Wind Cave National Park (5-5-11)

Arriving at Custer State Park well ahead of schedule allowed our group to fit in a visit to one of our more unique National Parks, Wind Cave. Wind Cave National Park was established in 1903 as our 7th National Park, and the first that protected a cave. It is so named due to the strong winds that constantly blow into and out of the small natural entrance due to pressure differences above and below ground. Above ground the park covers over 28,000 acres and includes everything from prairie to mountain pine forest. Beneath ground, over 130 miles of caverns have been explored! Being early in the season the only tour available was the Natural Entrance Tour. This tour covered about a half-mile and was a bit over an hour long. It introduced us to the most common formations in Wind Cave, the colorfully named boxwork, frostwork, and popcorn...

Some 350 bison roam the prairie's above Wind Cave, and this small herd greeted us as we drove in...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
We didn't get to explore the above ground portion of the park (over 28,000 acres) but through the windows of our bus...here, the high plains meet the forested Black Hills providing for a wide variety of flora and fauna...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
The beautiful arch bridge over Beaver Creek Canyon...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
A moving shot of the park entrance sign...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
From 1934-39 the CCC built many of the structures you see in the National Park, including the visitor center...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Heading in...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
A pre-National Park Visitor Log Book from July 5th, 1893...Wind Cave was run as a private attraction until becoming the country's 7th National Park in 1903...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Differences in pressure in and outside the cave create the namesake 'wind' at the cave entrance...today air was rushing out of the cave at 23 mph but I read that on rare days it can blow at over 60!!
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
There are over 130 miles of cave passages that have been explored to date...all under only 1 square mile of ground!!
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
This tiny opening is the natural entrance to Wind Cave, where explorers originally entered...I must admit, even with previous knowledge, it was strange feeling a 23 mph whooshing out of the ground...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
After passing through pressure-equalizing doors, we started the descent...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Watch your head!
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Looking up...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
The coloration on places was very cool...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Cool formations...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Our first example of 'boxwork', Wind Caves' most famous formation...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Frostwork, created when seeping water is exposed to high rates of air flow creating a fine, fan-like pattern...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Lots of 'frostwork'...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Another of Wind Cave's most common formations, 'popcorn'...formed when water seeps through limestone at uniform rates...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
More boxwork...boxwork forms when hard 'veins' of calcite are exposed as the softer surrounding rock erodes...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
An interesting stone shelf we had to make our way around...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Cool rocks...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Boxwork formations...boxwork forms when hard 'veins' of calcite are exposed as the softer surround rock erodes...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Layers of stone...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
A hole...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Continuing ever downward...by the end of the tour I estimated we were around 300' beneath the surface...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Interesting step-like formations...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
More interesting formations...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Popcorn on the wall...popcorn forms as water uniformly seeps through limestone...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
A narrow passage...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
This low hanging, flat ceiling is called a 'chert layer'...the smooth rock below is eroding slower than the softer rock it is hanging from...if I had known this at the time I wouldn't have hung around under it quite so long!
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Some gooey-looking popcorn formations...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
A low-hanging boxwork formation...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Towards the end of the tour it seemed like there was a good quartz mixed into the rock...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Descending beneath yet more 'popcorn'...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
Photo-op...is it me or is my expression a bit creepy?
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
While standing around listening to the end of the interpretive presentation I noticed this cool clump of crystals, about the size of a fist, poking out of a nearby rock...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
The elevator building (ca. 1938) which was where we were returned to the surface...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate
The return...quite an interesting place, yet another park I wish I had more time to explore...
cave prairie National Park boxwork popcorn frostwork formations tunnel bison buffalo Black Hills Hot Springs calcite limestone aragonite calcium carbonate

dwhike

Wind Cave National Park (5-5-11)