Jewel Cave National Monument is located in western South Dakota and is a must see on any visit to the Black Hills. While some people may get more focused on nearby Wind Cave National Park, the two caves are very different and each is worth a visit.
Now, I’ll admit that when I was planning my trip, I originally only planned to visit Wind Cave. But two separate people highly recommended Jewel Cave, so I added one of the Jewel Cave tours to my South Dakota itinerary.
Why Visit Jewel Cave
As mentioned, Wind Cave National Park is nearby. The fact that Wind Cave is a national park, while Jewel Cave is “just” a national monument, means it will get more attention. However, despite their close proximity, Jewel Cave and Wind Cave are very different. At Wind Cave, you’ll see the box work, whereas at Jewel Cave, you’ll tour more popcorn like rock formations throughout the cave.
Jewel Cave Tours
If you want to see the interior of South Dakota’s Jewel Cave, you must sign up for one of the tours. You’ll have a few options.
Discovery Tour
The Discovery Tour is a brief introduction to Jewel Cave. The tour lasts twenty minutes and only brings you into one room in the cave. There are no stairs, so this tour is ideal for people with limited mobility and groups traveling with children.
The downside is this tour is short. There’s a lot to see in the cave and this tour will only give you a very small taste.
Scenic Tour
The second of the two tours at Jewel Cave is the Scenic Tour, which is what I chose on my trip to South Dakota. The Scenic Tour is an extended version of the Discovery Tour and lasts an hour and twenty minutes. On the Scenic Tour, you’ll cover the same room as the Discovery Tour, but you’ll also be able to see more areas of the cave. Because you’re seeing more of the cave, you need to be prepared for movement.
You’ll walk about a half mile and do 734 stairs. As a note, those 734 stairs (or about 40 flights) of stairs may sound intense, but I believe that it sounds worse than it is. The stairs are spread out throughout the cave, so you won’t do them all at once. Additionally, the stairs are a mix of ascending and descending (and it felt more like descending stairs than ascending).
If you are able, I recommend the Scenic Tour. Because it’s longer, you’ll get to see more of the cave. Since it’s a bit out of the way to get here, why not try to see as much as you can?
Historic Lantern Tour
This tour is slightly different. The other tours I’ve mentioned so far all use artificial lighting within the cave. On this tour, you’ll carry your own lantern and explore Jewel Cave in the same way that the early visitors did.
Admittedly, I have not done this tour. However, I did the Star Chamber Tour at Mammoth Cave National Park which was also a lantern tour. These tours are unique and offer much different experience.
If you choose the Historic Lantern Tour, consider also doing either the Discovery or the Scenic Tour. Again, I haven’t done the lantern tour at Jewel Cave, so I’m basing it on my experience at Mammoth Cave. As much as I enjoyed my lantern tour, it was so cool going into the cave later to see it with the artificial lights. With the lantern, it’s really hard to comprehend the scale of the cave.
As a note, this tour has 500 steps and has a length of 105 minutes. Additionally, the NPS lists this tour as strenuous (the scenic tour is considered moderate).
Wild Caving Tour
The Wild Caving Tour lasts 3 to 4 hours and is the most adventurous tour at Jewel Cave. You’ll be provided a helmet and headlamp as you navigate the different areas of the cave. Scramble across rocks and belly crawl your way through Jewel Cave.
Unsurprisingly, this Jewel Cave tour is listed as extremely strenuous.
Should You Book In Advance?
If you know the dates of your visit to South Dakota, book your Jewel Cave tours online, in advance. Spots are limited, at about forty people per tour. Half of the tickets are released in advanced, but the rest of the tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis the day of. So there is a chance for tickets if you wait until the day of, but you are not guaranteed to get them. My advice is to just book in advance.
Group Size
When I took this tour in mid September, there were about forty people on my tour. It’s a tad bigger than I would have liked, but considering the group of 100+ I had at Mammoth Cave National Park, this is a good size.
What to Expect on Your Jewel Cave Tour
Now that you’ve decided to take a tour at Jewel Cave National Monument, here’s what you can expect.
Arrival/Check In
You need to arrive at Jewel Cave 30 minutes before the start of your tour. This is stated on your ticket and is very good advice, based on my experience. You’ll need to check in at a kiosk near the parking lot before descending the stairs toward the museum, where you’ll check in again.
You may be wondering why you need to check in twice. When you check in at the parking lot, the ranger will go over information about what is and is not allowed in the caves. The most notable thing is you must have proper footwear (which must be closed toed shoes). Then, down near the museum, you’ll check in and join your specific tour group.
Between your check in near the parking lot and your check in near the museum, stop at the restroom if you need it. There are no restrooms in the cave. Just make sure that you’re at the museum about in time to make your Jewel Cave tour. Once everyone is checked in, it’s finally time to enter the cave.
Inside Jewel Cave
You’ll take an elevator into the cave and your tour begins. If you have the short, Discovery Tour, you’ll focus on the one room. Your tour will not take very long.
If you choose the Scenic Tour, the ranger will lead you through several rooms, pointing out the unique rock formations while giving you history of the cave, both in terms of geological history and some of the modern exploration done on the cave.
The scenic tour lists 734 stairs. While I didn’t count, I think this could be an accurate number. Again, it’s important to note that these stairs are not consecutive, nor are they all up or down. It’s a mixture of staircases going up and staircases going down throughout the door. Toward the end of the tour, there was a stretch of multiple staircases in a row, but even then it didn’t feel like too much.
After Your Jewel Cave Tour
Stop by the visitor center to learn more about Jewel Cave. There’s a museum with a lot more information for those who are interested.
Getting to Jewel Cave
From Keystone, it’s about a 40 minute drive to Jewel Cave.
From Rapid City, you’ll add an extra half hour, for a total of approximately 70 minutes.
If you’re coming from Wind Cave National Park, give yourself about 40 minutes.
Nearby Jewel Cave
When my mom and I visited South Dakota, our original plan was to do tours at Jewel Cave and Wind Cave in the same day. Since the caves are so different, it felt like a great idea.
Things didn’t quite work out for us though as the elevator at Wind Cave was out of service for the entire month surrounding our visit, so no one was allowed into the cave. However, I’d still recommend visiting nearby Wind Cave.
Jewel Cave and Wind Cave are separated by a forty minute drive. If you take the earliest possible tour at one cave and the latest possible tour at the other, you should have no problem visiting both caves in one day. If you’re doing both caves, I’d recommend picking the earliest tour at one cave and then the latest tour at the other cave. That should give you enough time to drive between Jewel Cave and Wind Cave as well as hike a short trail at Wind Cave National Park.
Where to Stay
I recommend basing yourself in Keystone, SD. It’s a small town that provides convenient access to Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and more.
For those wanting a larger town, you could stay in Rapid City, but you’ll be adding extra time to your drive.
Final Thoughts
I had a great tour and I’m really glad I visited. The cave was interesting and felt very different than any other cave I’ve visited—and I’ve slowly been visiting my fair share of caves. I’ve been to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Maquoketa Caves in Iowa, and Maribel Caves in Wisconsin. It amazes me that all of these caves feel so different.
Continue Your Adventure
More in South Dakota: For more caves, consider adding nearby Wind Cave National Park. Further east, you’ll find South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. Plus, don’t overlook Custer State Park. And for an itinerary linking everything together, try my 5 Days in South Dakota Itinerary.
More Caves: If you love caves and want to experience more, consider visiting either Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky or New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns. And don’t just pay attention to the national parks, Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa is a fun visit too.