National Park-South Dakota

»1 NATIONAL PARK-SOUTH DAKOTA C OHTEXTS Buffalo at Wind Cave National Park Cover WIND CAVE Colorful History 4 Geological History of Wind Cave 5 NATIONAL PARK Wildlife 6 SOUTH DAKOTA Map of Underground Trails 8 and g Administration 10 General Information 10 OPEN ALL YEAR Elevator Service 12 Specimen Displays -. 12 Accommodations 13 ENTRANCE TO THE PARK FROM THE WEST How to reach the Park 13 Nearby Attractions 13 Jewel Cave National Monument 13 Fossil Cycad National Monument 14 HE BLACK HILLS of South which issued a strong draft of air. This Badlands National Monument 14 Dakota, on the southeast flank is the only natural opening to the cave T of which Wind Cave National ever discovered. It is located a few Devils Tower National Monument 14 Glossary 15 Park is situated, present many features steps back of the present entrance which is artificial. Rules and Regulations BackCover of unusual interest. Rising like an island from the treeless plains, they The strong currents of wind that culminate in Harney Peak, the highest blow alternately in and out of the point in the United States east of the mouth of the cave suggested its name. SCHEDULE OF CAVE TRIPS Rockies. The variety of their minerals This strange phenomenon is believed and rocks is exceptional. Devils Tow Trips require from 1 to 2 hours. to be caused by changes in the atmos er, in the national monument of that pheric pressure outside. When the From June 1 to September 1—Trips every hour or the day, starting at name located west of Wind Cave, is 7 a. m. and ending at 7 p. m. barometer is falling, the wind usually of volcanic origin, and the strata of blows outward; when it rises, the wind September, October, April, and May—8:30 a. m.; 10 a. m.; 1:30 p. m.; the badlands on the east, originally 3 p. m. blows in. Many visitors enjoy stop deposited in broad lowlands, yield the ping at the cave entrance to post them November, December, January, February, and March—Any time be hones of the sabre-toothed tiger, three- tween 8 a. m. and 3 p. m. During these months large parties, such as selves on weather indications. toed horse, and rhinoceros. schools or organizations, should notify the superintendent a few days in The present cavern opening was advance of intended visits. Of a number of caves which are made by digging down about 6 feet to found near the margin of the Hills, a long, winding fissure, leading into Wind Cave is most widely known. corridors and galleries decorated witb Its discovery in 1881 is credited to a variety of crystal deposits. Tbe UNITED STATES Tom Bingham, a Black Hills pioneer, principal cave passages are straight and DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR who, while deer hunting, was attracted rather narrow, and are interrupted by by a strange whistling sound which a number of large rooms. The lowest Harold L. Ickes, Secretary came from a clump of brush. Search known passages descend some 240 feet disclosed a small opening in the rock below the entrance. The length of NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • Newton B. Drary, Director about 10 inches in diameter from trails shown on the map in this book- 2 Wind Cave National Park "?V South Dakota Wina Cave National Park "^ South Dakota 3 let is about one mile, but tbe cave is to tbem. Many of tbe Plains tribes considerably more extensive, and tbere bad myths in which tbe story was told are doubtless passages as yet undis of bow tbe buffalo first came out of a covered. cave (tbis was an objectification of tbe Wind Cave National Park was cre fact that all flesh is made of earth), ated by act of Congress, dated January and Chief Joseph Wbite Bull (Pte 9, 1903. Its boundaries were subse San Hunka), Sitting Bull's living quently extended, and it now includes nephew, bas been quoted as saying an area of 12,639.71 acres. Like all that tbe Sioux believed that tbe Wind otber national parks it is a wildlife Cave in tbe Black Hills was tbe cave sanctuary. Buffalo, elk, antelope, and from which Wakan Tanka, tbe Great deer range tbe area and are frequently Mystery, sent tbem out into tbe Sioux seen from tbe main bigbway. bunting grounds. Tbis was one reason why tbe Sioux fought so bard for tbe Black Hills when they were invaded by COLORFUL HISTORY tbe whites. Tbe Chief also bas said In addition to its natural beauty and that some of bis people still hoped that scientific interest, tbe soutbwestern sec when they bad regained favor of their tion of Soutb Dakota bas a colorful gods tbe buffalo would once more issue and picturesque bistory. Possibly a from that cave and fill-tbe plains.1 Frencb explorer made bis way into it Tbe war clouds that ended in tbe as early as 1683, and tbe Verendrye conflict of 1861-65 and Indian uprisings brotbers are said to bave visited it in under tbe leadership of Red Cloud, '743- Sitting Bull, Spotted Tail, and otber Tbe Sioux Indians, a tribe conspic great warriors hampered tbe develop uous even among Indians for strength ment of tbis region, but in 1874 an ex and bravery, long occupied tbe region pedition through tbe Black Hills led RANGER AND PARTY OF VISITORS AT ENTRANCE TO WIND CAVE and only submitted to wbite .settlement by Gen. George A. Custer resulted in after a bitter and tragic struggle. Tbis tbe discovery of gold on Frencb Creek tbe Rusbmore Memorial, tbe region feldspar, tantalite, mica, beryl, spodu- tribe is believed to bave originated east and settlement followed rapidly. From was famous throughout tbe world for mene, and rose quartz. Adjacent to of tbe Allegbenies, but as early as 1632 1879 to 1886 were boom days that its mineral wealth, especially gold. the Hills are found commercial depos tbe Frencb found tbem in Wisconsin made legendary figures of such pioneer Tbe Homestake Mine at Lead is tbe its of coal, petroleum, and bentonite. and Minnesota. Some of their descend characters as Wild Bill Hickok, Dead- largest gold mine in tbe United States. ants are today living on tbe Pine Ridge wood Dick, Calamity Jane, and In 1933, almost one-fourth of tbe gold and Rosebud Indian Reservations, a GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF Preacher Smith. All four are buried production of tbe United States came sbort drive from Wind Cave Park. WIND CAVE in Deadwood. from the Black Hills. Since produc xAccording to an Indian legend, tbe Long before tbe Black Hills were tion began in 1875, gold totaling ap The Black Hills are in reality a four winds were major deities of tbe well known for tbe scenic beauty that proximately $300,000,000 in value bas great dome-shaped uplift of tbe earth's Plains tribes, and wind was associated resulted in tbe establishment of Custer been mined in tbis region. Otber crust from which tbe younger strata in their belief with tbe breath of life State Park in tbe heart of tbis rugged metals of economic value found in tbe bave been removed by erosion expos and tbe vital principle. Hence tbe region and construction was begun on Black Hills are silver, lead, copper, tin, ing the very ancient sediments and Cave of tbe Winds was a sacred spot 1 "Warpath," by Stanley Vestal. and tungsten. Important minerals are granites of tbe core and leaving tbe 4 Wind Cave National Park "Ar South Dakota Wind Cave National Park it South Dakota 5 truncated edges of tlie younger beds fractures were probably formed by tbe encircling tbe core in concentric same eartb pressures wbicb folded tbe ridges and valleys. mountains. Tbe old granites may be 1,000,- Tbe beautiful ' boxwork, one of 000,000 years old. Tbe ancient sedi tbe striking features of tbe cave, ap ments, into wbicb tbe granites intruded pears to be due to tbe deposit of deli as molten rock, are even older. Tbus cate veins of calcite in intersecting tbere are exposed between Harney crevices. Tbese veins, as tbe more Peak and tbe Badlands rocks wbicb soluble limestone between was dis represent more tban balf tbe entire age solved away, bave been left projecting of tbe eartb. from tbe surface. Crossing eacb otber, SECTION ACROSS THE EAST SLOPE OF THE BLACK HILLS UPLIFT, THROUGH WIND CAVE LOOKING NORTH. Wind Cave is a limestone cavern, tbey form small compartments of dissolved out tbrougb long periods of boxwork and in tbeir delicate beauty time by ground waters containing car resemble tbe tracery of lace. bonic acid. Tbe great limestone bed Flow rock and tbe delicate crys in wbicb it occurs, tbe outcrop of tals of aragonite forming tbe frost wbicb encircles tbe Black Hills, is work" bave been deposited tbrougb known as tbe Pabasapa. Near Wind tbe evaporation of waters carrying lime Cave tbe limestone is 300 feet tbick. wbicb seep into tbe cave. It is a deposit formed in am ancient ocean wbicb covered tbis region some WILDLIFE 300,000,000 years ago. Sea sbells, Anotber novel attraction at Wind proof of its origin, are still to be seen Cave National Park is a display of embedded in it. All tbe caves of tbe wildlife representative of tbe species Black Hills and tbe Rockies are de tbat roamed tbe Dakota bills in tbe veloped in tbis limestone or its equiva early days. Protected bere from tbe lent, and even tbe Mammotb Cave of bunter, tbe traveler will find a large Kentucky is in a bed of about tbe same berd of buffalo and bands of antelope, age.

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