Hot Springs
South Dakota
Wind Cave National Park
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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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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