Unfortunately due to time and money restraints, I did not get to explore the cave. Since it was a Tuesday, the really adventurous tours were unavailable. Still I would have enjoyed the tourist walk through the cave.
Wind Cave National Park, located about an hour drive south of Mt Rushmore, has plenty above ground to keep one interested. The bison here are even more accessible than at Teddy Roosevelt National Park.
I chose to go for a short hike to Rankin Ridge which happens to be the highest point in the park. There is a fire tower located at the summit, but it's closed to the public. Fortunately there are plenty of views to be had without climbing it.
On my way down, there was a lone Bison on the road I walked. What to do? When he spotted me, despite the advantage in size he had on me, he moved into the grass. A perfect gentleman. I watched in awe, trying not to disturb him or piss him off. A beautiful creature. It's hard to believe this monster could be found all over the plains. Now their range is limited to a few parks.
The drive out of the park provided more bison sightings. I captured some film of another lone Bison on the move. I'm not sure where he was going, but he was going. Many cars stopped to watch and take photos. He did not seem to mind (as long as we did not get too close). The first herd of Bison could be spotted just before the park boundary. Again, there were some bison on the move. A few crossed the road to where the larger group were. It was the first time I actually saw them run. Pretty cool.
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