Black Hills, United States

Atlas ObscuraApr 6

The Breathing Hole of the Earth, Found in South Dakota

Atlas Obscura community member Catherine Laton warned me. "You're going to be so surprised at how much you'll love South Dakota." She is one of hundreds of readers who flooded my inbox after I announced my quest to visit all 50 states before July 4th. And, she was right, and also not quite right. I was surprised, but not in the way she meant. Fueled by your e-mails and recommendations , I arriv…

11 things in this story

Jewel CaveSightone of the longest caves in the world
Mount RushmoreSightfaces carved at a large scale
Crazy HorseSightmonument still being carved after seven decades
Wind CaveSightnamed for the wind that blows through its entrance
Black HillsPlaceBlack Elk Peak, which rises to 7,242 feet (2,207 m), is the range's highest summit.
Wind Cave ParkPlacereintroduction site for American bison
Wind Cave National ParkNature reserveEstablished on January 3, 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the sixth national park in the U.S.
BadlandsNeighborhoodtake water when visiting
DeadwoodNeighborhoodtown leaned into its mythology with saloons
Washun NiyePlace
American bisonAttraction

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The Breathing Hole of the Earth, Found in South Dakota