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Best time to visit Wind Cave

How busy the park gets each month, what the weather is like, and the weeks to aim for or avoid.

By The Green Adventures · Updated · How we check

  • Best time to visit Wind Cave: May, June and September. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
  • Busiest month: July, with about 116,138 visits in a typical recent year. That is 4.1 times as many as October.
  • Quietest month: January (10,963 visits), when weather or closures keep most people away.
  • Cold: average highs stay below 40°F in January and December.
  • Snow: January to April and December average 6 inches or more of snow at the station.
  • Wettest month: May, with 3.7 inches on average.
JanVery quiet40°15°0.5 in6 in snow
FebVery quiet41°16°0.7 in7 in snow
MarVery quiet50°24°1.1 in10 in snow
AprQuiet58°31°2.3 in8 in snow
MayModerate66°41°3.7 inBest
JunBusiest77°50°3.3 inBest
JulBusiest85°57°3.0 in
AugBusiest84°55°2.3 in
SepBusy76°46°1.5 inBest
OctQuiet61°34°1.6 in2 in snow
NovVery quiet48°23°0.7 in4 in snow
DecVery quiet39°15°0.5 in8 in snow

Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.

Month by month

Month Crowds Visits (typical) High / low (°F) Precipitation Snow
January Very quiet 10,963 40° / 15° 0.5 in 6 in
February Very quiet 11,440 41° / 16° 0.7 in 7 in
March Very quiet 18,849 50° / 24° 1.1 in 10 in
April Quiet 36,726 58° / 31° 2.3 in 8 in
May ★ Moderate 68,634 66° / 41° 3.7 in 1 in
June ★ Busiest 97,173 77° / 50° 3.3 in 0 in
July Busiest 116,138 85° / 57° 3.0 in 0 in
August Busiest 97,483 84° / 55° 2.3 in 0 in
September ★ Busy 78,499 76° / 46° 1.5 in 0 in
October Quiet 28,260 61° / 34° 1.6 in 2 in
November Very quiet 14,043 48° / 23° 0.7 in 4 in
December Very quiet 12,649 39° / 15° 0.5 in 8 in

Weather figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Wind Cave station (4,155 feet above sea level), 0 miles from Wind Cave Visitor Center. Visitor numbers are the median of 2022 to 2025 monthly recreation visits from the National Park Service.

By season

  • Spring (March to May): 21% of the year’s visits; average highs 50° to 66°F.
  • Summer (June to August): 53% of the year’s visits; average highs 77° to 85°F.
  • Fall (September to November): 20% of the year’s visits; average highs 48° to 76°F.
  • Winter (December to February): 6% of the year’s visits; average highs 39° to 41°F.

Weekends and holidays

Even in a quiet month, holiday weekends fill parking lots and campgrounds. The 2027 federal holidays to plan around:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
  • Presidents Day: Monday, February 15
  • Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
  • Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
  • Independence Day: Sunday, July 4 (observed Monday, July 5)
  • Labor Day: Monday, September 6
  • Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, October 11
  • Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
  • Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25

See the crowd calendar for all 64 parks.

Weather, in the park service’s words

Spring: Highs range from 50-70°F with highly variable weather. Spring is the park's wettest season. Summer: Hot and generally dry with daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 80°F (27°C). Strong thunderstorms are common and can produce large hail and lightning. Fall: Generally dry with warm days and cool nights. Highs 50-60°F. Lows below freezing are common. Winter: Highs are in the high 30s with lows around 10°F. Snowfall averages 30 inches annually, periodically closing park roads.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Today at Wind Cave

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Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for Wind Cave Visitor Center. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.

Sources

Last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to visit Wind Cave?
May, June and September. July is the busiest month and October the quietest while the park is fully open.
What is the busiest month at Wind Cave?
July, with about 116,138 recreation visits in a typical recent year.
How crowded is Wind Cave in summer?
Summer brings 53% of the year’s visits; average highs 77° to 85°F.