Wildlife Viewing

Wind Cave National Park is an ecotone, a place where multiple ecosystems meet. The park has both short-grass and long-grass prairie, as well as woodlands and the edge of a mountain ecosystem. As a result, despite the park's small size, it boasts a wide array of birds and other wildlife. Buffalo are more likely to be found in open grasslands, since grass is the main component of their diet. They especially like areas where the grass is short and fresh, such as where fire crews have recently burned. During the hot summer months, you can also find bison on the edge of forests where they go to cool off. The open prairies are also home to prairie dog towns. Near the south entrance to the park, you'll find an open prairie that is home to small herds of pronghorn antelope, one of the fastest mammals in North America. Elk are more elusive. To see elk, go to some of the less-traveled roads in the park, like NPS-6 and NPS-5, in the early morning or at dusk. Elk typically hang out in the wooded areas of the park, though they sometimes come to the grasslands to graze at twilight. The Boland Ridge Trail and the prairie dog town near the Rankin Ridge fire tower are both popular elk grounds. If you are a bird lover, head to the prairie to see blue birds or meadowlarks. Near the Wind Cave visitor center you might see a Towsend's Solitair, and in areas that have recently been burned you are likely to find a lack-backed woodpecker. Large wildlife is likewise ubiquitous in the Black Hills National Forest. Be on the lookout for bald eagles at Deerfield Lake, including the picnic area and Whitetail Campground. Around Bismarck Lake in the northern area of the park, you may see an osprey or osprey nest. Avid birders should also check out the Hell Canyon Trail, especially during mating season (May and June).