Wind Cave National Park guide · 1 min read
Wind Cave Geology Driving Tour
This self-guided drive takes about 60 to 90 minutes and follows Highway 385, South Dakota Highway 87, and the gravel road called NPS 5 through the park.
Start at the visitor center, which sits about half a mile off Highway 385 and is where cave tours also begin. Pick up a printout there with the tour stops and a geologic timeline before you head out.
The heart of the tour is the rock record. Most geologic change happens too slowly to see within a single lifetime, so geologists study rock types and layers to reconstruct the history of the planet, including shifts in climate and in living things. On this drive you will examine the rock record of Wind Cave National Park itself.
The stops follow the most convenient driving order rather than the order of geologic time, so do not expect the stops to run from oldest rock to newest. Highway 385 and Highway 87 are the park's two main paved roads, and both have pullouts with wayside exhibits and parking where you can stop to read and enjoy the scenery. Expect to see wildlife along the way.
NPS 5 is a gravel road through a lesser-visited part of the park, and it is full of wildlife. Bison, elk, and prairie dogs are among the animals you are most likely to spot, so keep a camera ready. Leave yourself extra time for the pullouts, and consider stopping at the visitor center before or after the drive.
