wind cave national park

A National Parks Journey - Wind Cave National Park

NP30 - Wind Cave.jpg

Wind Cave was quite unlike any other caves or caverns I had explored. While most carried the typical speleothems (stalactites, stalagmites, columns and drapes), Wind Cave, set in the heart of Black Hills region, features boxwork formations formed from the strong winds that channel through the caverns of this park. There are no dripping stalactites or massive caverns, but tiny needle like structures and flowering growths of calcite that dominate one of the longest caverns of the park.

It is not a park on the main tourist map for Black Hills, and were I not searching for National Parks to visit on my cross-country trip, I would not have even considered it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the rare formations I saw during my day trip to the 30th National Park

Wind Cave National Park
SD USA