Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [61]
Useful Publications. The National Park Service publishes brochures covering a variety of topics, such as bats, birds, surface trails, spelunking tours, and the history and exploration of the cave.
IF YOU HAVE ONLY 1 DAY
This is a small monument—only 2 square miles aboveground—and exploring the highlights is possible in a fraction of a day. Allow 2 to 4 hours for a trip to the visitor center, a scenic cave tour, and a walk on one of the monument's surface trails.
CAVE TOURS
Visitors can have an adventure in Jewel Cave by taking any of the park's ranger-guided tours. Tickets for the Scenic Tour and the Lantern Tour must be purchased at the visitor center on the day of the tour. Reservations (☎ 605/673-2288, ext. 0) for the Spelunking Tour are strongly encouraged. It's also a good idea to contact the monument before visiting to check on special hours, activities, or tour schedules.
Scenic Tour. This half-mile, 80-minute tour visits chambers decorated with calcite crystals and colorful stalactites, stalagmites, and draperies. The loop tour begins at the visitor center with an elevator ride into the cave. Participants take a paved, lighted path and climb up and down more than 700 stairs on this moderately strenuous journey into the underground wilderness. The tour, which is offered year-round, runs several times daily from May to September and is limited to 30 persons.
Lantern Tour. This half-mile, 105-minute tour follows in the footsteps of early Jewel Cave explorers. Tour participants see the cave's calcite-coated passageways lighted by old-style oil lanterns. The tour starts at the cave's historic entrance in Hell Canyon, is moderately strenuous with many steep stairs, and requires much bending and stooping. Long pants and sturdy, closed-toe shoes are highly recommended. The tour is offered several times daily from mid-June through Labor Day and is limited to 20 persons. Definitely call ahead to find out if it will be offered when you are in the area. Children under 6 are not allowed.
Spelunking Tour. This physically and mentally challenging 3- to 4-hour tour gives participants a taste of modern-day cave crawling in a wild, undeveloped portion of Jewel Cave. The tour covers two-thirds of a mile, beginning at the visitor center with an elevator ride into the cave. Old clothes, kneepads, and gloves are recommended; ankle-high laced boots with lug soles are required. The park supplies hard hats and headlamps. To qualify for the tour, participants are required to crawl through an 8½×24-inch concrete block tunnel. This tour is offered daily at 12:30pm from mid-June through mid-August; the limit is five persons (here's your chance to avoid the crowds). Children under 16 are not allowed; 16- and 17-year-olds must have
a parent or guardian's written permission. You can (and should) reserve your spot by calling ☎ 605/673-2288, ext. 0.
Jewel Cave Discovery. For those with little time or limited physical abilities, this tour may be right. It visits one room of the cave during a 20-minute talk about Jewel Cave's natural and cultural histories. Entrance to and exit from the cave is by elevator and involves up to 15 steps. The entrance is wheelchair accessible. Fees are free to holders of the National Parks Pass, Golden Age Pass, or Golden Access Pass and their immediate families. For non-pass-holders, the cost is $4, free for children under 17.
RANGER PROGRAMS
In addition to cave tours (see above), during the summer season, a number of special interpretive programs take place at the visitor center, including ranger talks, demonstrations, and guided walks. Check at the visitor center for specifics.
DAY HIKES
Travelers to Jewel Cave should also take time to experience life in the world aboveground by taking a nature hike (there are two hiking trails), enjoying a picnic, or searching out the plants and animals that inhabit the rugged hills and canyon country of the Black Hills.
In the stillness of the ponderosa pine forest that blankets the park are