Where is Wind Cave?
Learn More about
Wind Cave
Learn More about
Wind Cave
Learn a bit about Wind Cave National Park through these fun and interesting facts
Origin
The Lakota people have long regarded Wind Cave as sacred, believing it to be the site from which their ancestors first emerged onto the Earth.
Origin
The Lakota people have long regarded Wind Cave as sacred, believing it to be the site from which their ancestors first emerged onto the Earth.
Topography
Wind Cave contains more than 150 miles of mapped passages, making it one of the densest cave systems in the world relative to its surface area.
Topography
Wind Cave contains more than 150 miles of mapped passages, making it one of the densest cave systems in the world relative to its surface area.
Wildlife
The park’s prairie ecosystem supports large herds of bison, elk, and pronghorn, as well as prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets.
Wildlife
The park’s prairie ecosystem supports large herds of bison, elk, and pronghorn, as well as prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets.
Geology
The cave is famous for its rare boxwork formations — fragile, lace-like calcite structures found in few other places on Earth.
Geology
The cave is famous for its rare boxwork formations — fragile, lace-like calcite structures found in few other places on Earth.
History
Discovered by settlers in 1881 when a man heard wind rushing from a small hole in the ground, the cave’s name comes from this mysterious phenomenon.
History
Discovered by settlers in 1881 when a man heard wind rushing from a small hole in the ground, the cave’s name comes from this mysterious phenomenon.
Climate
While the prairie above experiences warm summers and cold winters, the cave itself maintains a constant temperature of about 54°F year-round.
Climate
While the prairie above experiences warm summers and cold winters, the cave itself maintains a constant temperature of about 54°F year-round.
