No Second Fiddle - Wind Cave National Park - 7/3/10

The juxtaposition of the two environments at Wind Cave National Park in Hot Springs, SD is one of the most striking in the entire National Park System. What first appears to be a satisfying drive of the Black Hills and a meandering drive through the 28,000+ acres of bison covered hills, masks one of the great cave tours in the country.

While Native Americans had been aware of the sacred site for centuries, it came into the public view in 1890 when 18-year-old Alvin McDonald came upon the small entrance blowing a steady breeze out into the prairie. Armed with nothing more than candles and a sturdy rope, Mr. McDonald succeeded in discovering the entrance and beginning tunnels of Wind Cave. Upon seeing its many treasures within, Alvin decided that he would turn entrepreneur and guide Victorian-Appareled visitors through the tight passageways for a view of a world normally unseen. These visitors etched their names with soot along the cave walls, which are still easily visible today.

The first site we gazed upon when entering the large, impressive Visitor Center was a teenage girl sitting directly in front, barfing her guts up in a trashcan positioned perfectly in front of her. Good God....what the hell kind of tour were we in for? Tours are first come, first served at Wind Cave, so arriving early is highly advised. We arrived in time for the Natural Entrance Tour, which gave us a bit of a pause after completing a tour of the same name in Carlsbad only a few months before that literally made Matt's legs give out on him (Don't fret....the "Carlsbad Buckle" story is to be told in due time).

The baby-faced ranger led us to the original entrance to the cave, told us a few stories about Mr. McDonald's adventures, and then informed the group that we all would have to squeeze through the 3-foot hole to take the tour. (Ashamed to admit this......Brooke totally bought it for about 30 seconds).  Led to a steep staircase, the tour began. We descended into the cave over a half mile, traversing low ceilings and narrow corridors dripping with water, and amazingly enough, we were giddy. Wind Cave, while compared inevitably with larger caves such as Mammoth and Carlsbad, completely holds its own. The "boxwork" formations of honey-combed calcite seen below dot the entire cave tour, and each turn elicited awed screams from each participant.

If we may interject with one complaint however..........Kids. The children on our tour were intrusive, loud, obnoxious, and screaming, "I see monster eyes in there! Hey, Mr Ranger! I have a question! Look at me! HEY! I SAYS I SEE MONSTER EYES IN THERE!!!" Nope, that it just me swinging my purse in the dark, hoping to come in contact with a moppet's head. And we, on behalf of the NPS, would like to thank the wonderful parents who sit idle while their own monsters touched everything in sight (while being repeatedly told not to before entering), helping ruin what took thousands of years to create. And to think our own parents continue to ask why we are blissfully child-free.....Imagine.

Ascending to the surface, the walk back to the Visitor Center was wooded, serene and barfing-teenager free. Alas, we did not stay long upon the grounds of the park itself, as Mt Rushmore beckoned us this day, the primary destination for visitors in the Black Hills. After fighting the throngs of tourists there, a 90-minute drive may seem oppressive after the majestically-carved Presidents. We urge you to make the trek to Wind Cave................

.......and shove any child you see in your path to along the way. Wind Cave will thank you for it.

FINAL RATING

8/10