Hi there!
The specific cave tours that are offered at Wind Cave National Park when you are there will depend on cave access at that time.
It is worth it to do at least one Wind Cave tour.
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Can you go inside Wind Cave without a tour?
So one of the most important things to know about Wind Cave is that you cannot go inside Wind Cave without a guided tour.
You cannot go inside Wind Cave on your own.
So in order to see inside Wind Cave, you must sign up for a Wind Cave tour!
Your tour guide will be a national park ranger.
In order to make a trip to Wind Cave really worth it, you need to do a cave tour.
Yes, it is a cool experience to walk inside Wind Cave!
And then the other important thing to know is that Wind Cave tours do sell out.
So planning is required!
Wind Cave tour offerings can change
It seems to be a thing across national parks that elevators for cave tours get broken.
When I made a visit to Wind Cave in 2021, there was an elevator that was broken, and this meant that not all cave tours were offered.
Elsewhere, when I went to Jewel Cave National Monument, there was also an elevator broken that limited cave tours.
And while on a Jewel Cave tour, there was a kid who asked about broken cave elevators because when he went to Carlsbad Caverns National Park there was a broken elevator. (I’m not sure when he went there.)
But to know the current Wind Cave tours that are offered, you can check the National Park Service website for updates. And it can be good to check in the days leading up to your Wind Cave visit too, in case there are any other alerts to be aware of.
While not all cave tours were offered, there were one cave tours available, so I did that one.
It was the Natural Entrance cave tour.
How much does it cost to do a Wind Cave tour?
There is no official entry fee collection for Wind Cave National Park, but there are fees for the cave tours.
If you have an annual national park pass, then it won’t do you any good at Wind Cave National Park, as it gives you no discount on the cave tours.
The cost of a Wind Cave tour will depend on which tour you decide on.
The cost of tickets for the Wind Cave tours is around $15 to $17 per person.
The adult prices are listed below, and there is a discounted rate for kids and seniors.
Number of reviews are at the time I created this list, also indicating the most popular tours.
Here are the best Wind Cave tours based on popularity:
- The Natural Entrance Tour is $17 per person. (1 hour 15 minutes, 300 steps, moderate, 192 reviews)
- The Garden of Eden Tour is $15 per person. (1 hour, 150 steps, easy, 103 reviews)
- The Fairgrounds Tour is $17 per person. (1.5 hours, 450 steps, difficult, 78 reviews)
See the current list of tours and fees.
There are more cave tours on the list, but according to the National Park Service website (select the date you will be there under “tour and program schedule”), only 3 tours are offered.
But, check back for current info as your travel date gets closer!
The Candlelight Tour sounds fun but at the time I am looking this up in early 2023, it’s not listed on the 2023 schedule.
But maybe it will be added so be sure to look at the current offerings!
Be sure to read the full description of any Wind Cave tour you are looking to do to make sure you know what you’re getting into, and so you can be properly prepared for it.
How to buy tickets for a Wind Cave tour
The important thing to know is that Wind Cave tours do sell out.
So planning is best!
In 2023, the best way to buy your ticket for Wind Cave tours is through the official National Park Service reservation website.
When you are on the national park reservations website for the individual tours, you can go to the calendar availability.
If you click on a certain date, it will tell you how many tickets are left for each tour time. So this can let you know how soon you should book.
If there is still availability of the cave tours, then you can also buy tickets to the Wind Cave tours when you show up at the Wind Cave Visitor Center.
The way to buy tickets can always change, so it’s important to check for updated Wind Cave ticket info from the National Park Service website.
You may also try calling the Wind Cave visitor center to speak with a park ranger to ask about how the availability of any of the cave tours for the day is looking.
The listed phone number for the Wind Cave visitor center is 605-745-4600.
Do you need to buy tickets in advance for Wind Cave tours?
According to the National Park Service:
Reservations are recommended as tours often sell out March through October and on holiday weekends throughout winter.
Roughly half of all tour tickets are held in reserve for same-day sales.
These tickets are first-come, first-served at the visitor center the day of the tour.
Same-day tickets often sell out an hour or more before tour times.
See current updates under “tour reservations.”
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How should you dress for Wind Cave?
In short, bring a layer or 2, and wear good shoes!
You will want to dress for cooler temperatures for Wind Cave.
Even if it’s nearing 100F outside (possible in South Dakota in summer!), it is cooler in the cave.
It is said that inside Wind Cave is consistently in the mid-50s.
The National Park Service says the Wind Cave temperature is around 54F.
For this reason, you’ll want to bring some extra clothes for the tour.
You will likely want to wear a sweatshirt or light jacket inside Wind Cave.
You will also want to wear shoes good for walking so your feet can be comfortable as you walk through Wind Cave!
The ground of the cave floor isn’t always completely flat.
For this reason, you’ll want to be sure you wear good shoes (not sandals) for your Wind Cave tour.
More specifically, the National Park Service also says:
Wear low-heeled walking shoes with non-slip soles.
Also, for the health of the bats, you are asked not to wear shoes you have worn in other caves.
It’s also best to bring as little as possible to the cave tour. (So don’t bring a backpack for example.)
Also while we are talking about what to wear, we will also talk about what not to wear on your next cave trip after Wind Cave!
Take a full-body picture of yourself when you are inside Wind Cave!
This way, you will know what NOT to wear the next time you go inside a cave!
And you are also asked to not wear the shoes you wear in Wind Cave in any other caves of the future.
It is said that your shoes may be carrying disease harmful to bats that can be tracked into other caves.
There’s a disease that’s deadly to bats is called white-nose syndrome. (This doesn’t affect humans at all.)
White-nose syndrome is thought to have been mostly spread from cave to cave by humans who have entered a cave with the fungus and then tracked it into another cave.
This is why it’s best not to wear the same shoes (or even clothes) that you wore into Wind Cave into any other cave in the world.
The most serious park I went to, Craters of the Moon National Monument, didn’t want you wearing ANYTHING into the Craters of the Moon caves that you wore into any cave in the last 15 years!
It was literally a question that was asked upon entry to the park!
So, by taking a picture of yourself, you’ll know what you wore into Wind Cave so you’ll know what not to wear to another cave!
If you are going to both Wind Cave and Jewel Cave, consider bringing 2 pairs of shoes with you to South Dakota.
Save the bats!
And that’s a little bit about doing a Wind Cave tour!
I did a Wind Cave tour in August 2021. Your experience may vary!
Above ground: Things to do in Wind Cave National Park
More for your South Dakota road trip: Best places to visit in South Dakota
More national parks with caves:
HAPPY DOING A CAVE TOUR IN WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK!
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