Wind Cave National Park protects one of the longest, most complex maze-cave systems in the world and contains an amazing amount of the rare formation called boxwork. It is a great place to learn about the unique geology of the cave and to hear about the adventures of cave explorers. However, if you only learn about the park through the cave, then you have missed half of what makes this park so special.

Surrounded by a Sea of Grass

Imagine yourself surrounded by a sea of grass, softley illuminated by gold-tinged afternoon sunlight. A gentile breeze brings the sweeet vanill scent of the ponderosa pine. In the distance, a heard of bison silently graze while a nearby meadowlark whistles a pleasant song.

As your eyes scan the prairie, you discover not only its signature grasses, but a wide variety of delicate wildflowers. Creamy-white sego lilies, purple coneflowers, and golden-yellow sunflowers add intermittent splashes of color to the carpet of green and brown grasses.

Wind Cave - Two Worlds

Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds - one deep within the earth, the other a sunlit world of many resources.