Wind Cave National Park Has Busiest May on Record

Cave tour visitation at Wind Cave National Park during the month of May this year was the busiest ever recorded for May and was up 16% over last year.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: June 10, 2016

Contact: Tom Farrell, 605-745-1130

This year’s cave tour visitation at Wind Cave National Park was the highest ever recorded for the month of May. Rangers led 9,732 people through the cave on 370 tours, surpassing the previous May record set in 2013 by over a thousand visitors and last year’s visitation by 16%.

“Between celebrating the Centennial of the National Park Service and high visitation, this is turning into a very unique year for us,” said Park Superintendent Vidal Dávila. “The theme of this year’s Centennial is ‘Find Your Park’ and we’re very pleased that people are doing that.”

Cave visitation is busiest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and any day it rains. Another tip for touring the cave is that it is less busy early in the day. Visitors are encouraged to bring a light coat or jacket and some good walking shoes. The cave temperature is 54 degrees year-round.

If you are seeking solitude, go hiking on some of the park’s 30 miles of trails. The park hosts a mixed-grass prairie and forested hills, all available for exploration. Backcountry camping is available in the northern part of the park, with a free permit available from the visitor center. 

For more information about planning your, visit www.nps.gov/wica.