Wind Cave National Park Tours
Guided tours are the only way to experience Wind Cave. Advanced tickets may be purchased through this website. Additional tours and times are available for same-day ticket sales at the park visitor center. Visit the Guided Tours page of the park website for a current schedule. Tours often sell out prior to tour times. See Seasons & Booking for details.
Wind Cave National Park is home to the world’s seventh longest cave and one of the world’s most complex maze-cave systems. Most cave rooms are small, connected by narrow passages with low ceilings. Boxwork, a rare and delicate cave formation, emerges from the cave walls and ceilings throughout. The park’s surface is one of the last remaining islands of mixed-grass prairie in North America. Rare wildlife including bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs roam over 30,000 acres. Several roads and 30 miles of trails are available to explore the rolling prairie and ponderosa pine forests. There is no fee to enter the park or hike the surface trails.
Guided tours are the only way to experience Wind Cave. Advanced tickets may be purchased through this website. Additional tours and times are available for same-day ticket sales at the park visitor center. Visit the Guided Tours page of the park website for a current schedule. Tours often sell out prior to tour times. See Seasons & Booking for details.
Wind Cave National Park is home to the world’s seventh longest cave and one of the world’s most complex maze-cave systems. Most cave rooms are small, connected by narrow passages with low ceilings. Boxwork, a rare and delicate cave formation, emerges from the cave walls and ceilings throughout. The park’s surface is one of the last remaining islands of mixed-grass prairie in North America. Rare wildlife including bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs roam over 30,000 acres. Several roads and 30 miles of trails are available to explore the rolling prairie and ponderosa pine forests. There is no fee to enter the park or hike the surface trails.
Notifications and Alerts
Due to a complete replacement and modernization of our elevator system, tours of Wind Cave will be closed beginning May 6, 2024, and continuing through November. There will still be plenty of things to do at the park including viewing new exhibits. Installation of our new exhibits is on-going and will be finished by June. These new exhibits tell a more inclusive story of this land using interpretive panels, video clips, and hands-on exhibits that are all fully accessible. Using LIDAR technology, rangers will be offering virtual cave tours in the visitor center auditorium throughout the summer.
Need to Know
- Claiming Reserved Tickets
Tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to tour time. No refunds for late arrivals or missed tours. All tours begin at the Visitor Center. Allow extra travel time to the park for road work, reduced speeds, wildlife on roads, and parking. Please see the Directions tab for tips to avoid travel delays.
- Covid-19
Check at the visitor center for current Covid-related safety precautions. Face coverings may be required during periods of high infection rates.
- Cave Conditions
The cave is at roughly 4,000’ elevation (1219 m). All tours* include steep, dimly-lit stairs that may be uneven, wet, or slippery. Passages are narrow and low ceilings require frequent ducking. Wind Cave is 54°F (12°C) year-round. Sturdy shoes with non-slip soles and a light jacket are recommended.
*Accessibility Tours are the only tours with no stairs. These tours are intended for those with limited mobility unable to negotiate stairs or stand for long periods of time. Please do not reserve this tour if you are physically capable of completing another tour. - Health Considerations
Cave tours are moderately strenuous and not recommended for those with heart problems, breathing difficulty, knee, neck, or back pain, or claustrophobia. Even downward flights of stairs may be difficult for those with bad joints or limited stamina.
- Prohibited
Please don’t bring any of these items into the cave: • Food, candy, or gum • Water or other drinks • Tobacco products • Firearms or weapons of any kind • Bags, purses, strollers, backpacks – including baby backpack carriers (front carriers allowed) • Walking sticks, tripods, monopods, or selfie sticks • Pets or comfort animals
- Time Zone
Wind Cave National Park is located in the Mountain Time Zone of western South Dakota and observes Daylight Saving Time.
- Photography
Flash photography is allowed in the cave for most tours.* Photographers must keep up with the group. No tripods, monopods, or selfie sticks.
- What to Wear
Sturdy shoes or hiking boots and a light jacket or sweater are recommended. Sandals and flip-flops are NOT recommended.
- Protecting Bats
White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease deadly to bats, has been detected at Wind Cave. All cave tour participants must walk across a decontamination mat when exiting the cave.
- School Visitation
During April, May, and June the park experiences high visitation from schools. Large groups of students may be present on tours, especially during these months.
Booking Windows
Guided tours are the only way to experience Wind Cave.
Advanced Reservations: Wind Cave tours are offered daily and are available up to 120 days in advance beginning at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time on a rolling daily window (e.g., On March 3, Natural Entrance Tour tickets become available for July 1). Ticket sales close at midnight Mountain Time three days before the date of the tour (e.g., Wednesday is the last day to buy tickets for a tour that Saturday).
Ticket Availability: Tickets for approximately half the Garden of Eden, Natural Entrance, Fairgrounds, and Accessibility tours are available through advanced reservations. The remaining tours are set aside for first-come, first-served sales the day of the tour at the visitor center. (Example: If four Garden of Eden tours are offered per day, tickets for two of the tours can be reserved in advance, while tickets for the other two tours are first-come, first-served at the visitor center.)
Some tours may only be available during specific times of year.
Tours are not offered on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days.
Changes and Cancellations
Refunds: Tours can be canceled for a full refund (less the $1 non-refundable reservation fee) up to three days prior to the tour time. Cancellations after that time will forfeit the tour fee. No refunds for late arrivals or no-shows. (Example: Wednesday is the last day to cancel a reservation for a tour on Saturday.)
America the Beautiful Annual & Lifetime Passes: Annual and lifetime passes do not cover ticket fees.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
26611 US Highway 385 Hot Springs SD 57747
Phone Number
605-745-4600
Available Tours and Tickets
- Garden of Eden Tour
- Natural Entrance Tour
- Fairgrounds Tour
- Accessibility Tour
- Natural Entrance Tour (Fee Free Days)
- Garden of Eden Tour (Fee Free Days)
- Fairgrounds Tour (Fee Free Days)
