This virtual tour of the Historic Area was developed with financial assistance from the Friends of Wind Cave. The complete virtual tour can be viewed at the visitor center at Wind Cave National Park.
Wind Cave National Park is one of our oldest national parks. It was created in 1903 by signature of President Theodore Roosevelt to become our eighth national park and it was the first park anywhere created to protect a cave. Friends of Wind Cave National Park provides a vehicle for citizens to more fully participate in this process.
Wind Cave National Park News Release
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Contact: Tom Farrell,
Tom_farrell@nps.gov, 605-745-1130
Wind Cave resumes tours following elevator replacement and modernization.
HOT SPRINGS, SD – Cave tours through Wind Cave will resume Tuesday, January 28, after the completion of a year-long project to replace and modernize the cave’s elevator system. During the construction project, begun last January, both cabs were replaced, improvements were made to the shaft, and a new lift system was installed.
“We’re very pleased with the completion of this project,” said Acting Superintendent
Milton Haar. “It’s been a long wait since we stopped tours last May, and we are looking forward to resuming tours through the world’s seventh-longest cave.”
Tours of the Garden of Eden will be offered at 10 a.m. with tours of the Fairgrounds beginning at 1 p.m. The Garden tour has 150 stairs and lasts one hour. The Fairground tour has 450 stairs and last an hour and a half. Tickets can be reserved up to three days in advance by visiting recreation.gov. As visitation ramps up, more tours will be offered.
The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with new exhibits and the park store run by the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association.
Helping Where We're Needed
This year, Friends of Wind Cave will maintain the 266 road to the historic Sanson Ranch as well as the site"s buffalo jump that dates back as early as 4,000 years ago. We're also funding a Lidar digital tour, survey gear for cave exploration teams, and helping to establish a trailhead and trail from Hwy 385 to the buffalo jump. Giving all year long will help us to fund these projects and others that may come along. Giving Tuesday is a good time to make your tax-deductible donations.
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