Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [57]
Visiting Wind Cave National Park
For several centuries, American Indians have told stories of holes in the Black Hills through which the wind blows and howls. But the first recorded discovery of Wind Cave came in 1881, when brothers Jesse and Tom Bingham were lured to the cave by a whistling noise. As the legend goes, the wind was rushing from the cave entrance with such force that it blew Tom's hat right off his head.
A few days later, when Jesse returned to the cave to show this phenomenon to friends, he was surprised to find that the wind had shifted direction, and his hat was sucked into the cave. We now know that the direction of the wind is related to the difference in atmospheric pressure between the cave and the surface.
J. D. McDonald was the first person to attempt to establish a tourist attraction at Wind Cave, complete with stagecoach transportation, a hotel, and a gift shop. He did so primarily because there were no valuable mineral deposits in the cave to mine. But "ownership" of the cave came into question, and the matter soon entered a courtroom. The controversy caught the attention of the Department of the Interior, which decided in December 1899 that no party had a claim to Wind Cave. In 1901, the department withdrew all the land around the cave from homesteading.
On January 9, 1903, Pres. Theodore Roosevelt signed the bill that established Wind Cave as America's seventh national park, and the first one created to protect the underground resources of a cave. In 1913 and 1914, the American Bison Society assisted in reestablishing a bison herd at Wind Cave, through the donation of 14 head from the New York Zoological Society. Also arriving in the park were 21 elk from Wyoming and 13 pronghorn antelope from Alberta, Canada. Today, Wind Cave is home to 350 bison, as well as large herds of elk and antelope.
Avoiding the Crowds. With more than 28,000 acres, two paved highways, two all-weather gravel roads, 30 excellent trails, backcountry camping, and plenty of room to roam, avoiding the crowds in Wind Cave National Park is a cinch.
July and August are the busiest months. Annual visitation averages 800,000, and about 100,000 people participate in a cave tour each year. When planning daily itineraries, include Wind Cave in either the early morning or late afternoon, when visitation is lowest and wildlife is most active. Buy your cave tour tickets early in the day.
ESSENTIALS
Visitor Center. The visitor center, right off U.S. 385, is open daily year-round (except Jan 1, Thanksgiving, and Dec 25). It has books, brochures, exhibits, and slide programs about the cave and other park resources. Cave tour information and tickets are available, and schedules of activities, including talks and nature walks, are posted.
Fees & Permits. Wind Cave National Park does not charge an entrance fee. It does, however, charge fees for cave tours, ranging from $7 ($3.50 with a Golden Age Passport) for a simple guided tour ($3.50–$4.50 for children 6–16, free for children under 6) to $23 for a 4-hour introduction to basic caving techniques.
Camping in Elk Mountain Campground costs $12 per night from mid-May through mid-September, $6 per night during the rest of its season; all camping is on a first-come, first-served basis. Backcountry camping is allowed with a free permit, which must be picked up in person at the visitor center.
Special Regulations & Warnings. The danger of wildfire is usually high year-round. Build fires only in the campground and only in fire grills or camp stoves. Never leave a fire unattended. Off-road driving is prohibited. Watch for rattlesnakes and black widow spiders, especially around prairie dog burrows.
Cave tour pathways may be uneven