Can you just drive through Wind Cave National Park?

Highways and Paved Roads Most visits to Wind Cave National Park take you on US Highway 385 or South Dakota Highway 87, the two main paved roads in the park. Both offer scenic views as well as many pullouts with wayside exhibits and parking for enjoying the scenery or watching wildlife.



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There are no entrance fees to enjoy the trails, scenic drives, and visitor center at Wind Cave National Park.

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For the best experience, plan on spending one day in Wind Cave National Park. This gives you plenty of time for a cave tour and to hike the Lookout Point Trail Loop and/or the Rankin Ridge Trail. During the summer months, it is best to do the longer hike earlier in the day, before it gets too hot.

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Wind Cave National Park is definitely worth visiting. The park offers a unique experience with its intricate cave system, which is one of the longest and most complex in the world. Visitors can take guided tours of the caves and learn about the fascinating geology, history, and Native American significance of the area.

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Garden of Eden Tour is considered the easiest tour, lasting one hour and including a mile of walking and 150 stairs. Guests enter and exit the cave via elevator. Natural Entrance Tour is considered a moderate tour and the most popular.

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Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 58 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, running, and walking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

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Explore this 3.0-mile out-and-back trail near Mesa, Arizona. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 58 min to complete.

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Discovery tour This 45 – 60 minute guided walking tour includes 15 rooms, a 1/2 mile of concrete walkways, and 196 stairs. On this family-friendly tour, you will learn about the history and geology of the cave and see some of the most beautiful formations deep inside the mountain.

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The cave is well known for its outstanding display of boxwork, an unusual cave formation composed of thin calcite fins resembling honeycombs. The park's mixed-grass prairie is one of the few remaining and is home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and prairie dogs.

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