Description
What it is
This is a flat magnet pressed in brushed metal and styled after a U.S. Geological Survey benchmark, the round bronze disks surveyors set into the ground to mark a precisely measured point. Instead of being cemented into a trail, this one sticks to a refrigerator or filing cabinet.
About the design
The face reads “Wind Cave National Park” and “U.S. Geological Survey” around the rim, with “Bench Mark” along the bottom. A bison stands at the center above the line “Entrance 4079 feet,” and the survey coordinates N43 degrees 33’24” and W103 degrees 28’42” frame the edges. It is the elevation of the cave’s walk-in entrance, the same feature the early Bingham brothers found by following the wind in 1881.
About the site
Wind Cave became the seventh national park in the United States on January 9, 1903, and the first national park anywhere set aside to protect a cave. It holds an estimated 95% of the world’s known boxwork, the honeycomb calcite fins, across roughly 161 miles of surveyed passage. Above ground the park protects mixed-grass prairie and a free-roaming bison herd.
Specifications
- Shape: 2″ circle
- Material: brushed metal, flat magnet
- Design: USGS benchmark style with bison and entrance elevation
Who is this for
A good pick for hikers and collectors who recognize the benchmark disks along park trails, and a low-key souvenir for anyone who has walked into the cave entrance.
Frequently asked questions
What is a benchmark?
A benchmark is a permanent survey marker set at a known elevation. This magnet copies that look but is decorative, not an official marker.
What size is it?
A 2 inch circle.
Does buying this support the park?
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.
