On Friday, Yahoo! released a list of “The Nation’s Worst National Parks.” The National Park Service took some umbrage with any Park being designated “worst” … and released this photo response.
Death Valley National Park (located in California and Nevada) never disappoints with 3.4 million acres of desert and mountains — making it the largest national park in the lower 48 states. This gorgeous picture of the park was taken as a storm rolled in, giving more color and contrast to the Grapevine Mountains while churning sand creates the illusion of fog. Photo by Donna Fullerton. Posted on Tumbler by the US Department of the Interior, 1/30/15.
Swaying prairie grasses, forested hillsides and an array of wildlife — such as bison, elk, and prairie dogs — welcome visitors to one of our country’s oldest national parks and one of its few remaining intact prairies. Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota protects one of the world’s longest caves. Photo of the park’s Red Valley at dawn by Glen Fredlund. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/30/15.
The rugged beauty of the Badlands National Park in South Dakota draws visitors from around the world. The park’s striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds, and its 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets live today. Photo by Harlan Humphrey. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior on 1/30/15.
At Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, wild rivers meander through glacier-carved valleys, caribou migrate along age-old trails and endless summer light fades into aurora-lit night skies of winter. Pictured here is a beautiful mountain vista near Anaktuvuk Pass in the Brooks Range. Photo by Carl Johnson, National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/30/15.
A hidden gem on the East Coast, Congaree National Park in South Carolina preserves the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern United States. Congaree provides a sanctuary for plants and animals (including otters), a research site for scientists and a place for visitors to explore wilderness amidst giant hardwoods and towering pines. Photo courtesy of Jacob Frank. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/30/15.
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Badlands National Park
Congaree National Park
Death Valley National Park
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Wind Cave National Park
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Where Is It: The Park is 6 miles north of Hot Springs, SD, or 60 miles southwest of Rapid City, SD. It’s 634 miles west of Minneapolis.
The Birth: From Wind.Cave.National-Park.com:
On 03 Jan 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the bill creating Wind Cave National Park. It was the seventh national park and the first one created to protect a cave. The parklands at that time were small and there were no bison, elk, or pronghorn. They came later as the park boundaries expanded.
In 1912, the American Bison Society was looking for a place to reestablish a bison herd. Because of the excellent prairie habitat around the park, a national game preserve was established bordering Wind Cave. It was managed by the U.S. Biological Survey. In 1913 and 1914, the animals began to arrive. Fourteen bison came from the New York Zoological Society, twenty-one elk arrived from Wyoming and thirteen pronghorn came from Alberta, Canada.
In July of 1935, the game preserve became part of Wind Cave National Park. During the early years of the preserve, the animals were kept in small enclosures. Eventually, it was realized that they needed more space. The bison and elk needed additional forage and the pronghorn needed room to escape from predators. With the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), fences within the park were removed. And in 1946, 16,341 additional acres were added, enlarging the park to 28,059 acres.
It Happened Here: From Wikipedia:
Caves are said to “breathe,” that is, air continually moves into or out of a cave, equalizing the atmospheric pressure of the cave and the outside air. When the air pressure is higher outside the cave than in it, air flows into the cave, raising cave’s pressure to match the outside pressure. When the air pressure inside the cave is higher than outside it, air flows out of it, lowering the air pressure within the cave. A large cave (such as Wind Cave) with only a few small openings will “breathe” more obviously than a small cave with many large openings.
Size: 33,847 acres
# Visitors: 516,142 in 2013. Peak attendance was in June; January was the least-attended month.
Animals: From the Park’s website:
The mixed-grass prairie that visitors see in the the park today is one of the few remaining and is home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes and prairie dogs. In 1911, the American Bison Society looked for places to establish free roaming bison herds. They selected Wind Cave National Park as one of the first areas where these animals would be returned to the wild.
Bison, pronghorn, and elk were reintroduced to the park in 1913 and 1914. Because of this, we can see many prairie animals such as: elk, bison, pronghorn, turkeys, prairie dogs, and maybe even a black-footed ferret. And, just as important, we can see the habitat that supports them.
Choices: From NationalGeographic.com:
A good plan of action for a single-day visit would be to spend the morning in Wind Cave on one of the shorter introductory tours and the afternoon exploring the park’s prairies and forests on the Scenic Drive. A second day would be the time for one of the longer Candlelight or Cave Tours.
Fees: There are no fees to visit the Park. Cave tours are $7 to $23; campsites are $12.
Staying There: There are 75 campsites in Elk Mountain campground. The campground is open April – October.
Contact Info:
26611 US Highway 385
Hot Springs, SD 57747-6027
Visitor Information: 605-745-4600
Current Issues: From NationalParksTraveler.com:
It’s been a century since bison were returned to Wind Cave National Park via a recovery program for the shaggy animals, and while they’re thriving, overall, in the park, motorists are proving to be a great threat to them.
Since October motorists have killed at least six bison in the South Dakota park, and overall this year 14 bison have been killed in such collisions, Wind Cave officials report.
As a result of these accidents, the park is stepping up patrols, working on better signage, and hazing animals away from the roads.
This furry friend calls Wind Cave home. Ever been called a packrat for saving too much stuff? Real packrats (bushy-tailed wood rats) are known for building nests within caves and crevices. Their nests are built from materials brought in from the outside, such as pine cones, needles, paper, plastic odds and ends, wire…you name it. They use the cave for shelter but do not live their whole life underground. They go out onto the surface to forage for food, generally at night. Wood rats do not hibernate but rather build several large food caches to get them through the winter. From the Park’s Facebook page.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
From the Park’s website.
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National Park Service: Wind Cave National Park
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