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Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park, 28,295 acres (11,459 hectares), in the Black Hills, SW S.Dak.; est. 1903. Wind Cave, discovered in 1881, was named for the strong air currents that blow alternately in and out of it depending on whether the atmospheric pressure is higher or lower than the air pressure inside the cave. There are 10.5 mi (16.9 km) of explored passageways. The cave's temperature remains constant at 47°F (8°C). Unusual calcite-crystal and boxwork formations make Wind Cave unique. The park's surface is characterized by rolling grasslands where bison, elk, deer, and pronghorn antelope can be found; several prairie dog towns are in the park. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. National Park System


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Related content from HighBeam Research on: Wind Cave National Park

Home on--and below--the range.(visiting Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota)(Brief Article) (Country Living)

What lies beneath? Drawing tourists since the 1800s, one of the world's longest and most complex cave systems rests under rolling hills of mixed-grass prairie and ponderosa pine forest like a well-kept secret.(You Are Here)(Wind Cave National Park)(Brief Article) (National Parks)

Microhabitat preferences of Lewis' and Red-headed woodpeckers in the Southern Black Hills and Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. (Social Science, Environmental, Field Biology Poster Session 02:00 PM-03:00 PM).(Abstract) (The Ohio Journal of Science)

Rhinoceros fossils found at Wind Cave: remains of 32-million-year-old rhino give clues of area's history.(Park Science) (National Parks)

State of the parks: the national parks are not for sale nor up for grabs by state officials who see them as lucrative tourist attractions.(Column) (National Parks)

Thinning the ranks: the Bush administration has proposed privatizing as many as 70 percent of all the jobs in the National Park Service--a move that could have a profound effect on the national parks.(United States) (National Parks)

Keepers of the light: from staffing a remote island lighthouse to forging trails and even tracking moose, volunteer opportunities in the national parks are as varied as the parks themselves. (National Parks)

Revealing the secrets of time: the National Park System contains a wealth of fossils and dinosaur bones that tell a story about our geologic past, but stronger laws, better enforcement, and better education programs are needed to more fully protect these valuable relics. (National Parks)

Geographical travel: catch up on the latest travel news, head into the jungles of Vietnam's Cat Thien National Park in search of the endangered Siamese crocodile and learn how Discovery Initiatives is challenging the conventional approach to wilderness travel.(Ingleborough, tourist attraction in Yorkshire Dales National Park)(Brief Article) (Geographical)

Muir's Yosemite.(Yosemite National Park)(Brief Article) (Sunset)

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