Wind Cave National Park

The caves were unfortunately closed during the time of our visit, but we still had a lot of fun exploring this small national park! There are a couple of hiking trails and a large visitor center to explore. We camped overnight here and the bathrooms were clean and the sites were spacious. We had a deer come right up to our tent while we were inside it playing games which was super epic!

This park is fairly small but pretty and interesting. We couldn't do a wind cave tour beacause the elevator was being replaced. (Be sure to check the website as to when the work will be done if you want to do a tour and make a reservation in advance.) Instead, we did 2 different hikes: Prairie Vista Trail and Rankin Ridge Trail. Both were beautiful hikes and very different from each other. The road to Rankin Ridge was especially pretty. We saw deer, Prairie Dogs, pronghorn antelope, bison and birds. We camped at Elk Mt. Campground. The dark sky was incredible there! We were at the park the end of October so the water had been turned off in the campground. Plenty of sites available. Although we couldn't do a cave tour, it was worth going to.

Fun trip to see the park, however it was still partially closed due to elevator maintenance in the caves I believe. We will definitely be going back, but we got the gist of it as well as saw plenty of wildlife. The cave itself was a trip, especially the original entrance that indigenous folks found long ago

A local was telling me the elevators are always broken and he’s never seen the cave. It’s a nice place to hike, but it will get hot as there isn’t much shade on done trails. Lots of bison and prairie dogs.

We visited by coming up through the scenic loop in Custer State Park. Beware, the bison in Wind Cave does not have mineral licks so they will block the road to stop your vehicle, they then surround you and lick your vehicle. So do not panic, just keep inching the vehicle forward and they will eventually leave you alone. It was a fun experience the first time, but once was enough for me. There are neat views as you traverse the back roads through the park, make sure to take it slow and look around. We did not actually get to go down into the cave, the elevator is undergoing repairs. They do offer a virtual tour (appeared to be a slideshow) but we passed on that. We buzzed through the visor center and gift shop and went on to see other sights.

Wind Cleve was closed when we where there in May , they where fixing the stairs. But we got to still drive around the park , you can see so much damage to the land after 2018 fire 35%of 70 % of their land burned in December when a tree felt on the power line and it caught fire. It will take a many many years to recover.

Wind Cave National Park Review: A Unique Experience Above Ground (2024) Our recent trip to Wind Cave National Park was a mix of excitement and a little bit of disappointment—but with a surprisingly great twist. Unfortunately, we couldn’t actually explore the cave itself due to a new elevator being installed. However, the visitor center offered a 360 video walk-through of the cave, and let me tell you—it was quite frankly amazing! The video provided such an immersive experience that it felt like we were right there inside the cave, walking through the intricate passageways and marveling at the unique formations like boxwork. The 360 view really allowed us to appreciate the beauty of the cave, and it was a fantastic alternative given the circumstances. We’re definitely looking forward to our next visit when we can go down the new elevator and see Wind Cave in person. But even then, I wouldn’t miss the 360 video for anything—it was a highlight of the trip! Whether you’re able to go inside the cave or not, this video is a must-see for anyone visiting the park. Elk Mountain Campground is the Campground for the Park, absolutely perfect if traveling by Mini-T Campervan

We are here in South Dakota, visiting Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, and Wind Cave. Wind Cave exceeded my expectations as we went when the cave was closed. The plains are so pretty. I really liked how many prairie dogs there were there! We also got stuck by a herd of Bison crossing the street which was beautiful to see with all of the babies and their parents. Most definitely an underrated national park!