Wind Cave Wind Cave National Park

Today was very busy. We started out by riding the 1880's steam train for a two hour trip through the black hills. The engine that pulled our train was originally used for logging operations. Our rail car was built in 1913, but was totally refurbished only two years ago. We were a little worried when it pulled out of town. We went by some of the …

We are utterly exhausted. What an incredible day. We were up by 7:30am, had a great breakfast in the tiny town of Custer and hit the road.

First up, Wind Cave National Park for the Candlelight Tour. The three of us decided individually this was the tour we wanted to go on. Holy smokes, were we right to pick this one! Two hours of …

We really wanted to see buffalo (scientific name is bison, but either one works). Custer State Park has about 1500 of these animals. Just a century ago buffalo was almost hunted to extinction. Were there only 1000 buffalo left in North America. Now there are about 200,000 buffalo, living in National Parks and private lands.

At first glance …

We started off the day with a hike through a cave at Wind Cave National Park. You have to go through with a tour guide and ours was long-winded and a tad bit crabby. She actually asked a lady with a baby (who was just making gurgling sounds, not crying or screaming) to move on ahead so that she could hear herself talk. This might be fine for older …

... here - inputting more details So we left Rapid city yesterday morning and drove through Custer State Park on our way to Wind Cave Nat Park. I got on a Fire Line :)  Saw some choppers flying with water buckets and followed their direction.  We ...

... , bison and antelope on the way into the park. So, by the time we got to our destination -- Elk Mountain Campground in Wind Cave National Park -- it was 6 pm, and we were both tired and grumpy. Then we learned that there were only two spaces left and ...

... ) into Wind Cave, but it wasn't until the early 1890s, when a 16 year old boy named Alvin McDonald began exploring, that Wind Cave was discovered to extend beyond the original hole. Alvin McDonald's father, J.D. McDonald, was employed by the South Dakota ...

... , we headed out again, in hopes of seeing some of the elk we'd heard last nite... ...and success: a herd of 10 or a dozen, reigned over by a huge bull with a monstrous rack! Success has to be a fine descriptor of our sightseeing in Wind Cave Natl ...

... herself & Terri appears to be missing a front tooth! I know she had all her teeth when we started, so this was an interesting event to rediscover.  We camped near Wind Cave National Park, most likely at Elk Mountain campground. ...

... is in the Black Hills and is one of the world's longest and most complex caves.  it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world The cave is still being explored and they estimate ...

... letzten Nächte immer auf National Forest Campgrounds waren, und da kein dumpen möglich war. Dann fahren wir zum Wind Cave National Park. Dort am Campground angekommen stellen wir fest, dass wir nicht ausreichend Kleingeld haben, um den Campground zu ...

I got a tour of BCI HQ, saw how they party in Austin, flew home, then drove up to South Dakota for more cave survey to start the new year ...

Entry containing 3 photos titled: Wind Cave National Park, They had a large herd of Buffalo, This bull was as big as our car

Today we took a quick trip to Wind Cave National Park. I try to be as honest as I can when I speak about the places that we visit. So this entry will be no different. The park does not compare to Custer State Park. It is a beautiful place, but there is ...