One Of The Oldest National Parks In The U.S., Wind Cave In South Dakota Has Been Open Since 1903
When it comes to incredible history and world-famous landmarks, there is no place quite like South Dakota, which is home to landmarks and attractions, both old and new. If you are more interested in the older and more historical, you will want to visit Wind Cave National Park, one of the oldest parks in America:
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: onlyinyourstate.com/nominate
You know Hot Springs for its amazing Mammoth Site and the eponymous hot springs, but did you know that it is also home to one of the oldest national parks in America?
Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, Wind Cave National Park is home to a complex cave system that dates back millions of years and can be toured on a near-daily basis.
How many millions of years are we talking about? Thanks to its layers of limestone, experts predict the caves date back to the Mississippian period, making them 358.9 to 323.2 million years old.
In addition to being one of the oldest national parks in America, Wind Cave boasts several other accolades, as it is the 6th-longest cave in the world (thanks to its length of 140 miles), the densest cave on earth, and for containing 95% of the world's discovered boxwork formations.