Wind Cave National Park Caving and Canyoneering Articles

Wind Cave National Park Guide: Caving and Canyoneering

Guided tours are the only way to explore here, as the vast majority of the Wind Cave is off-limits to cavers unless they are under the Park Service's direct supervision. Tour schedules are available online or by calling the park. Experienced cavers interested in formal exploration projects should contact the Park Service.
The one-hour Garden of Eden Tour descends via elevator and follows its namesake route a quarter mile through the cave. This is the least demanding tour, but still shows off the cave's honeycomb-like boxwork formations and other features.
Visitors actually enter via a man-made entrance on the Natural Entrance Tour, but they do get to see the eponymous, natural opening as well as a number of the cave's earliest discovered rooms. The 55-foot tall Devil’s Lookout fissure is a highlight.
More adventurous visitors should consider the Candlelight Cave Tour, a fairly strenuous, two-hour trip that explores the more claustrophobic and less-developed Pearly Gates Route.
The park also offers a tour through undeveloped portions of the cave, which requires a tutorial on basic caving skills and gear. This four-hour tour is the only way to get off the beaten path at Wind Cave. Reserve a spot for these trips a month in advance.

By Travel Expert: Brian Kevin