Hundreds of feet beneath the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota lies Wind Cave National Park, a vast labyrinth of natural tunnels and calcite formations.

First explored by American settlers in 1881, “Wind Cave” earned its named from the gusts of wind that occasionally blow through and from the caves small natural entrances. Attracting the most visitors of any of the three “cave National Parks” due to its proximity to Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave is the 6th longest cave system in the world, stretching for over 140 miles beneath the earth.

A National Park since 1903 (Theodore Roosevelt) the Park has become famous for having 95% of the world’s “boxwork” formations- a web/honeycomb-like calcite formation that can be found throughout the cave’s walls and ceiling. Additionally, Park boasts one of the largest natural mixed-grass prairies in the United States, playing home to Bison, Elk, and Prairie Dogs.

Below are my photos from both the Park and the nearby Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments. Also- since this is my last “cave” National Park, here are my rankings of those Parks:

1. Carlsbad Caverns
2. Mammoth Cave
3. Wind Cave