• Wind Cave National Park - Two Worlds

    Wind Cave

    National Park South Dakota

Cave Exploration - A Blowing Hole

Natural Entrance to Wind Cave

Natural Entrance to Wind Cave

NPS Photo

The Discovery

American Indian tribes have lived for centuries in the Black Hills. These early inhabitants were the first discoverers of Wind Cave.

 
Talking History

Oral History

Talking History

Lakota oral tradition refers to a “hole that breathes cool air” near Pte Tatiopa, the “Doorway of the Buffaloes” or Buffalo Gap. It is believed that the Natural Entrance to Wind Cave is that breathing hole.

 
Tom Bingham

Tom Bingham

NPS Photo Archive

It’ll Blow The Hat Right Off Your Head

In 1881, while riding their horses up a draw, Tom and Jesse Bingham heard the sound of blowing wind on a calm day. Following the sound, they came upon a hole in the ground. When Jesse looked into the hole the wind blew his hat right off. The story of a hole that will blow the hat off quickly spread and other people ventured out to the area to see this blowing hole.

 

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Did You Know?

Natural Entrance of Wind Cave

Winds caused by changes in barometric pressure are what give Wind Cave its name.  These winds have been measured at the cave's walk-in entrance at over 70 mph. The winds at the natural entrance of the cave attracted the attention of Native Americans and early settlers.