We travel to units of the National Park System to see beautiful landscape, learn about history, view amazing wildlife, and to simply learn new things. We take that knowledge (and photos) back with us to impress family, friends, and coworkers. Just how much of that park knowledge stays with you? Maybe more than you realize.
While Wind Cave in Wind Cave National Park is undeniably the star of the show at this park in South Dakota, there is so much more than just the cave. There is wildlife viewing, hiking, geology, and history.
Low-light interior photography takes a little effort at the best of times, and this is with a tripod. Cave shots captured during one of the tours offered at a cave-centric park unit are trickier, because tripods, bipods, and monopods are prohibited. How do you achieve great cave shots without using a tripod during a tour of a cave unit in the National Park System?
How much do you really know about units of the National Park System? You may know more than you think! Test your knowledge with this latest Traveler quiz and trivia piece, #77.
There are several park units within the National Park System that either feature caves, or at least have an explorable cavern or two within their federal confines, including Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument, both in South Dakota. These two parks offer great photo ops both above and below the ground, but cave shots can be a little tricky.
There are quite a few cave-centric units within the National Park System. While these parks provide interesting landscapes both above and below ground, they really are all about the caves. So this month’s Traveler quiz and trivia piece is all about those cave park units.
Boxwork is a type of speleothem (cave formation) made of thin blades of calcite that project from cave walls and ceilings, forming a honeycomb pattern. The fins intersect one another at various angles, forming "boxes" on all cave surfaces. Boxwork is largely confined to dolomite layers in the middle and lower levels of Wind Cave. As a matter of fact, ninety-five percent of the world's boxwork is found in Wind Cave.
According to the National Park Service, "There are 400-450 bison in Wind Cave National Park. They are grazers and usually found on the grasslands. There are several good places to see bison along U.S. 385, S.D. 87, and primitive roads N.P.S. 5 & 6. Since the bison roam as they eat, they are never in one place for very long."