Prairie
Vista Trail
Connections
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Above
and below, wet and dry, natural and unnatural, there are connections
between all things. These relationships are like invisible lines
that can be traced from one thing to another. Tracing along
these lines can make us realize that nothing in this world stands
alone. As John Muir said, “When you try to change any
single thing, you find it hitched to everything else in the
universe." |
Information
Poison
Ivy
|
This
moderately strenuous trail is about one mile in length. The
trail begins near the natural entrance to Wind Cave (see map).
Following the ravine thorugh the picnic area, the trail goes
along the prairie hillside beyond the restrooms. After entering
the prairie, the route travels up the hill, gradually reaching
the top. Here the trail levels, offering excellent views of
the park. The end of the trail descends steeply and returns
to the pavement near the cave entrance. At the pavement, turn
left to return to the visitor center or right to go to the picnic
area. The path is rocky in some areas, please use caution. Also,
be aware that you may encounter wildlife and poison ivy along
the trail. Rattlesnakes can sometimes be seen and in the spring
ticks are common. |
Rocks
and Water
|
Traveling
through the ravine you will see limestone outcrops on either
side of the trail. Water has seeped through the cracked and
broken rocks to the cave below for millions of years. The action
of that water has helped to form and decorate Wind Cave. The
water that travels down from the ravine may reach the cave in
as little as 8 hours. However, water sinking down from the highest
point of the trail, the top of the hill, may take five years
to reach the cave. |
| Ravine |
Limestone
outcroppings on the sides of the ravine help keep the valley
shaded. Here water collects and many trees grow. This area is
humid and cool on the hottest, driest day. Fernlike plants and
lush green shrubs grow close to the trail, indicating nearby
moisture. Shade and cover allow this microclimate to prosper. |
Prairie
Yucca
|
The
transition from the cool shaded humidity of the ravine to the
hotter, drier prairie is remarkable. There is little shade here.
The moisture that collects is protected by the space-filling
rocks in the soil and used immediately by the shrubs, grasses,
and low-lying plants. A broad diversity of plants can be seen
along the trail. You may notice the dagger shaped leaf of the
yucca. Look deep in the grasses for the prickly pear and the
rarer pincushion cactus. The yucca is found commonly within
the perimeter of the visitor center fence. This is because pronghorn
and bison, which eat yucca, do not often enter the fenced area. |
Prairie
Adaptations
|
Grasses
with long fibrous roots dominate the vegetation because they
are adapted to the extremely dry and hot conditions. More than
half of their biomass is underground with their roots going
down 12 feet or more. Many species of plants share the prairie
with the grasses. These plants also have adapted to the dry,
wind swept prairie. The yucca, cacti, and other succulents store
water in their thick leaves. In order to conserve water, these
plants open their stomata (pores in their skin) at night, processing
the light energy they collected during the day in the cooler
evening hours. The rolling hills, swaying grasses, and colorful
flowers define the prairie, but an ever-encroaching forest constantly
threatens this fragile ecosystem. |
| Prairie
vs Forest |
For
hundreds of years, the ponderosa pine forest has tried to conquer
the hilly prairie, only to be stopped by fires and dry conditions.
Realizing this, rangers at Wind Cave National Park began using
prescribed fires to restore the prairie, to reduce the amount
of fuel for wildfires, and to improve the foraging for the native
animals, such as bison and pronghorn. The effects of both wild
and prescribed fire can be seen along this trail. The pine forests
in the distance and the grasses are healthier because of fire.
The objective of the prescribed burning program is to maintain
a balance of prairie and forest. Fires are also used to control
the non-native plants that are invading the park. |
Invaders
|
Weeds!
Exotic plants! They are everywhere and continually invading.
Park managers have declared war against these non-native invaders.
Visible from the trail are goat’s beard (Western salsify),
common mullein, and several other non-native plants. Some of
these exotic weeds can affect the diversity of the prairie by
competing with native species for space, water, and nutrients.
They become a problem when they take over an area – excluding
other plants and creating a monoculture. If you search, you
may notice Canada thistle or leafy spurge. These plants kill
other plants as they aggressively spread across the prairie.
They propagate by air borne seeds and by prolific root systems.
By controlling these invaders, the park is protecting the diversity
of the prairie, which is not only spectacular to view but is
essential to the survival of the animals living here. |
| Vastness |
Turn
about. The vastness of this beautiful landscape can amaze and
inspire you. Imagine the entire Great Plains looking similar
to this grasses swaying in the breeze, colorful flowers painting
the landscape and a few shrubs scattered throughout. A calm,
peaceful silence surrounds you. The National Park Service is
trying to preserve this remnant of a once vast prairie ecosystem.
Although some change has occurred, that change has been limited. |
Civilian
Conservation
Corps
|
Many
of the human caused changes that you can see from here were
made during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, when Wind
Cave National Park was home to a Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) camp. At Wind Cave the CCC was responsible for landscaping
the roadsides, constructing the elevator building, and assisting
with building the visitor center. The CCC also created the parking
lot and trails and paths such as the one to the natural entrance.
Now we know that these changes have affected the delicate ecosystem
of the cave. The major connection between the surface and the
cave is water. The parking lot, trails, and buildings affect
the flow of water. Water no longer seeps into the ground where
these structures are located, and in other places, the water
is funneled into the cave by new drainages. These changes could
allow traces of car fluids and other pollutants to enter the
cave. These can affect the cave formations and may destroy formations
in places yet to be explored. As we explore the cave today,
we find that understanding the connection between the cave and
the parklands above it is important if we are going to protect
the fragile beauty of this delicate environment. |
| Exploration |
Alvin
McDonald was one of the earliest explorers of Wind Cave. His
grave is marked by a plaque on a boulder beneath the lilac tree,
near the end of the trail. The McDonald family tried to homestead
this area in the 1890’s. During that time, Alvin recorded
many of his experiences in a journal. In this journal, he named
rooms and routes within the cave. He also systematically mapped
the cave. Alvin once wrote that he had, “given up the
idea of finding the end of Wind Cave.” This belief is
still held by cavers today. Through exploration, we find more
cave, but we also gain an understanding about the cave and its
many connected ecosystems. Understanding gives us the methods
to protect the intricate connections of the prairie and the
cave, of the prairie and the forest, and the connections within
the prairie itself. |
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