Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park | ||
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Wind Cave National Park | ||
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Location: | South Dakota , United States | |
Next city: | Hot springs | |
Surface: | 137.48 km² | |
Founding: | January 9, 1903 | |
Visitors: | 656,397 (2018) | |
Address: | Wind Cave National Park | |
The cave named Wind Cave is located in Wind Cave National Park in western South Dakota and, with over 150 miles of explored trails, is one of the longest caves in the world. The cave is known for calcium formations called boxwork , which spread like honeycombs on the walls.
The national park was opened in 1903 under US President Theodore Roosevelt as the seventh national park in the United States . The Wind Cave is the world's first cave to be designated a national park . Further west is another large cave, the Jewel Cave .
On the surface, one of the last remaining prairies remains, which is a natural home for bison , elk , pronghorn and prairie dogs . In 2007 the park was included in the large-scale reintroduction program for the black-footed polecat. The kind that was already thought to be extinct, is in captivity tightened and reintroduced in central and western regions of the United States since the 1991st
Web links
- National Park Service: Wind Cave National Park (official site; English)
- US National Parks Net: Wind Cave National Park (English)