| Wind Cave National Park | |
|---|---|
 Skyway Lake | |
  Wind Cave Location in South Dakota  Wind Cave Location in the United States | |
| Location | Custer County, South Dakota, US |
| Nearest city | Hot Springs, South Dakota |
| Coordinates | 43°33′23″N 103°28′43″W / 43.55635°N 103.47865°W |
| Area | 33,847 acres (136.97 km2)[1] |
| Established | January 9, 1903[2][3] |
| Visitors | 448,405 (in 2020)[4] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Wind Cave National Park |
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| Southwestern South Dakota |
|---|
| Sculptures |
| Geologic and natural history |
| Mountains |
| Caves |
| Forests and wildernesses |
| Lakes |
| Scenic byways |
| Historic sites |
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[3] 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 is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork, as well as its frostwork.[5] Approximately 95 percent of the world's discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave.
Wind Cave is one of the best known examples of a breathing cave. The cave is recognized as the densest cave system in the world, with the greatest passage volume per cubic mile. Wind Cave is the seventh longest cave in the world with 154.2 miles (248.16 km) of explored cave passageways (as of 2021[update]) and the third longest cave in the United States, though it is only the second longest cave in Custer County, South Dakota behind Jewel Cave.[6] Despite the close proximity, no connection has ever been found between Wind Cave and Jewel Cave and most geologists believe the caves are not connected.[7] Above ground, the park includes the largest remaining natural mixed grass prairie in the United States.
- ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved March 7, 2012. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
- ^ "Park Celebrates Centennial - Wind Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)".
- ^ a b "Birth of a National Park - A National Park is Created". Wind Cave National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ "Wind Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
- ^ Gulden, Bob (April 19, 2021). "Worlds longest caves". Geo2 Committee on Long and Deep Caves. National Speleological Society (NSS). Archived from the original on May 15, 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Esri News -- ArcNews Winter 2002/2003 Issue -- Developing a Cave Potential Map for South Dakota's Wind Cave Using GIS". www.esri.com. Retrieved 2024-01-08.