The parks’ official nonprofit partner · est. 1946
Who we are and what we do
Black Hills Parks & Forests Association is the official nonprofit partner for seven public lands across the Black Hills and western Nebraska. We run the park stores, teach field programs, and fund education, conservation, and visitor services at every site. Our mission is to support wonder and exploration through stewardship of your public lands.
Why we exist
Mission and vision
Two sentences that decide what we fund and why we show up.
Our mission
Black Hills Parks and Forests Association supports wonder and exploration through stewardship of your public lands.
Our vision
Black Hills Parks and Forests Association ignites a spark of passion for conserving and sustaining public lands for all generations.
What we do
Three jobs, one mission
Everything we do sorts into three buckets. The first one pays for the other two.
01
Run the park stores
We run the bookstores inside the visitor centers at our partner sites, plus the online shop. Field guides, maps, gifts, and gear. Store proceeds are the engine that pays for the rest of this list.
Shop the Parks02
Teach field programs
We teach our own programs: Nature Connection Workshops, Homeschool Nature Adventures, free ranger-led events, and SheJumps programs for women and girls. Thousands of kids come through them every year.
See the calendar03
Fund our agency partners
A share of every dollar goes back to our National Park Service and Forest Service partners as Agency Aid, funding education, interpretation, trails, and visitor services across all seven sites.
Education Resource HubBy the numbers
A small nonprofit with a long reach
Proceeds support education, conservation, and visitor services at BHPFA partner parks and forests.
1946Serving parks since
7Public lands supported
16Park store locations
15%Member discount, every store
Our history
From one cave to seven public lands
We started in 1946 as a small library association at Wind Cave. The name changed a few times as the partnership grew.
- 1946 · Wind Cave Library AssociationFounded to support interpretive, educational, and scientific programs at Wind Cave National Park.
- 1952 · Black Hills Area AssociationRenamed while the Black Hills National Park Service units were run as one administrative area.
- 1957 · Black Hills Natural History AssociationA name that better matched the association’s work by then.
- 1963 · Wind Cave Natural History AssociationAdopted after Mount Rushmore, Badlands, and Devils Tower split off into their own park units.
- 1984 · Wind Cave / Jewel Cave Natural History AssociationWind Cave and Jewel Cave joined forces under one association.
- 1988 · Black Hills Parks & Forests AssociationOur current name, taken as the partnership grew to include the Black Hills National Forest.
- 2002 and 2008 · Into the grasslandsThe Buffalo Gap National Grasslands ranger district in Hot Springs signed on, followed by the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall.
- 2015 · Nebraska National Forests & GrasslandsAdded our Nebraska partner, along with more store locations in Nebraska and South Dakota.
- 2020 · Scotts Bluff and Agate Fossil BedsNamed the nonprofit partner for both national monuments in the Nebraska panhandle.
- Today · Seven partners, sixteen storesBlack Hills Parks & Forests Association runs sales outlets in sixteen locations across its seven partner sites.
Where we work
Explore the places we support
Explore our partner sites in the Black Hills and western Nebraska. Find visitor information and ideas for your trip.
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National ParkWind Cave
Explore a cave below the prairie. Watch for bison above ground.
Plan your visit -
National MonumentJewel Cave
See the cave formations on a ranger-led tour.
Plan your visit -
National ForestBlack Hills
Explore pine forests, granite peaks, and miles of trails.
Plan your visit -
National MonumentScotts Bluff
Follow the Oregon Trail story. Find trails and views over the North Platte Valley.
Plan your visit -
National MonumentAgate Fossil Beds
Explore fossil exhibits and walk the monument’s trails.
Plan your visit -
National Forests & Grasslands
Nebraska
Explore forests and open grasslands in Nebraska and South Dakota.
Plan your visit -
Visitor Center
National Grasslands
Start in Wall, South Dakota. Learn about grassland wildlife and history.
Plan your visit
The model
How a cooperating association works
BHPFA is a cooperating association: an independent nonprofit that partners with public land agencies to support their education and interpretation goals. We are not part of the National Park Service or the Forest Service. We work alongside them under a formal agreement.
Cooperating associations run park stores, develop and distribute educational and site-specific products, fund research, and put on programs. A portion of what we raise goes back to our agency partners as Agency Aid, the money that pays for interpretation, education, and visitor services the agencies could not fund on their own.
The legal partA cooperating association has to hold federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3). BHPFA has held that status since its founding. Our EIN is 46-6017180.
Good to know
Common questions
Is BHPFA part of the National Park Service?
No. Black Hills Parks & Forests Association is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, not a government agency. We are the official cooperating partner for our sites, which means we work with the National Park Service and the Forest Service, run their park stores, and fund their programs. Our EIN is 46-6017180.
Which parks and forests does BHPFA support?
BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites. We also operate the National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota, which brings the partnership to seven sites.
Where does the money go?
Back into the parks and forests. A share of what we raise goes to our agency partners as Agency Aid, and the rest funds our own field programs: Nature Connection Workshops, Homeschool Nature Adventures, free ranger-led events, and Junior Ranger and Junior Caver days.
How is BHPFA funded?
Mostly by you. The park stores are the main source, both in person and online. Memberships, one-time donations, grants, and product development make up the rest. No line item comes from a guaranteed government budget, so store sales really do keep the programs running.
What is a cooperating association?
A nonprofit that partners with a public land agency to support education and interpretation. Cooperating associations run park stores, publish and distribute educational materials, fund research, and return a portion of proceeds to the agency. All of them hold 501(c)(3) status.
Support the places you love
Members shop at 15% off
Membership pays for itself in a cart or two, and your dues do the same work every purchase does: fund the parks.