Wind Cave National Park

May 27th 2026 visit to Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota protects a world renowned cave system, famous for its rare boxwork formations, and diverse above ground ecosystem with bison, elf and prairie dogs. Located in Custer County, it's one of the oldest national parks, with a rich history tied to Lakota culture, and offers guided tours of its unique underground passages, with tickets sold at the visitor center.

Boxwork Formations

Boxwork is a rare and spectacular rock formation found almost exclusively in South Dakota's Wind Cave National Park. It consists of thin, intersecting blades of calcite that project from cave walls and ceilings, creating a delicate, geometric pattern that closely resembles a honeycomb or a series of stacked boxes.

Scale model of Wind Cave in Visitors Center.

Wind Cave is classified as a three-dimensional maze cave. It features a dense network of intersecting fractures compressed into a tiny footprint. Unlike long, river-like caves, Wind Cave is famously compared to a bowl of spaghetti. Over 150 miles of explored passages twist, loop, and cross over each other. Remarkably, this entire massive maze is packed beneath just one square mile of the surface, situated mostly around the park visitor center. It is widely recognized as the densest cave system in the world.