Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park is a national park of the United States located 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. It is 7 mi southeast of Pringle. This is a site of the National Park Service. Its 2025 visitor count was 606K.
A national park, 7 mi southeast of Pringle
Visits rose 24% in 2025
The National Park Service counted 606,258 visitors in 2025, up from 489,399 the year before. Visitors ↓
You can sleep inside the park
1 place to stay are inside the park: Elk Mountain Campground. The nearest town with more is Hot Springs. Where to stay ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 16°, with about 46" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Established in 1903
Wind Cave National Park dates from 1903 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 62–81°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Busy months and weather
Pick a quieter month for Wind Cave from the chart below.
Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park is a national park of the United States located 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established on January 3, 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the sixth national park in the U.S. and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave has calcite formations known as boxwork, as well as frostwork. Approximately 95 percent of the world's discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1903
- Area
- 44 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 35K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/wica
How to visit
Towns to stay in near Wind Cave National Park
You can sleep inside the park (1 place). To stay close, try Hot Springs (23) and Custer (42).
- 1Mount Rushmore
- 2Crazy Horse Memorial
- 3Custer
- 4Black Elk Peak
- 5Mammoth Site, Hot Springs
- 6Jewel Cave
- 7Bedrock City
Stay in the park
- Elk Mountain Campground campground
Hot Springs
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
3,670 people
10 mi south of Wind Cave Visitor Center · 5 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs | 10 mi south | 15 min | 23 12 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 3,670 | $203K | A |
| Custer | 16 mi northwest | 25 min | 42 14 hotels · 3 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 14 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 1,803 | $236K | — |
| Keystone | 24 mi north | 35 min | 32 16 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 268 | $264K | — |
| Hill City | 26 mi north | 40 min | 38 16 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 938 | $286K | — |
| Angostura 51% vacation homes | 17 mi south | 25 min | 6 1 hotel · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 144 | $573K | — |
| Pringle | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 1 1 campground | 104 | — | — |
| Maverick Junction | 11 mi south | 15 min | 1 1 campground | 123 | — | — |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 33 mi north | 50 min | 10 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 2,609 | $407K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
After Wind Cave
These well-known places are within 51 miles.
Big draw122 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw221 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
51 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
313 mi State parkCuster State Park
422 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
59 mi MuseumMammoth Site, Hot Springs621 mi National MonumentJewel Cave National Monument111K visitors a year
716 mi Theme parkBedrock CityPhoto credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Mammoth Site, Hot Springs: Jeff the quiet, CC0 · Bedrock City: Tbennert, CC BY-SA 3.0
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The 2025 count: 606,258
From 2016 to 2025, these are the yearly visits.
What people ask about Wind Cave
What town is Wind Cave National Park near?
Pringle, SD, about 7 miles northwest.
When is the best time to visit Wind Cave National Park?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 62–81°. July is the busiest month (about 111,238 visitors).
How many people visit Wind Cave National Park each year?
606,258 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 709,001, set in 2021.
What is the closest airport to Wind Cave National Park?
Rapid City Regional (RAP), about 40 miles away.
Where should I stay near Wind Cave National Park?
Inside the park: Elk Mountain Campground. Nearby: Hot Springs (10 mi, 23 places to stay), Custer (16 mi, 42 places to stay) and Keystone (24 mi, 32 places to stay).
Advice from Pringle
People in Pringle have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.