National Park · South Dakota

Trails in Wind Cave National Park

11 named trails · 62 miles · 1 with the Park Service's own write-up. The lines, trailheads and points are the Park Service's; the write-ups are the Service's own words; the climbing is read from USGS elevation along each line.

11 trails, A to Z.

Boland Ridge Trail

4.8 mi one way · about 900 ft of climbing · 3,681 ft–4,082 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Centennial Trail

11 mi one way · about 1,300 ft of climbing · 4,042 ft–4,484 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Centennial Trail #89

0.3 mi one way · 200 ft of descent · 4,167 ft–4,279 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Cold Brook Canyon Trail

2.8 mi one way · about 200 ft of climbing · 4,133 ft–4,241 ft

Views

Along the way Pullout

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

East Bison Flats Trail

6.5 mi one way · about 1,200 ft of climbing · 3,902 ft–4,230 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Elk Mountain Nature Trail

1.5 mi one way · about 200 ft of climbing · 4,283 ft–4,350 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Highland Creek Trail

17 mi one way · about 1,500 ft of climbing · 2,400 ft of descent · 3,901 ft–4,346 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Lookout Point Trail

4.4 mi one way · about 400 ft of climbing · 4,201 ft–4,348 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Prairie Vista Trail

1.3 mi one way · about 150 ft of climbing · 4,100 ft–4,189 ft

Visit Wind Cave's Natural Entrance the Park Service's write-up

10-20 Minutes · dogs allowed

Despite its length and complexity, Wind Cave has very few natural entrances. The largest and most well-known naturally formed entrance is only about ten inches wide. Visitors can still view this entrance without going on a tour. This is a very spiritual place to many different native people and is considered the birthplace of the Lakota nation.

Accessibility Visitors using wheelchairs are able to view the natural entrance. During business hours, it can be accessed via a ramp and paved sidewalk leaving from the visitor center. The natural entrance is approximately 225 yards from the building. After hours, a wide gravel path with a fairly level grade at the picnic area leads to the natural entrance. The natural entrance is approximately 150 yards from the picnic area.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Sanctuary Trail

7.3 mi one way · about 300 ft of climbing · 800 ft of descent · 4,242 ft–4,552 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

Wind Cave Canyon Trail

3.6 mi one way · 400 ft of descent · 3,814 ft–4,015 ft

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

20 more mapped segments without a name are on the map, not in the list.

More hikes the Park Service describes

Write-ups that name no single mapped trail, in the Service's words.

• Hiking at Wind Cave · no dogs
  View rolling prairie vistas, ponderosa forests, and see wildlife in its natural environment. Wind Cave National Park has over 30 miles of hiking trails on the surface and provides visitors the opportunity to view pristine Black Hills scenery. Find out which trail is the best for you.
• Pet Friendly Hikes · 30-60 Minutes · dogs allowed
  If you are traveling with a furry friend, Wind Cave has two pet friendly trails. Both are close to the visitor center and about one mile in length.

About these trails

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-14 and simplified for the map. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do", unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.