Jewel Cave is one of the longest caves in the world with hundreds of MILES of explored tunnels. That’s right hundreds of miles of mapped and explored cave system. This large cave is a perfect place to visit for first time cavers as they offer tours for all types of people. Filled with beautiful geological formations, the cave’s landscape is something from another world. When visiting the Black Hills of South Dakota, don’t forget to dive below the surface in the tunnels of Jewel Cave.
About Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave is the fifth larges cave in the world and the second largest cave in the US, second only to Mammoth Cave. There are over 200 miles of mapped passages in the cave. There is a hope/dream/rumor/wish that some of the unexplored cave tunnels even connect to the nearby Wind Cave National Park. The unexplored passageways are estimated to be approximately 5,000 miles in total!
Jewel Cave was developed into a tourist attraction first in the early 1900s. The area was eventually named a National Monument in 1908. By the 80’s a majority of the currently mapped passageways had been plotted. Today, tours and caving exploration regularly occur in the cave system.
The “jewels” in Jewel Cave are minerals known as calcite that sparkle like jewels. In the cave you also see stalactites, stalagmites and other neat geological features – ask about the bacon.
When To Visit Jewel Cave?
The great thing about visiting caves? They are the same temperature year round! Cave tours are offered year round so this really is a great destination any time of year.
Getting There and Around
Jewel Cave is located near the western border of South Dakota. It is a popular tourist destination because it is near the other popular South Dakota attractions such as Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park.
If you’re flying into the area, Sioux City is the best airport as it has the largest variety of flights to choose from. Jewel Cave is located about one hour from Sioux City. You need a car to get there, but don’t worry – the drive is beautiful.
Tours Of Jewel Cave
Below is a breakdown of different tours. However, whatever tour you choose, don’t forget to book them ahead of time. These tours are almost always sold out ahead of time, especially during the summer. However, if there are spots available they do sell last minutes tickets at the welcome center. The Wild Cave Tours specifically must be booked online as they don’t run if they don’t get booked ahead of time.
Discovery Tours
Time: 20-mintues | Cost: $6/adult
The Discovery Tour is the easiest and shortest tour of Wind Cave. The tour lasts 20 minutes and is completely accessible. The tour accesses the cave via an elevator.
Scenic Tours
Time: 1.5 hours | Cost: $16/adult
The Scenic Tour is a great middle-ground tour for most people with the ability to walk but who maybe aren’t super fit or aren’t into expending lots of energy here. The tour lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes and stays on well maintained paths, either paved or boardwalk style. However, the tour climbs over 700 stairs during the course of the tour so you will need to be prepared for that. We did this tour and aside from our initial decent, the stairs were scattered throughout the tour so it didn’t feel strenuous to us.
Historic Lantern Tours
Time: 2 hours | Cost: $16/adult
The Historic Lantern Tour is such a fun tour! It’s old-timey and cavey. This tour is similar to the Scenic tour in effort but more rustic. You still climb – this time about 600 stairs. But walking is done on unpaved trails. Also, you have to do some ducking, crouching and climbing of ladders. And instead of flashlights, you get old -timey lanterns to get you in the historic mood. These tours are offered during summer months only.
Wild Cave Tours
Time: Half-day | Cost: $45/adult
This is a long and adventurous tour perfect for people who love some adventure and don’t mind getting dirty. During the Wild Cave tour, you squeeze through tight spaces, belly crawl, rock climb, rope ladder climb and spend time in complete darkness. This is extremely strenuous – I left with bruises in strange places and absolutely exhausted. However, it was a total blast and we look forward to doing it at other caves since we had so much fun. This tour is not for people with limited mobility, fear of enclosed spaces or who cannot fit through a 8.5×24 inch square. There is a literal square you have to crawl through before starting the tour, if you cannot fit you cannot participate. This tour is for adults, age 16+, only. These tours are offered during summer months only.
We did a tour similar to this at Wind Cave National Park. We’d recommend choosing one scenic tour and one wild cave tour when you visit the two caves in South Dakota.
Ranger Programs
Ranger programs are also offered above ground. Topics include the cave system, the flora and fauna, and the history of the area. Check out the calendar to see if there are any events happening while you’re there.
Suggested Jewel Cave Itinerary
We spent a short day at Jewel Cave. Here’s what we did:
10 AM: Canyons Trail – This 3.5 mile hike takes you to the historic entrance to the cave and takes about 2 hours.
12 PM: Picnic lunch in the park
1 PM: Scenic Tour
2:45 PM: Leave
What To Pack For Jewel Cave
You need closed toed shoes to participate in a cave tour – we wore our hiking boots. You would be fine with tennis shoes as well but we liked that our hiking boots kept us dry and kept our ankles protected. Hiking boots are required for the wild cave tour. Temperatures inside the cave are around 49 ºF every day. Dress in long pants and long sleeved shirts or sweatshirts. You should wear fresh clothes – clothes you wear here can’t be worn in other caves or mines. In fact, if you do the Wild Tour, you probably want to throw your clothes away after the tour as they’ll likely be stained.
Do not pack any bags or baby carrier backpacks. They are not allowed in the cave. If you do have an infant, they must be strapped to the front of their adult. You may not carry children. Cameras must be able to fit in your pocket and we would not recommend them on the Wild Tour.
Do not pack snacks. They are not allowed in the cave.
We hope this has encouraged you to explore Jewel Cave National Monument. It was one of the most accessible caves we’ve visited and it was beautiful. If you have any questions or suggestions from your own visit to Jewel Cave, please leave them below. Or if you’d like to explore more things to do in South Dakota, check out all of our posts here.
