Rare and Unique Wind Cave National Park, Hot Springs SD [July 16, 2016]

Inside Wind Cave

 

Stairs down into the cave

Way back when, about 60 million years ago, forces that lifted up the Black Hills and Rocky Mountains created cracks in the limestone below the surface.  Water flowed through these cracks carving out cave tunnels below.  Calcite deposits formed in some of the smaller cracks.  The limestone was eroded by water leaving thin brownish formations of calcite.  They look like the “inside” of corrugated cardboard, so the formations are called boxwork.  95% of the boxwork in the world is found in one cave, Wind Cave outside of Hot Springs SD.  The other 5% is found only in other caves in the Black Hills.

Boxwork

Frostwork

Solidified "Cave Sweat"

Wind Cave is extraordinary.  In addition to boxwork, you can see popcorn or snowball formations which is actually petrified cave sweat.  Popcorn forms when water rich in calcite beads up on the walls.  Over time, the mineral crystallizes into these round shapes.  Frostwork, another interesting formation that looks like it’s name, forms from aragonite.  The cave has 145 miles of tunnel that have been explored, all under only 1 square mile on the surface.  Think of a small plate piled high with spaghetti, and each of those noodles is a tunnel.  Explorers believe that only 5% of the cave has been explored. 

The natural opening where Wind Cave got its name, with our hilarious Ranger guide Alexandra

The cave got it’s name from the natural opening that was discovered by white men in 1881.  The cave had been sacred to the Lakota who lived in the area for a long time before.  The small opening has a barometric “wind”.  Sometimes (depending on the outside air pressure), the wind will blow you hat off when you lean over the hole.  Other times, it will suck your hat inside the cave.  Later explorers blasted an entry hole that is large enough for humans to walk through.

More boxwork

In 1903, Wind Cave was made the eighth national park by President Teddy Roosevelt, and the first cave to be protected as part of a national park.  During the New Deal, CCC workers carried wet cement on their backs down into the cave to make paved tunnels for visitors to use to see the sights.  Those paved tunnels make for easy walking through the cave.

A large room in the cave

Wind Cave National Park (Happy Birthday 100^th NPS!) also includes over 28,000 acres of prairie populated by bison, pronghorn antelope, elk and the ubiquitous, hilarious prairie dogs.  The larger animals had been eliminated from the area, and the park has worked to restore the populations.

Marina likes going into caves!

Wind Cave is a unique and special place.  It was especially special for us because it was Marina's first trip inside a cave.  When we got to the surface, we were greeted by bunnies who were unconcerned that we were walking within 4 feet of them.

On the surface we were met by some bunnies