A Wheelchair Accessible Guide to Wind Cave National Park
Considered the 7th largest cave in the world and 3rd largest in the United States despite having miles of unchartered/discovered tunnels and pathways. When I heard that it was accessible, I couldn’t wait to check it out. Now I can share with you my wheelchair-accessible guide to Wind Cave National Park.
Where to Stay
I visited as part of a road trip to South Dakota. For the whole trip we camped and found lovely campgrounds at Custer State Park which was a short drive (about 30 minutes) away. Even if you aren’t camping, Custer State Park has lodges and cabins that you can reserve. The lodges had some accessible rooms but I cannot recall if any of the cabins met ADA standards.
Other options are the towns of Hill City and Keystone. Both of these towns had chain hotels in them and appeared to have decent levels of accessibility. Rapid City is quite a drive away from Wind Cave but is another option if you don’t mind a longer drive. I would avoid making Rapid City your base, however, as there is so much more to see and do in the area and you would lose a lot of time driving.
Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Wind Cave National Park
Cave Tour
The National Park offers several tours of the cave, but only one is considered accessible. Call to reserve a spot the day before, and make sure to get to the park about an hour early. You’ll need to get in line to pick up your tickets and the line can get long very fast as all other tours are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.
You will have a short walk to the entrance to the cave along a paved path. You will meet your guide in the waiting area by the elevator to go into the cave. I had a great guide named Nick. He was extremely knowledgeable and easily conveyed his love for this park.
The tour consisted of one room in the cave, which was disappointing as the website eluded that there would be more to the tour. However, we did get to see the box formations that the cave is known for and learn about the cave’s importance to the Native American tribes in the area. All in all, our guide Nick really made the tour.
After the tour, we decided to go see the natural entrance to the cave. This opening is only about 20 inches in diameter. The only reason the cave was discovered from this hole was because air could be felt coming out of it. Sometimes air is sucked in through the opening. The Native Americans believe that the cave is where life began and see it as a living entity.
To get to the natural opening, you exit through the back of the museum (which is on the lower floor of the visitor center) and go down a ramp to a paved path. It’s a short walk that is relatively flat.
Museum
The museum at the visitor center tells the history of the cave and how it was discovered. It can be accessed via an elevator from the main level of the visitor center. There is accessible parking and restrooms available.
Scenic Drive
Driving through the park gives you a different perspective. You’d never know that a massive cave system lies underneath. Be on the lookout for wildlife in the park as well. I saw buffalo and prairie dogs on this driving tour.
Final Thoughts on Wheelchair-Accessibility at Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park was a neat place to experience, even if I originally thought that the accessibility would be better. Overall, I really appreciate that the cave has some accessibility and that the national park system makes an effort to make nature more accessible to people of all abilities. I hope that if you’re in the area, you give this place a chance and are able to use my wheelchair accessibility guide as a tool to help you plan your trip.
If you’d like to see the other accessible things to do in the area, check out my South Dakota trip report here.
