1,348 visitor interactions in 2025. Up 45% from 2024. That's our great Wind Cave Ambassadors! They're BHPFA volunteers who track trail conditions and answer the real questions hikers have on Wind Cave trails. 2026 season kicks off in May. Thank you, Ambassadors! #NationalVolunteerWeek #WindCave

Saturday closes out National Volunteer Week. If you're near the Black Hills and want to spend it doing something real, Camp Bob Marshall has a work day April 25, 9am-4pm. Raking, brush clearing, chainsaw work (bring gloves). Lunch provided. [email protected] #NationalVolunteerWeek

Native prairie doesn't come back on its own. BHPFA volunteers are out there with buckets and seeds making it happen. It's National Volunteer Week. We're sharing their stories all week! #NationalVolunteerWeek #Volunteers #PublicLands

Only 10 spots for Saturday's animal premium tracking workshop at Wind Cave. Six hours of hands-on field work. Lean to read tracks, scat, bones, rubs. $40/adult | $20/child | $100/family Register in advance. blackhillsparks.org/bhpfa-event/... #WindCave #OutdoorEducation #NationalParks

Free educator workshop, April 24-26 in Custer. Project WILD, AIS, and PLT training for K-12 teachers, homeschoolers, and youth leaders. Walk away with full activity guides. Registration closes April 17. Email [email protected] #EnvironmentalEducation #BlackHills #SouthDakota

2026 Black Hills National Forest motor vehicle use permits are on sale. They're the ultimate after-market accessory for your quads and side-by-sides. 📦 Online for mail: blackhillsbadlands.square.site 🏪 Our Custer store starting 3/30 Physical stickers only. No print-at-home.

One paid intern spot left at Jewel Cave National Monument this summer. Lead Scenic and Discovery cave tours, staff the visitor center, help run Junior Caver Day. $16/hr + housing (18+) + uniform allowance Resume to [email protected] by April 13. #JewelCave #BHPFA #ParkJobs

Ever hear coyotes while camping, walking in the evening, or just from your back yard? Wonder what they're saying to each other? Our Education Specialist Tom Tonkin translates yip and howl for you over on our YouTube channel. #ParkChat www.youtube.com/shorts/zAnfC...

That is horrible. The visitor center at Agate is super important context to why the site is important! Don't get me wrong -- I love me some daemonelices! #ParkChat

4 positions for people who'd rather be in the Black Hills than a cubicle! Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Pactola + Custer HQ. Weekend availability required. $13-15/hr. Come meet us at the job fair April 8 in Hot Springs. blackhillsparks.org/employment/ #NowHiring #SDJobs #PublicLands

BHPFA stores and partner sites are currently open, but the NPS, USFS, and our operations staff are closely monitoring. Staff and visitor safety is all our top priority. Check SD Game, Fish & Parks resources for status of Custer State Park. #custersd #WindCaveNationalPark #QuryFire #DeerFire

Smiles, new friends, and tutus! It was a fun day of celebrating #InternationalWomensDay and creating community for women in the outdoors at Jewel Cave. Events like these with SheJumps encourage all women and girls, regardless of age or ability, to get outside, break down barriers, and have fun.

Spring break is coming. Summer hours aren't... yet. The forecast looks tempting, but our federal partners across the Black Hills and Nebraska are still in winter mode. Check hours before you drive out. #BlackHills #NationalParks #NationalForests

Your classroom has walls. This training doesn't. April 24-26 in Custer. Hands-on Project WILD, WET, AIS, and PLT for anyone who teaches kids. Academic credit for recertification. 📞 605-673-9200 | BHNF, SDGFP, Custer State Park & Project Learning Tree of SD #EnvironmentalEducation #BlackHills

Black-footed ferrets: once nearly extinct... now back in SD... but still in trouble. Nicole Mittman (Prairie Wildlife Research) talks ferrets at BHPFA's Nature Cabin Chats: 📍 March 5, The Trailhouse, Custer 📍 March 8, Lost Cabin Taproom, Rapid City $10 @ door #BlackFootedFerret #SouthDakota

Get the Girls Out is back! BHPFA and SheJumps are hosting a low-key women's outdoor meetup at Jewel Cave on Saturday, March 7, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot cocoa, tutus, bingo, hiking, and an optional cave tour. Come solo or bring a friend. #GetTheGirlsOut #SheJumps #SouthDakota

Happy Valentine's Day. We love this community! Last night's Girl Winter Film Fest raised $1,200 for women's outdoor programs in the Black Hills and Nebraska. Next up: Get the Girls Out at Jewel Cave, March 7. #BHPFA #JewelCave #WomenOutdoors #PublicLands

Going to the Sports Show this weekend? So are we! Booth 134 at The Monument, Rapid City. Black Hills National Forest is next door at 135, and your support helped get them there. Outdoorsy people, meet outdoorsy preparation success 🎣 #BHPFA #BlackHills #PublicLands

Free cave tours Monday, Feb. 16 for Presidents Day at Wind Cave and Jewel Cave! Online free tickets nearly gone on recreation.gov. But first-come, first-served tickets will be available both visitor centers Monday morning right at open. Get there **EARLY**. #PresidentsDay #NationalParks

A South Bronx teacher. 33 peaks. Solo. That's one of six films this Friday at the Girl Winter Film Tour. Preview the lineup: girlwinterfilmtour.com/2025-films Feb 13 | 6-8PM MT | Custer Beacon | $15/$10 youth Get your tickets now: www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x... #GirlWinterFilmTour #BHPFA

In 1908, the government bought Jewel Cave for $750 and called it "small." 220+ miles later, it turned 118 yesterday. We brought the cake. Because birthdays are always better with cake. Forgot a gift? Belated donations welcome 🎂 blackhillsparks.org/donate #JewelCave #NationalParks #PublicLands

Girl Winter Film Tour returns Feb 13 🎬 Six films and a Yeti cooler raffle at The Custer Beacon. Hosted by BHPFA x SheJumps | 6-8PM MT | Custer, SD | $15 / $10 youth. Everyone's welcome. Grab tickets ↓ #GirlWinterFilmTour #BlackHills #SouthDakota www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x...

In 1987: 18 black-footed ferrets left. Today: ~500. Goal: 3,000. You can help. $35 gets you a ferret plush or hat, and $20 of it funds fieldwork like vaccinations and population monitoring. blackhillsparks.org/shop/park-st... #BlackFootedFerret #Conservation

Started our Homeschool Nature Adventure program series today! 15 kids ages 5-12 came to learn basics of being a naturalist. Last Thursdays Monthly through May: 9am-Noon. $10/child (members get 15% off). blackhillsparks.org/news-events/field-school/homeschool-nature-adventures/

Since the Winter Solstice, we've gained about 50 minutes of daylight. Research shows 20-30 min outside lowers cortisol and improves mood. The world feels heavy. Getting outside helps. Learn more about the science: blackhillsparks.org/science-of-g... #parkchat #NationalParks #ParkRx

South Dakota Volunteer Naturalists are still accepting apps for their 2026 cohort. But time's a-wastin'. 40+ hours of training, Zoom classes Tuesday nights March-May, field trips statewide. Deadline: February 2. Apply: sdvolunteernaturalists.org

Holiday pop-up worked, so we stayed. BHPFA store in Custer now open year-round. Topo maps, field guides, trail books, Smokey gear. Every purchase funds programs in Black Hills and Nebraska parks and forests. 📍 833 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Mon-Fri 9am-4pm Or online: bhpfa.org/shop

82% to goal ($86,125 of $105,000). Every donation matched = double impact. More youth science programs. More trail maintenance. More Junior Ranger badges. We're close! bhpfa.org/donate #PublicLands #BlackHills #NationalParks

May-Sept gig: $600/week + housing included. Your office view? Pactola Reservoir at sunset. Student Conservation Association wants a Visitor Center Coordinator for Black Hills National Forest's Pactola VC. Ages 16-30. Apply: myjobs.adp.com/scacareers/c... #BlackHills #SCA #SummerJobs

Ya know... Wind Cave and Jewel Cave are the same temperature underground year round*. Just sayin'. #parkchat * Your parking lot to visitor center temperature experiences may vary.

Six films. One night. One purpose. Catch the Girl Winter Film Tour at The Custer Beacon, Feb 13, 6–8pm. Your ticket supports nature access for women and girls... plus, raffle included! www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x...

We put the "Outdoor" and the "Education" in "Outdoor Education." Kids aged 5 - 12 explore the wild through hikes, stories, and journaling. Drop-off sessions, last Thursdays of the month Jan–May in Custer. $10 each. Register now: blackhillsparks.org/news-events/... #BlackHills #HomeschoolLife

Host the desk with the best view. Help visitors explore public lands by volunteering at Pactola Visitor Center in the heart of the #BlackHills of South Dakota. Apply here → www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-... #NationalForests #Volunteer

Nature leaves clues. Become the wilderness detective who can read them. Join our BHPFA Education Specialist Tom Tonkin (30+ yrs experience) to learn how to read animal signs like a pro. Sun Jan 11, 11am, Lost Cabin Taproom in Rapid City. $10 at the door. #BlackHills #NationalParks #NatureClass

Trying to hike your way to your New Year’s resolution? Wind Cave NP + Black Hills NF trails are HEAVILY storm-damaged from last month's winds. Don't start 2026 with a bonk on the head or worse. Respect closures, pack smart, and stay safe. #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalParks

We don’t always know their names. Until we do. They loved these lands. Then asked others to give in their name. This New Year’s Eve, we honor their memory. The names of several from the last few years in the comment below. #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalParks #parkchat

Rankin Ridge is out. Prairie Vista is in. Storm damage changed plans, but still join us for a 1-mile New Year's Eve hike at Wind Cave! Cocoa at the finish line: BYO mug. No pets. Trail is uneven with 150 ft gain. Meet at the Visitor Center to head out at 9am! #BlackHills #NationalParks #NYEHike

Field Notes 2025, Day 5: Boxing Day thanks to the people who think about the box, argue with the box, live the box. Our retail ops team turns inventory, shipping, and logistics into steady support for parks and forests, all year long. Cardboard with a mission!

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Hills, support for our parks never paused or stood still. The gifts you gave, thoughtful and true, keep programs and parks moving all year through. Thanks for growing our online sales 62% this year! #YearInReview #parkchat

Field Notes 2025 Day 2: Half the park is after dark, and you helped keep it magical. From Agate After Dark programs to a new telescope at Wind Cave to Moon Walks with Black Hills National Forest, your support helped protect and interpret the night. bhpfa.org/donate #NationalParks #YearInReview

Field Notes 2025: 2 miles of trail work = 10 amazing new leaders. In October, ten women trained in safety and crew leadership while improving Trail 9 South. Now, the new crew leads head to public lands nationwide to pay it forward. 2026 project sched drops Jan 14. #BlackHills #NationalForests

CLOSED: Wind Cave and Jewel Cave on Friday, Dec 19, 2025 Let our ranger friends do their ranger things to get things running again. Stay out of closed areas.

Got time, a camper, and love for public lands? Black Hills NF + Nebraska NF & Grasslands need seasonal volunteers near Custer + Hot Springs. Host a site. Meet folks. Get hookups (umm.... for your RV, obviously). www.volunteer.gov/s/voloppreco... #BlackHills #NationalForests #VolunteerOpportunity

A Senate vote to gut parks could happen today. Amendment 3972 allows the administration to close or transfer NPS sites like Jewel Cave, Agate, & Scotts Bluff. In SD? Call Sen. Rounds now: DC 202-224-5842 RC 605-343-5035 Other states: www.senate.gov/senators/sen... #NationalParks #ParkChat

Where can you get free food, merch, and water wisdom? At the Environment & Water Gathering, Dec 17–19. 12–6 PM at Mother Butler Center in Rapid City. Show up, listen, and build lasting connections. #BlackHills #NationalGrasslands #WaterRights

Sunrise hikes > your snooze button. At least this once. Join our Custer, SD sunrise hike with SheJumps and BHPFA. Dec 20. 6:30 am. 1 mile & 300 ft elevation gain. Free w/ registration. Coffee + reflection after. Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/shejumps-x... #BlackHills #NationalForests #SheJumps

Scotts Bluff turns 106 today. Its meaning runs far older. The Pawnee, Lakota, Cheyenne, and others called this area home since long wagon ruts and Pony Express riders. Thanks to the rangers honoring all chapters, because Indigenous history is American history. #Nebraska #NationalParks #parkchat

This is the way. bhpfa.org/shop

Thanks for reminding me to check out your online store to finish up my shopping! #ParkChat

You can't fit the Black Hills in a stocking. We've tried. But bison plushies + Smokey = perfect fit. Give the gift of wonder. Shop before shipping gets tight. bhpfa.org/shop #BlackHills #NationalForests #NationalParks