Eric Gabriel is the superintendent of Wind Cave National Park. National Park Service news releases have named him superintendent since September 2025, and he approved the park’s current rules, the Superintendent’s Compendium, on May 25, 2026.
The superintendent leads the park’s staff and its work on the prairie and in the cave. When the park planned a prescribed fire for fall 2025, Gabriel explained why: “Prescribed fires help maintain a healthy mixed-grass prairie ecosystem.”
This fall Gabriel invited visitors out on the trails for National Take a Hike Day, November 17, 2026, with ranger-led hikes, pointing to the health benefits of hiking.
Gabriel follows Leigh Welling, who retired on June 29, 2024, after a 21-and-a-half-year Park Service career, three and a half years of it at Wind Cave. Acting superintendents led the park in between, including Milton Haar in early 2025.
The Friends of Wind Cave National Park work alongside the park’s staff on projects the park budget can’t cover. We welcome Superintendent Gabriel and look forward to the work ahead.
Sources: National Park Service news releases of November 4, 2026, September 23, 2025, January 24, 2025 and June 2024; Superintendent’s Compendium.
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