Badlands and Black Hills - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 535

Wind Cave National Park near Hot Springs is one of the world's longest limestone caves.
10. Wind Cave National Park
After looping south on Rte. 89 and east on Rte. 16A, the drive breezes down Rte. 87 to
WindCave National Park.Herearichassortment ofwildlife sharemorethan28,000acres.
The main attraction, however, is underground. Wind Cave may have been known to loc-
al Indians for centuries, but it wasn't until 1881 that white settlers learned of its existen-
ce. Lured by a strange whistling sound, brothers Jesse and Tom Bingham stumbled upon a
smallhole,thecave'sonlynaturalentrance.Soforcefulwasthewindthatblewthroughthe
opening—caused by the difference in barometric pressures above and below ground—that
Jesse's hat blew clean off his head. The Bingham brothers had stumbled upon not just one
cave but an entire network ringing the hard granite core of the Black Hills—a vast subter-
ranean labyrinth that, scientists believe, remains 95 percent unexplored.
11. Jewel Cave National Monument
After swinging north toward Custer, the drive spurs west on Rte. 16 across a mountain
valley to the next stop, Jewel Cave, the world's second longest cave. As intriguing as its
geological cousin to the south, Jewel Cave is so named for its resplendent calcite crystals,
some of which sparkle like precious gems when illuminated. Once you return to the light