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.
To start the week off, the Paleontology Club from the South Dakota School of Mines will present programs about the park’s paleontology resources at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, in the park’s visitor center auditorium. Club members will talk about the park’s paleontology history, demonstrate how to pick micro fossils and showcase bones from their collection.
“We are excited to host a program by Tech’s Paleontology Club. The school stores thousands of specimens from the park for us,” said Park Superintendent Leigh Welling. “Our paleontology history is a seldom heard story, and we’re glad they are helping us tell it.”
As part of National Park Week, rangers will be offering free tours on Saturday, April 22. The Fairgrounds Tour, a 90-minute tour that features two different levels of the cave and 450 steps, will run at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The hour-long Garden of Eden Tour will be at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and has 150 steps. All tours start from the visitor center. You can visit www.receation.gov to book your free tour, save for the $1 ticketing fee, up to three days prior. A limited number of tickets will be available Saturday on a first come, first served basis. Paid tours will run daily throughout the week at these same times.
Wind Cave’s National Park Week celebration ends with a bird walk on Sunday, April 30. Join Black Hills Parks & Forests Association member, Dr. Jen Fowler, for this two-hour activity while she shares her tips and tricks for identifying birds. Meet at the Wind Cave visitor center at 9 a.m. for this two-mile hike. Bring binoculars if you have them, dress for the weather, and wear sturdy hiking shoes. Guidebooks, cameras, and trekking poles are recommended but not required. This free activity is open to all ages.
Throughout the week, check out the park’s Facebook and Instagram platforms to see park highlights and learn more about Wind Cave National Park. Kids and adults alike can also stop by and complete the park’s Jr. Ranger booklet and earn a Wind Cave Jr. Ranger badge.
National Park Week is an annual national celebration of people, parks, trails, heritage areas, national trails and rivers, seashores, historic sites, and beautiful landscapes that together tell the story of our nation. Many national park sites across the nation will waive entrance fees on April 22.