1 active Wind Cave alert
- ClosureNatural Entrance Tour Route closed for winterThe Natural Entrance Tour Route is closed for its annual winter season beginning October 1, 2026.Official details
Parkwolf’s Wind Cave ranking
Top sights in Wind Cave
1SightWind CaveGet underground to see boxwork that’s rare elsewhere and abundant here.
2SightWind Cave Natural EntranceA ten-inch opening with air you can feel moving.
3SightRankin Ridge Fire TowerA steel fire tower marks a summit you can’t climb.
4SightBeaver Creek BridgeA 1929 arch bridge designed to rise from Beaver Creek Canyon’s walls.
5SightPigtail BridgeOne road climbs over its own path, then curls back underneath.
6Scenic pulloutHighland Ridge OverlookSee the red valley and hogback that ring the Black Hills.
7SightAncient FoundationsFind pink feldspar, gray quartz and black tourmaline in ancient pegmatite.
8SightMinnelusa FormationA short walk to striped rock layers if geology’s your thing.
9SightDeadwood SandstoneA quick stop to read Wind Cave's Cambrian rock layersHiking
Top trails in Wind Cave
- 4 easy
- 7 moderate
EasyRankin Ridge Nature Trail1 mi · 1 hrA short ridge loop with a fire tower and wide plains views.
ModerateLookout Point Trail and Centennial Trail Loop4.8 mi · 2.5 hrPrairie dogs, creek bridges and one steep climb on a 4.8-mile loop.
ModerateCold Brook Canyon Trail2.8 mi · 1.5 hrA short prairie walk with canyon cliffs and a prairie dog town.
ModerateBoland Ridge Trail5.2 mi · 2.5 hrFour rolling climbs lead to wide views over Red Valley.
EasyPrairie Vista Nature Trail1 mi · 36 minA one-mile loop past the Natural Entrance and prairie waysides.
EasyWind Cave Canyon Trail3.6 mi · 2 hrAn easy former road beneath limestone cliffs, with nesting birds overhead.
ModerateHighland Creek Trail8.6 mi · 5.5 hr8.6 miles one way across prairie, creek bottoms, and canyons.
ModerateEast Bison Flats Trail7.4 mi · 4 hrOpen prairie, a steep canyon dip, and broad Buffalo Gap views.
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wind Cave Tour Guide
Wind Cave, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wind Cave National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Wind Cave and Visitor Center0:00 / 0:36
“You're approaching Wind Cave and its visitor center. The reason to go underground is boxwork: thin blades of calcite that stick out from the walls and ceilings in a honeycomb pattern.”
Plays as you drive up to Wind Cave in the Parkwolf Wind Cave Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wind Cave Canyon
- The Rock Between the Fins
- Elk Mountain Campground
- The Crew Behind the Cave Route
- 28 audio storiesacross Wind Cave’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Elk, Pronghorn, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 11 trails, 14 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Map
The whole park, on one map
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Before you go
Facilities
Wildlife
Wildlife in Wind Cave
600 sightingsBisonMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
258 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
14 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
131 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wind Cave. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.