Elk Bugling Programs and Cave Tours Offered This Fall at Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park will offer ranger-led elk bugling programs on select evenings in September and October in addition to daily cave tours.
Official NPS sourcePERMANENT NPS STORY ARCHIVE
Travel Archive
Organized by publication date and destination. Each story retains its permanent State & Nation address and official NPS source.
2026-09-02
1 STORIES2026-08-13
1 STORIESTheodore Roosevelt Actor Visits Wind Cave National Park
Theodore Roosevelt impersonator Kurt Skinner will bring the country’s 26 president to life at a performance at Wind Cave National Park on August 27.
Official NPS source2026-06-16
1 STORIESThree Bats Test Positive for Rabies at Wind Cave National Park
Since May, Wind Cave National Park has identified three bats that tested positive for rabies.
Official NPS source2026-04-24
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park Plans Temporary Road and Trail Dlosures During Improvement Projects
Beaver Creek Road, also known as Forest Service Road 391, will close May 4 while a new cattle guard is installed on the Wind Cave National Park boundary.
Official NPS source2025-09-23
1 STORIESPrescribed Fire Planned This Fall at Wind Cave National Park
Planning is underway to burn 1,094 acres of land east of the park’s headquarters this fall.
Official NPS source2025-08-30
1 STORIESElk Bugling Programs and Cave Tours Offered this Fall at Wind Cave National Park
Rangers at Wind Cave National Park will be leading programs throughout September and early October to listen for the bugle of the Rocky Mountain elk.
Official NPS source2025-06-20
1 STORIESTeddy Roosevelt Visits Wind Cave National Park
Teddy Roosevelt impersonator Gib Young will bring the country’s 26th president to life at a performance at Wind Cave National Park on July 5. This free program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Elk Mountain Campground amphitheater.
Official NPS source2025-05-08
1 STORIESCave tours resume at Wind Cave National Park
Cave tours through Wind Cave resumed Wednesday afternoon, May 7, after being suspended last week due to an issue with an elevator’s transformer.
Official NPS source2025-04-29
1 STORIESTransformer Malfunction Shuts Down Tours At Wind Cave
Cave tours through Wind Cave are suspended until an elevator transformer can be replaced.
Official NPS source2025-03-24
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park Prepares for Prescribed Fire
Planning is underway to burn 1,094 acres of land east of the park’s headquarters this April. Timing for the fire will depend on fuel moisture, weather forecasts, and crew availability.
Official NPS source2025-01-24
1 STORIESWind Cave resumes tours following elevator replacement and modernization
Cave tours through Wind Cave resumed Tuesday, January 28, after the completion of a year-long project to replace and modernize the cave’s elevator system.
Official NPS source2024-12-19
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park Closes Backcountry For Elk Management Operation
Backcountry areas of Wind Cave National Park will be closed to hikers from January 13 to February 14, except on weekends and holidays. This closure will allow park staff to undertake a management operation to reduce the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the park’s Rocky Mountain Elk population.
Official NPS source2024-12-04
1 STORIESCelebrate the season with Wind Cave’s holiday open house and annual bird count
Holiday events this year at Wind Cave National Park begin Sunday, December 15, with the park’s annual Christmas Bird Count, followed by a holiday open house on Tuesday, December 17.
Official NPS source2024-10-03
1 STORIESGuardrail repair project begins October 7 at Wind Cave National Park
Crews will be working along Highway 385 to repair damaged guardrails necessitating lane closures beginning October 7.
Official NPS source2024-09-27
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park and Tribal Artists Commemorate Native Americans’ Day with Demonstrations of Traditions Preserved through the Centuries
Hoop dancing, drumming, and a script reading presented in the Lakota language highlight this year’s cultural demonstrations at Wind Cave National Park on October 13 in honor of Native Americans’ Day.
Official NPS source2024-09-13
1 STORIESBackcountry road closing for maintenance at Wind Cave National Park
Maintenance crews at Wind Cave National Park will be working on Red Valley Road, also known as NPS 6, beginning September 16 and continuing at least through September 27.
Official NPS source2024-09-06
1 STORIESVirtual Cave Tours and Elk Bugling Programs Offered This Fall at Wind Cave National Park
Rangers at Wind Cave National Park will be offering virtual tours of the Natural Entrance route this fall along with programs to listen for the bugle of the Rocky Mountain elk.
Official NPS source2024-07-28
1 STORIESCrews Mopping Up Wind Cave's Limestone Fire
Crews are mopping up a 13.4-acre lightning caused fire first reported early Saturday afternoon in Wind Cave National Park.
Official NPS source2024-07-27
1 STORIESCrews Battling 5-acre Fire in Wind Cave National Park
Crews from multiple agencies are fighting a 5-acre fire in Wind Cave National Park.
Official NPS source2024-06-28
1 STORIESSuperintendent Leigh Welling Retires From Wind Cave National Park
After a twenty-one and a half-year career with the National Park Service, three and a half of those at Wind Cave National Park, Superintendent Leigh Welling is retiring June 29.
Official NPS source2024-03-08
1 STORIESWind Cave Rangers Focus on Surface Programs During Elevator Modernization This Summer
Wind Cave will be closed to tours beginning May 1 while the elevator system is replaced and modernized.
Official NPS source2023-11-30
1 STORIESHoliday events mark the season at Wind Cave National Park
Holiday events this year at Wind Cave National Park begin Wednesday, December 13, with the park’s holiday open house, followed by the park’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 17.
Official NPS source2023-10-04
1 STORIESWind Cave elevators repaired ahead of Native Americans’ Day
Cave tours at Wind Cave National Park are resuming Wednesday, October 4, ahead of the upcoming three-day weekend, which will culminate in the park’s Native Americans’ Day celebration Monday, October 9.
Official NPS source2023-09-21
1 STORIESWind Cave celebrates Native Americans’ Day with art show, speakers, sculpture dedication, hoop dancing and food
How does the way we are raised impact our self-expression? This Native Americans' Day, Monday, October 9, Wind Cave explores this question within the theme "Culture Through Art: A Celebration of Native American Expression."
Official NPS source2023-09-01
1 STORIESElk bugling programs offered this fall at Wind Cave National Park
Rangers at Wind Cave National Park will be leading programs mid-September through early October to listen for the bugle of the Rocky Mountain elk.
Official NPS source2023-08-22
2 STORIESAfter 55 summers, Wind Cave ranger hangs up his hat
![Man with a white beard wearing a green coat and ranger hat sits on a lawn holding a plastic model of an animal skull. A young student next to him dressed in dark clothing looks at the skull.]](https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/news/images/Ranger-Don-Frankfort.jpg)
Seasonal park ranger Don Frankfort is retiring after working 55 summers at Wind Cave National Park. He began his ranger career in 1967, and since then he estimates he led more than 100,000 people through the cave.
Official NPS sourceTourism to Wind Cave National Park contributes $52.7 million to local economy
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 607,418 visitors to Wind Cave National Park in 2022 spent $52.7 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 741 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $75 million.
Official NPS source2023-08-08
1 STORIESWind Cave tours canceled due to elevator repairs
Cave tours at Wind Cave National Park have been suspended pending elevator repairs. Replacement parts are on order and tours could resume in early September.
Official NPS source2023-07-25
1 STORIESFire crews mopping up small fire in Wind Cave National Park
Fire crews are mopping up a lightning-caused fire in the central section of Wind Cave National Park. The fire was reported at 1:54 p.m. Tuesday, July 25, and crews were immediately dispatched to begin suppression efforts.
Official NPS source2023-07-21
1 STORIESBackcountry road closing for maintenance at Wind Cave National Park
Maintenance crews at Wind Cave National Park will be working on Red Valley Road, also known as NPS 6, beginning July 31 and continuing at least through August 11.
Official NPS source2023-05-09
1 STORIESMissing horse found alive in Wind Cave National Park
The horse missing in Wind Cave National Park since last Tuesday, May 2, was found earlier today walking along Highway 385 near the Wind Cave Canyon Trailhead.
Official NPS source2023-05-05
1 STORIESHorse Missing in Wind Cave National Park
A horse became separated from its owner in Wind Cave National Park late Tuesday afternoon when the animal escaped its tether at a backcountry campsite. Park staff, along with partners from Custer State Park and Custer County, have been working since that time to locate the animal.
Official NPS source2023-04-13
1 STORIESCelebrate National Park Week at Wind Cave National Park With Bones, Birds and Boxwork
Wind Cave National Park will be hosting a variety of activities during National Park Week beginning Saturday, April 22, and running through Sunday, April 30.
Official NPS source2023-01-10
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park closes backcountry for elk management operation
Backcountry areas of Wind Cave National Park will be closed to hikers from January 17 to February 17, twenty-four hours a day except on weekends.
Official NPS source2023-01-06
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park offers free tours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Wind Cave National Park will offer free tours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 16.
Official NPS source2022-12-19
1 STORIESAdventures in Nature program begins January 10 at Wind Cave
Wind Cave National Park staff invite you and your children to explore the natural world by taking part in their Adventures in Nature programs. These free interactive programs are offered at the park visitor center every other Tuesday beginning January 10 through April 4.
Official NPS source2022-12-01
1 STORIESHoliday open house and annual bird count help celebrate the season at Wind Cave National Park
Holiday events this year at Wind Cave National Park begin Sunday, December 11, with the park’s annual Christmas Bird Count followed by a holiday open house on Monday, December 19.
Official NPS source2022-10-27
1 STORIESFree tours offered at Wind Cave on Veterans Day
Wind Cave National Park will offer free tours on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, 2022, in honor of veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Official NPS source2022-10-26
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park closes Route 5 this winter for maintenance
National Park Service (NPS) Route 5, a gravel road in Wind Cave National Park’s backcountry, will be closed for several months this winter for the laying and grading of new gravel base material.
Official NPS source2022-10-25
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park burns 1,037 acres to reduce wildfire risk
Firefighters from several agencies assisted Wind Cave National Park with a 1,037-acre prescribed fire the week of October 16.
Official NPS source2022-09-22
1 STORIESCelebrate Native Americans’ Day at Wind Cave with hoop dancing, storytelling, and food
Hoop dancing, Lakota storytelling, and food highlight Native Americans’ Day activities at Wind Cave National Park Monday, October 10. Join the festivities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the visitor center to enjoy Native American artists and demonstration of living culture.
Official NPS source2022-06-03
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park to move to cashless fee collection starting June 15, 2022
Beginning June 15, 2022, payments for cave tours, campground fees, as well as Interagency Passes at Wind Cave National Park, will be by credit and debit card only.
Official NPS source2022-04-19
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park institutes cave tour reservation system
Visitors to Wind Cave can now reserve cave tour tickets online up to 120 days in advance. Tickets can be purchased through www.recreation.gov, a website used for reservations at thousands of sites across the country.
Official NPS source2022-04-15
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park prepares for prescribed fire
Planning is underway to burn 1,037 acres of land adjacent to the Elk Mountain Campground this spring. The fire could occur as early as the week of April 17.
Official NPS source2021-10-15
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park prepares for prescribed fire
Planning is underway to burn 676 acres of land surrounding the park’s developed area this fall.
Official NPS source2021-09-16
1 STORIESFree tours at Wind Cave National Park September 25 in celebration of National Public Lands Day
Wind Cave National Park will be offering free tours on Saturday, September 25, as part of National Public Lands Day.
Official NPS source2020-09-24
1 STORIESLeigh Welling Selected as Superintendent of Wind Cave National Park
National Park Service Regional Director Herbert C. Frost announced the selection of Leigh Welling as the new superintendent of Wind Cave National Park.
Official NPS source2020-08-28
1 STORIESCrews respond to a lightning-caused fire at Wind Cave National Park
Federal, state, and local personnel are working to control the Rankin Fire burning in the northwest portion of the Wind Cave National Park. By 4:00 pm Friday, August 28, the lightning-caused wildfire had burned an estimated 28 acres.
Official NPS source2020-04-23
1 STORIESWind Cave National Park Prepares for Prescribed Burn
Planning is underway to burn 676 acres of land inside Wind Cave National Park. Most of the burn will be adjacent to the visitor center this spring with 669 acres near the Elk Mountain Campground this fall. The spring burn could occur as early as the week of April 27th.
Official NPS source2018-12-20
2 STORIESWind Cave National Park’s Holiday Schedule
The Wind Cave National Park Visitor Center and cave will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Official NPS sourceWind Cave National Park’s Holiday Schedule
The Wind Cave National Park Visitor Center and cave will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Official NPS source