Description

What is the Wind Cave Field Note keychain?

This is a small metal keychain produced by Impact Photographics, a major national-parks souvenir supplier based in Petaluma, California. It is part of their “field note” line, which puts park-specific imagery on compact 3D circle tokens designed to fit on a standard key ring. The Wind Cave version was designed in the USA and features two images that go to the core of what makes Wind Cave worth visiting: the bison herd above ground and the cave explorers below.

Wind Cave National Park was established on January 9, 1903, making it the seventh national park in the United States and the first national park created specifically to protect a cave. The park covers the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, about 11 miles north of Hot Springs, and holds approximately 161 miles of surveyed cave passages, ranking it the seventh longest cave in the world. Above ground, the park runs a free-roaming bison herd of roughly 350 to 400 head, descended from 14 animals transferred from the Bronx Zoo in 1913. That 1913 reintroduction is one of the earliest bison restoration efforts in North America.

What is on the keychain?

The front face shows a bison and bison calf. The back face shows a figure of a caver. Both images are rendered in a raised 3D format on the circular disc.

The field note line takes its name from the notebook-style naturalist sketches used in early wildlife surveys. On this keychain, that translates to a hand-drawn quality that feels more like a field illustration than a photograph, which is part of why it works as a gift even for people who are not souvenir collectors.

Specifications

• Diameter: 1.5 in
• Thickness: 0.75 in
• Weight: approx. 0.7 oz
• Construction: metal, 3D raised relief
• Attachment: standard key ring loop
• Designed in the USA
• UPC: 0802285350111
• Made by: Impact Photographics

Who is this for?

If you visited Wind Cave and want something small to remember it by, this keychain goes on your keys and stays there. It is also the kind of thing you pick up for someone else without overthinking it.

Wind Cave’s cave explorer imagery is more specific than the typical bison-only souvenir. If you actually went underground on one of the cave tours, the caver figure on the back means something. The Scenic Tour, the Historic Lantern Tour, and the Wild Caving Tour all put you in that same context.

For parents, the bison and calf pairing on the front is an easy conversation starter about what bison restoration actually involved. By 1900, an estimated 40 million bison had been reduced to fewer than a thousand. The herd at Wind Cave descends from those 1913 reintroductions. That story fits on the back of a keychain discussion.

Frequently asked questions

What is a field note keychain?
The field note line from Impact Photographics uses naturalist-sketch-style illustrations on small metal tokens, the kind of imagery you might find in a 19th-century wildlife survey notebook. This keychain uses that format to put Wind Cave imagery on a standard key ring accessory.

Does buying this support national parks?
Yes. 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.

How big is it?
The disc is 1.5 inches in diameter and about 0.75 inches thick. It fits on a standard key ring without adding much bulk.

What is it made of?
Metal with a 3D raised relief finish. The exact alloy is not specified by the manufacturer; Impact Photographics uses zinc alloy on most keychains in this line.

Is it sold at the Wind Cave Visitor Center?
Yes. BHPFA operates the bookstore and gift shop at Wind Cave National Park. This keychain is also available here at blackhillsparks.org.

Is this the same keychain sold at other park stores?
Impact Photographics supplies a wide range of cooperating associations. There may be similar field note keychains at other parks featuring different imagery. The Wind Cave version with the bison, calf, and caver design is specific to Wind Cave.

Can I get a BHPFA member discount on this?
Yes. BHPFA members receive 15% off most items, including this keychain. Annual membership starts at $30.

What is the return policy?
60-day returns. See the BHPFA store return policy for details.

About BHPFA

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association is the official nonprofit cooperating association for Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, the Black Hills National Forest, and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Store sales fund education programs, publications, and visitor services across all six sites.