Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [52]
Even more than a century after the establishment of the park, there is still something to discover in the darkened depths of Wind Cave National Park. Although the cave formations here are generally not as ornate as those in some of the West's other caves, such as Carlsbad Caverns, Wind Cave has its share of fairyland-style decorations, including popcorn, shimmering needle-shaped crystals, and an abundance of formations called "box work," which sometimes looks like fine lace. With over 116 miles of mapped passageway, Wind Cave is one of the longest caves in the world. And, with each succeeding expedition, the connecting network of known passages continues to grow, sometimes by a few paces, other times by several hundred feet. Barometric wind studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey estimate that only 5% of the total cave has been discovered.
But there's a great deal more to Wind Cave than just its underground geological wonders. Above ground, 28,295 acres of rolling prairie and ponderosa pine forests blaze with wildflowers and teem with wildlife. Bison and antelope graze on the park's lush grasslands while prairie dogs watch from the relative safety of their "towns." In the fall, elk can be heard "bugling" throughout the confines of the park; overhead, hawks, eagles, and vultures float on the thermal currents that rise from the rocky ridges of the Black Hills.
In the limestone labyrinth that rests below the Black Hills, Jewel Cave National Monument offers a mysterious, mazelike network of caverns and passageways, filled with rare specimens and beautiful jewel-like crystals that have yet to be fully explored.
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
Rapid City is the most popular gateway to the Black Hills and its bountiful selection of national and state parks, monuments, and memorials.
The most direct route to the Black Hills by car is I-90. To reach Mount Rushmore, take Exit 57 to U.S. 16 (Mt. Rushmore Rd.) and continue approximately 23 miles southwest of Rapid City to the memorial entrance.
Custer State Park, between Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park, is accessible on S. Dak. 79 and S. Dak. 36 from the east, U.S. 16A from the north and west, and S. Dak. 87 from the north and south.
The best routes to Wind Cave National Park are U.S. 385 north of Hot Springs, SD, and S. Dak. 87 from Custer State Park, which shares its southern boundary with Wind Cave's northern perimeter. It's about an hour's drive south from Mount Rushmore.
The Crazy Horse Memorial is 5 miles north of the town of Custer on U.S. 16/385.
Jewel Cave National Monument, the westernmost of the sites discussed in this chapter, is just off U.S. 16, 13 miles west of Custer.
The Nearest Airport. Rapid City Regional Airport (☎ 605/394-4195; www.rcgov.org/Airport/pages), 10 miles southeast of Rapid City on U.S. 44, provides direct access to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. Northwest, Delta/Skywest, Allegiant, and United Express serve the airport with daily flights to Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Denver, with twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas. Car-rental agencies
at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. You'll find a list of toll-free numbers in the appendix (p. 661).
INFORMATION
For information on Mount Rushmore, contact Mount Rushmore National Memorial, P.O. Box 268, Keystone, SD 57751-0268 (☎ 605/574-2523; www. nps.gov/moru). For information about Custer State Park, contact the park at HC83, Box 70, Custer, SD 57730-9705 (☎ 605/255-4515; www.custerstatepark. info). To get information about Wind Cave, contact Wind Cave National Park, RR1,