The sixth oldest national park in the United States; it holds 95% of all the boxwork known on the planet
Area
138 km²
Protection category
IUCN II
Parque nacional —
Designated in
1903
Highlight
The sixth oldest national park in the world; it holds 95% of all the boxwork known on the planet
Established in 1903, it is the sixth oldest national park in the world and the first created specifically to protect a cave. Its interior holds 95% of all the boxwork known on the planet, a honeycomb mineral formation of thin calcite fins that is extremely rare outside this cave. The Lakota people hold the cave's natural entrance, where the wind audibly moves in and out as the atmospheric pressure changes, to be the sacred place of origin of their people and of the bison.
Location
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Wind Cave: 66 documented species
Mammals19Birds26Reptiles8Amphibians
Flora and ecosystems
Ecosystems found in the United States, where Wind Cave lies.
DesertTemperate forestTundra / polarWetland
Experiences in this park
Birdwatching
Wildlife you can see now
What is worth looking out for this month in the United States?
Now is a good time: Urban bat colony under Congress Avenue Bridge (March to November (peak in summer))
Similar parks
Which other parks are like this one?
Same country: United States
Same country: United States
Same country: United States
Same country: United States
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Based on what we already know about this park.
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