If you love a drive that has you gasping, laughing, and pulling over every few minutes for “just one more” viewpoint, you are going to have so much fun with this episode. We’re sharing 15 of our favorite scenic drives across the national parks and how you can plan your own visit to each!

In this episode, we cover:

• Our top 15 national park scenic drives, grouped into big bucket list roads, overlooked drives in popular parks, and hidden gems in lesser known parks
• Key logistics for each drive, including typical opening seasons, road lengths, and important vehicle size or road condition notes
• The hikes, overlooks, and viewpoints we love along these roads, plus the wildlife you are most likely to see
• How these drives fit into a bigger trip so you can plan your time around sunrise, sunset, and trail days

Your task for today:

Pick one of the 15 scenic drives from this episode and move it to the very top of your national park bucket list, then head over to the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and tell us which drive you are most excited to experience next!

Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/best-scenic-drives-in-the-national-parks/

Planning your own scenic drive adventure?

• Episode 117: Favorite national parks road trips: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/favorite-national-park-road-trips/
• Episode 23: Scariest national park roads ranked: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/episode-23-scariest-national-park-roads-ranked/
• Episode 81: Insider tips for driving Going to the Sun Road: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/insider-tips-for-driving-glaciers-going-to-the-sun-road/
• Dirt In My Shoes Itineraries: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/
• Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
• National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
• Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/

Wind Cave National Park is one of the most surprising, mysterious, and underrated parks in the Black Hills. Today we are diving into Wind Cave fun facts that will completely change the way you see this small-on-the-surface but massive-underground national park.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Wind Cave National Park gets bypassed, and why we think it should not
• The human history that makes Wind Cave feel like an adventure story, including the cave’s Lakota name, Maka Oniye, or “Breathing Earth”
• The teen explorer who mapped the first miles of the cave with string, candlelight, and a whole lot of bravery
• The rare cave formations Wind Cave is famous for, including boxwork and giant helictite bushes
• The secret behind the wind, and why scientists think we have only discovered about 10% of the cave so far

Your task for today:

Spend 15 to 20 minutes on the Wind Cave National Park Service website and look up one thing we talked about, like the Lakota emergence story, Alvin McDonald’s diary entries, or the cave formation photos.

Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/5-fascinating-fun-facts-about-wind-cave-national-park/

Planning your own Wind Cave National Park adventure?

• Dirt in My Shoes South Dakota Itinerary: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/products/south-dakota-itinerary
• Dirt In My Shoes Wind Cave National Park Planning Resources: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/wind-cave-national-park/
• Episode 135: 139: Exploring Wind Cave National Park: Best Tips + Activities: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-wind-cave-national-park-best-tips-activities/
• Episode 29: The Black Hills (Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Wind Cave, and more!): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/29-the-black-hills-wind-cave-custer-state-park-jewel-cave-and-more/
• Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
• National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
• Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/

Wind Cave National Park is one of the most underrated stops in the Black Hills, and it is absolutely worth digging a little deeper for. Come with us into the prairies of South Dakota for rare cave beauty, bison sightings, and the kind of quiet that makes you exhale.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Wind Cave is so underrated, and why I recommend it even when people say Jewel Cave is “prettier”
• How to get cave tour tickets (and why you should not wait until the day of)
• Which three tours to choose from as a first time visitor, plus options for special tours
• What to expect on your tour (temperature, what you can and cannot bring, and tips if you have kids)
• Easy, high reward things to do above ground, including wildlife drives, a short scenic hike, and a quick trip to Hot Springs

Your task for today: Have you been to Wind Cave National Park? Tell us what you loved, and share your best photos (because this park is famously hard to photograph!). Head over to our post on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and share with us!

Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/exploring-wind-cave-national-park-best-tips-activities/

Planning your own Wind Cave National Park adventure?

• Dirt in My Shoes South Dakota Itinerary: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/products/south-dakota-itinerary
• Dirt In My Shoes Wind Cave National Park Planning Resources: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/wind-cave-national-park/
• Episode 29: The Black Hills (Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Wind Cave, and more!): https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/29-the-black-hills-wind-cave-custer-state-park-jewel-cave-and-more/
• Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
• National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/
• Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/