How to Get to Jewel Cave National Monument:
Jewel Cave National Monument is located 13 miles west of Custer, SD, on US 16; 24 miles east of Newcastle, WY, on US 16; and 54 miles southwest of Rapid City, SD, via US 16 & 16-385.Recommended Scenic Routes Near Jewel Cave National Monument:
Named for South Dakota conservationist, Governor, and U.S. Senator, the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway features historic Mount Rushmore and the rugged beauty of the Black Hills. Areas of interest include the Centennial Trail, climbing through 100+ miles of wilderness; Custer State Park, a 73,000-acre wildlife preserve; the Needles Highway, passing among straight stone spires; the Crazy Horse Monument, a mountain-size monument celebrating the life of one of the greatest Native American leaders; Harney Peak, the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains; and Jewel Cave National Monument.This 68-mile double loop byway is accessible from Rapid City by following SD 16 southwest toward Keystone or following US 385 north from Hotsprings. The byway includes sections of SD 244, US 16A, SD 87, and SD 89.
Park Size:
1,274 acres.Description:
With more than 139 miles surveyed, Jewel Cave is recognized as the second longest cave in the world. Its limestone caverns consist of a series of chambers connected by narrow passages, with many side galleries and fine calcite crystal encrustations. More and more of the cave is discovered by explorers each year.Things to Do at Jewel Cave National Monument:
Cave tours provide opportunities for viewing this pristine cave system and its wide variety of speleothems, including stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, frostwork, flowstone, boxwork and hydromagnesite balloons. The cave is an important hibernaculum for several species of bats.While visiting the park, take time to experience the world above the cave. In the park's two square miles you can have a picnic, take a nature hike, and discover some plants and animals of the rugged hills-and-canyon country of the Black Hills. In the ponderosa pine forest you may see mule deer, white-tailed deer, porcupines, squirrels, chipmunks, and more than a hundred species of birds. Plants of both the prairie and mountains grow here, and in spring and summer wildflowers color the landscape.
Ranger programs are scheduled regularly from mid-June through mid-August, and may be offered throughout the rest of the year. They include topics such as wildlife, fire ecology, and wildflowers and plants of the area.
Operating Hours:
The Visitor Center is open daily except on Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1. Cave Tour tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the visitor center. Tickets can also be purchased up to three days in advance by calling 1-605-673-2288. Cave tours and talks can sell out at any time of the year, so I would recommend that you call in advance.History:
Proclaimed on February 7, 1908; transferred from Forest Service on August 10, 1933.Contact the Park:
Jewel Cave National MonumentRR 1, Box 60 AA
Custer, SD 57730
605-673-2288