150 miles and counting: Wind Cave celebrates significant milestone

Special talks and exhibits will be presented November 2 at Wind Cave in celebration of exploring 150 miles of explored passages. (NPS Photo)

WIND CAVE – On Saturday, November 2, Wind Cave is celebrating its 150th mile of exploration with special talks and activities. Programs include hearing exploration stories from the actual explorers, including a first-hand account of being lost in the cave for 36 hours.
“Throughout the day, talks will be given at the park’s visitor center telling the story of the cave’s exploration. These talks are free and begin at 8:30 a.m. with the last talk beginning at 3 p.m.,” said Park Superintendent Vidal Dávila. “A rare public display of a tracing of the map of the cave’s first systematic explorer, Alvin McDonald, will also be exhibited at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.”
The Black Hills Parks & Forest Association will have lunch available for purchase. While repairs are ongoing with the cave’s elevators, it is unknown if they will be fixed in time to open the cave for tours on that day.
The event will conclude with a banquet at the Mueller Civic Center in Hot Springs. The keynote speaker is Rachel (Cox) Tso. As an 18-year old National Outdoor Leadership Student (NOLS) in 1989, she was lost in the cave for 36 hours, generating the largest search and rescue effort in the park’s history. Ms. Tso, now a documentary filmmaker, will show some of her upcoming film on the incident along with telling her story and how the experience changed her life.
For a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets for the banquet, visit: www.blackhillsparks.org and click on the Wind Cave partner tab or call 605-745-7020. Reservations for dinner are available through October 27 and cost $30 for adults.

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