Fees & Passes

Fees

Entrance Fees

There are no fees to drive through or hike in the park. Enjoy!

Cave Tour Fees

Approximately half of all cave tour tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 605-745-4600 for group information.

Beginning June 15, 2022, Wind Cave will only accept credit/debit cards or digital payments for all cave tours, campground fees, Interagency Passes.

	Garden of Eden	Natural Entrance	Fairgrounds	Candlelight	Wild Cave
Adults (16+)	$14	$16	$16	$16	$45
Children (6-15)	$7	$8	$8	*	**
5 and under	Free	Free	Free	Not permitted	Not permitted
62 and over	$7	$8	$8	--	--

*Minimum age for Candlelight Tour is 8 years old.
**Minimum age for Wild Cave Tour is 16 years old with a signed parent permission slip.

Accessibility Tours - $6.00 for adults 16 and older, $3.00 for children 6-16 and adults 2 & up, children 5 and under are free, Sign-language interpreters are available for the hearing impaired with two weeks advanced notice.

Tour Reservations

A portion of tour tickets are available for advanced purchase through www.recreation.gov. Reservations are recommended as tours often sell out March through October and on holiday weekends throughout winter. Tickets can be purchased from 3-120 days before the tour.

Approximately half of all cave tour tickets remain available for purchase on a first-come, first-served at the visitor center the day of the tour. Same-day tickets often sell out 1-2 hours or more before tour times.

Camping Fees

Camp where the prairie meets the forest at the Elk Mountain Campground. The fee is $24.00 per site per night regularly, and $12.00 per site per night when the water is turned off (generally October through May). Visitors holding a Senior or Access Pass, or a Golden Age or Golden Access Pass pay half price a night per site.

 

Passes & Special Use Fees

America the Beautiful: National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass

As of 2007 the Golden Age, Golden Eagle, and Golden Access passes were replaced with a new series of interagency passes call the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Passes can be purchased at the Wind Cave visitor center and at any staffed entrance station throughout the National Park system.

NOTE: Interagency passes do not waive Expanded Amenity Fees such as cave tours.

Annual Pass - Cost $80 Available to the general public and provides access to, and use of, federal recreation sites that charge an entrance fee for a full year from month of purchase.

4th Grader Pass - Free Available to U.S. 4th graders or home school equivalents with a valid Every Kid in a Park paper voucher. Valid for the duration of the 4th grade school year through the following summer (September - August). Learn more at the Every Kid in a Park website.

Senior Lifetime Pass - Cost $80 A lifetime pass for U.S. citizens and permanent residents age 62 and over.

Senior Annual Pass - Cost $20 An annual pass for U.S. citizens and permanent residents age 62 and over. Good for one full year from month of purchase.

Access Pass - Free A lifetime pass for U.S. citizens and permanent residents with permanent disabilities.

Military Pass - Free Available to active duty military personnel and dependents with proper identification (CAC Card or DD Form 1173) for a full year from month of purchase.

Military Lifetime Pass - Free A lifetime pass for U.S. Military Veterans and Gold Star Family Members with proper identification. Find detailed information about who qualifies, acceptable forms of identification, and how to download a Gold Star Family voucher.

Volunteer Pass - Free Volunteers who acquire 250 service hours on a cumulative basis are eligible for this pass. It provides access to, and use of, federal recreation sites that charge an entrance fee for a full year from month of award.

Special Use Fees

There are also fees associated with special park uses including special events and professional photography. These activities need a special use permit.