WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, S.D. - Wind Cave National Park is celebrating National Park Week, April 17 - 25, with free tours and an opportunity to build a home for bluebirds.
The park will begin the week with two bluebird box building workshops Saturday, April 17, beginning at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the visitor center. Due to limited supplies, reservations are required for these programs and participants are asked to bring their own hammer. Groups or families are encouraged to attend; supplies are limited to 1 box per family. To make a reservation please visit www.blackhillsparks.org, or call 605-745-7020, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The program is free of charge and sponsored by the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association.
Participants will learn about the mountain bluebird, the benefits of providing a nesting box, the birds that could potentially use the box, and how to choose a good location for it. Following the presentation, participants will construct a mountain bluebird box. All box supplies are provided.
The park will also be offering free tours on Saturday, April 17. Tours begin at 9 a.m. with the last tour entering the cave at 3 p.m. To provide for social distancing in the cave, tour sizes have been reduced by 50%. Free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the tour. Expect tours for the day to be sold out shortly after the visitor center opens at 8 a.m.
The cave temperature is 54 degrees; a light coat or sweater is recommended along with good rubber soled shoes that have not been worn in another cave or mine. Masks to reduce the spread of Covid-19 are required in Federal facilities, including the cave.
National Park Week is an annual celebration for people to discover and enjoy our country’s remarkable network of natural, cultural, and recreational sites.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
