Take a Cave Tour

A young visitor pauses to look at boxwork along the Fairgrounds Cave Tour route.

NPS photo

A trip into Wind Cave on a guided cave tour is a wonderful addition to any visit to the park. Whether it is your first time to the cave or your tenth, there are several things to keep in mind while planning your trip.

• To go into the cave, you must purchase a tour ticket. All access is by guided tour only and all tours leave from the Visitor Center.

• Advanced reservations through Recreation.gov are available for some tours and are highly recommended. Tickets for all other tours are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis the day of the tour at the visitor center.

• Due to high demand, long waits are common during spring, summer, and fall for in-person sales. Tours often sell out 1-2 hours in advance. Tours may be sold out for the day by mid-afternoon.

• Visit the Fees and Passes page for current ticket prices.

• Only credit/debit cards or digital payments will be accepted for all cave tours, campground fees, and Interagency Passes.

Details

Duration

60-90 Minutes

The Garden of Eden Tour lasts 60 minutes. The Natural Entrance Tour lasts 90 minutes. The Fairgrounds Tour lasts 90 minutes.

Activity

Guided Tours

To go into the cave, you must purchase a tour ticket. All access is by guided tour only and all tours leave from the Visitor Center. The Garden of Eden Tour is 1/4 mile long with 150 stairs. The Natural Entrance Tour is 2/3 mile long with 300 stairs. The Fairgrounds Tour is 2/3 long with 450 stairs.

Pets Allowed

No

Activity Fee

Yes

The Garden of Eden Tour fee is $14 for adults age 16 to 61, half price for youth age 6 to 15 and for age 62 and older. Children 5 and under are free.

The Natural Entrance Tour and Fairgrounds Tour fees are $16 for adults age 16 to 61, half price for youth age 6 to 15 and for age 62 and older. Children 5 and under are free.

Reservations

Yes

A portion of tour tickets are available for advanced purchase through www.recreation.gov from 3 to 120 days before the tour.  Reservations are recommended as tours often sell out March through October and on holiday weekends throughout winter.

Approximately half of all cave tour tickets remain available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis at the visitor center the day of the tour. Same-day tickets often sell out one to two hours or more before tour times.

Season

Year Round

Cave tours occur every day of the year except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Time of Day

Day

Cave tours are conducted between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm seven days a week. Schedules vary by season. 

Visit https://www.nps.gov/wica/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm for current tour times.

Accessibility Information

Wind Cave is open to everyone and works to ensure access for visitors of all abilities. Visitors with limited mobility may find some cave tours too strenuous. Please review cave tour descriptions and consider your limitations when choosing which tour to participate on.

Accessibility Cave Tour
Limited areas of the cave are accessible to wheelchairs and those with limited mobility. These half-hour tours serve as an introduction to the cave and boxwork, the cave's signature feature, is shown. The tour includes riding the elevator into and out of the cave, and the elevator building is located about 200 yards south of the visitor center. Accessible parking is available at the elevator building.

Please call the visitor center at [phone] to make arrangements or ask at the information desk for an Accessibility Tour.

Hearing and Vision Accomodations
Cave trails are dimly lighted, often narrow, and may be wet and slippery in certain areas. There are numerous stairs along all of the tour routes. Persons with vision impairments should be cautious when entering the cave. Bringing an extra flashlight could assist visitors with vision impairments see steps and ceiling areas better. Special arrangements may be made in advance for a special tour for visitors with special concerns.

For sign-language programming, please call the visitor center at [phone] at least two weeks ahead of time to arrange accommodations.