An elevator transformer malfunction early this week indefinitely shut down Wind Cave National Park cave tours. Park officials don’t know how long the replacement will take or when tours will resume, according to a park release. This is the first major malfunction since the elevators were idled in 2024 for upgrades.
Meanwhile, visitors to the park can still experience the cave through virtual tours at the visitor center, which will remain open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours as summer approaches. Park rangers will be offering programs that let visitors virtually “attend” the Natural Entrance Tour using Lidar technology.
This is not the first time the park’s elevators have failed. They were also shut down in August 2023 and July 2019 by malfunctions and mechanical issues.
