How many people visit Wind Cave National Park each year?

606,258 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #37 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 582,903 a year.

What was Wind Cave's busiest year?

2003, with 874,167 recreation visits — +44.2% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 1994 (238,482 visits).

Is Wind Cave getting more crowded?

2025 visits were −1.0% compared with 2015 and −1.0% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2020 (448,405).

What counts as a recreation visit?

The NPS counts a recreation visit as one person entering the park for recreation; someone who leaves and re-enters is counted again, and commuters, through-traffic and staff are excluded. Counts come from gate and traffic counters with park-specific multipliers, so they are estimates.

Visitor statistics

How many people visit Wind Cave?

Last verified October 5, 2026NPS Visitor Use Statistics1979–2025

606,258 recreation visits in 2025, #37 of 63 national parks. The record is 2003 (874,167). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

Thin fins of calcite forming box-shaped openings, called boxwork, on a cave ceiling. — Photo: NPS Photo

2025 visits: 606,258; +23.9% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #37; of 63 national parks
Record year: 2003; 874,167 visits
vs 2015: −1.0%; ten-year change
vs 1979: +32.5%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Jul 1994; 238,482 visits

1979–2025

Every year since the counts began

Recreation visits per calendar year, as reported to the NPS Visitor Use Statistics office. The 2025 bar is highlighted; a missing bar means the park did not report all twelve months that year.

Show the full table (47 years) ↓

Year	Recreation visits	Change	Rank
2025	606,258	+23.9%	#37
2024	489,399	−17.4%	#40
2023	592,459	−2.5%	#35
2022	607,418	−14.3%	#35
2021	709,001	+58.1%	#32
2020	448,405	−27.1%	#33
2019	615,350	−6.3%	#36
2018	656,397	+5.9%	#32
2017	619,924	+0.4%	#35
2016	617,377	+0.8%	#33
2015	612,198	+11.9%	#32
2014	547,022	+6.0%	#31
2013	516,142	−2.4%	#34
2012	529,083	−1.7%	#32
2011	538,394	−6.7%	#33
2010	577,141	−1.8%	#32
2009	587,868	+2.5%	#31
2008	573,433	−4.9%	#31
2007	603,158	+2.0%	#28
2006	591,049	−3.5%	#31
2005	612,478	+3.1%	#30
2004	593,877	−32.1%	#30
2003	874,167	+7.9%	#26
2002	810,298	+24.6%	#27
2001	650,357	−2.7%	#30
2000	668,507	−12.2%	#30
1999	761,717	−10.4%	#28
1998	849,974	+2.2%	#27
1997	832,033	+6.5%	#28
1996	781,171	−3.0%	#29
1995	805,688	−7.5%	#30
1994	871,061	+62.2%	#28
1993	537,075	−18.7%	#36
1992	660,296	+10.6%	#34
1991	597,057	+1.8%	#35
1990	586,464	+4.4%	#33
1989	561,758	−2.8%	#35
1988	578,016	+2.5%	#35
1987	563,720	+16.6%	#37
1986	483,334	+1.2%	#37
1985	477,585	−10.9%	#35
1984	536,022	+6.4%	#32
1983	503,739	+7.8%	#32
1982	467,392	−7.2%	#35
1981	503,424	+6.4%	#34
1980	473,061	+3.4%	#35
1979	457,443	—	#35

By decade

The long view

1970s: 457,443; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 514,805; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 728,254; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 656,519; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 582,903; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 575,490; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 65% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 53% — visits have spread out across the year.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

JFMAMJJASOND

Quietest: FebruaryBusiest: July

The weather page puts these crowd levels beside each month’s temperatures.

About these numbers

Figures are the National Park Service’s monthly recreation-visit counts, retrieved from its public statistics service and summed by calendar year. A year is shown only when all twelve months were reported. The NPS revises recent months occasionally, so small differences from a later nps.gov table are normal. Rankings compare the 63 national parks for the same year. See every park ranked for 2025.

Sources · 2

1.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits by park, 1979–2025 · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics Definitions · National Park Service

FAQ

Wind Cave visitor questions

How many people visit Wind Cave National Park each year?: 606,258 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #37 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 582,903 a year.
What was Wind Cave's busiest year?: 2003, with 874,167 recreation visits — +44.2% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 1994 (238,482 visits).
Is Wind Cave getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were −1.0% compared with 2015 and −1.0% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2020 (448,405).
What counts as a recreation visit?: The NPS counts a recreation visit as one person entering the park for recreation; someone who leaves and re-enters is counted again, and commuters, through-traffic and staff are excluded. Counts come from gate and traffic counters with park-specific multipliers, so they are estimates.

Park'd · free on iPhone & Android

Be one of next year's 606,258.

Check off the park in Park'd, keep the trip's photos and notes, and watch your map fill in.