind Cave National Park are resuming Wednesday, October 4, ahead of the upcoming three-day weekend, which will culminate in the park’s Native Americans’ Day celebration Monday, October 9. “We are very happy to…

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Elk Bugling Programs Offered This Fall at Wind Cave National Park

Hot Springs, SD - Rangers at Wind Cave National Park will be leading programs mid-September through early October to listen for the bugle of the Rocky Mountain elk. The elk’s high-pitched whistle heralds the arrival of fall and the elk’s…

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Wind Cave National Park News - August 22, 2023

After 55 summers, Wind Cave ranger hangs up his hat Ranger Don Frankfort began working at Wind Cave in 1967 Hot Springs, SD - Seasonal park ranger Don Frankfort is retiring after working 55 summers at Wind Cave National Park. He began his ranger…

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Tourism to Wind Cave National Park Contributes $52.7 Million to Local Economy

Tourism to Wind Cave National Park contributes $52.7 million to local economy Report shows visitor spending supports 741 jobs in nearby communities HOT SPRINGS, SD – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 607,418 visitors to…

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Missing Horse Found Alive in Wind Cave National Park

Hot Springs, SD - The horse missing in Wind Cave National Park since last Tuesday, May 2, was found earlier today walking along Highway 385 near the Wind Cave Canyon Trailhead. Custer County Dispatch notified the park at 7:55 a.m. of a dropped call…

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Celebrate National Park Week at Wind Cave National Park with Bones, Birds, and Boxwork

Hot Springs, SD - Wind Cave National Park will be hosting a variety of activities during National Park Week beginning Saturday, April 22, and running through Sunday, April 30. To start the week off, the Paleontology Club from the South Dakota…

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Wind Cave National Park Closes Backcountry For Elk Management Operation

Backcountry areas of Wind Cave National Park will be closed to hikers from January 17 to February 17, twenty-four hours a day except on weekends. This closure will allow park staff to undertake a management operation to reduce the presence of…

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Wind Cave National Park Offers Free Tours On Martin Luther King Jr.Day

WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, S.D. -- Wind Cave National Park will offer free tours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 16. A tour of the Fairgrounds will be offered at 1 p.m. This tour is 90 minutes in length and traverses 450 stairs with a…

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Wind Cave National Park - Adventures in Nature Program Begins January 10 at Wind Cave National Park

Adventures in Nature program begins January 10 at Wind Cave Wind Cave National Park staff invite you and your children to explore the natural world by taking part in their Adventures in Nature programs. These free interactive programs are…

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Wind Cave National Park : Holiday open house and annual bird count help celebrate the season

WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, S.D. – Holiday events this year at Wind Cave National Park begin Sunday, December 11,with the park’s annual Christmas Bird Count followed by a holiday open house on Monday, December 19. The bird count begins…

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