Article Summary: Jewel Cave Tickets, Jewel Cave Tours, Jewel Cave South Dakota
Nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota is Jewel Cave, the third-longest cave in the entire world. It is currently measured at over 200 miles long and is still being explored! In fact, it’s estimated that only 3% of the cave passages have been found.
There are a lot of secrets that this cave is still harboring. You can explore Jewel Cave with a park ranger on your visit to the Black Hills.
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Ranger Programs
Every day in the summer, there are ranger programs on the cave surface throughout the day. This offers an activity for you to partake in while waiting for your tour to begin.
Additionally, there are ranger-led hikes on one of the Monument’s trails. There are also various special events that take place throughout the year, so check the official website for details on upcoming programs.
There are also, of course, guided cave tours. No visit to Jewel Cave is complete without going inside the cave. Your ranger will tell you unforgettable stories about the brothers who found the original entrance, the early exploration completed by Herb and Jan Conn, current exploration, and more.
Plan Your Trip to the Black Hills
Jewel Cave Tours
Jewel Cave National Monument offers a few different tours to visitors who wish to enter. Due to the cave’s delicate nature, you must be with a park ranger to go inside the cave. You cannot explore on your own as you can at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
These tours fill up very quickly. Most are offered on a first-come, first-served walk-up basis at this time. In the summer, visitors will line up as early as 7 a.m. to secure tickets, and the tours will be sold out by mid-morning. Get there early to get your tickets!
If you’re lucky, you may be able to purchase tickets online in advance. This is done through a Jewel Cave partner, Black Hills Central Reservations. Reservations are only available for the Scenic Tour and only for on-the-hour tour departures. You can book between 90 days and 72 hours in advance at this website or by phone at (605) 717-7629.
What to Bring/Not to Bring on Your Jewel Cave Tour
- Bring: Warm clothes. Jewel Cave is 49°F / 9°C year-round
- Don’t Bring: Food, drinks, gum, candy, chewing tobacco, or similar products
- Bring: Good footwear. Most tours involve a lot of walking. It’s important to have tennis shoes or hiking boots with good tread.
- Don’t Bring: Shoes worn in any other caves
- Bring: Camera. Jewel Cave is absolutely beautiful. You’ll definitely want to photograph it! Especially the cave bacon (pictured here). For the Historic Lantern Tour, your camera must fit in your pocket.
- Don’t Bring: Backpacks, purses, child backpacks/carriers, handbags, walking/hiking sticks. These items could damage the cave and are prohibited.
- Bring: For the Wild Caving Tour, you’ll want to wear clothes that you don’t mind throwing away after. They’ll be permanently stained with manganese, a black substance that thrives in Jewel Cave.
- Don’t Bring: Tripods, selfie sticks, or monopods. These items could damage the cave and are prohibited.
The Scenic Tour
The Scenic Tour is the most popular tour of Jewel Cave. This takes you on a 1/2-mile walk through the cave on metal walkways and over 700 stair steps. It’s not for everyone and is considered moderately strenuous. But if you are physically capable, this is the best way to see the cave’s highlights. The tour takes about 90 minutes.
Cost: $12/adult, $8/child (6-16)
The Discovery Talk
The Discovery Talk is Jewel Cave’s accessible option. You’ll descend in the elevator to one large room in the cave and remain there for about 20 minutes as a ranger discusses the history with you.
This is one of the larger rooms along the tour route, and still worth it if you have no other way to see the cave. It’s also a great option if you have limited time.
Cost: $4/adult (all others free)
The Historic Lantern Tour at the Original Entrance
The Historic Lantern Tour is a very fun, unique tour to take part in. You’ll visit the original cave entrance found in the early 1900s. This part of the cave does not have lights, so you’ll find your way via a hand-held lantern. Your park ranger is also dressed in a historic uniform.
You’ll crawl up wooden ladders to get around inside the cave, so it’s important to be prepared with good footwear. On the surface, you’ll also get to see the historic ranger cabin.
Cost: $12/adult, $8/child (6-16)
The Wild Caving Tour
The Wild Caving Tour is for the truly adventurous spirits. You will crawl through less than a mile of Jewel Cave over a period of about four hours, discovering many of its nooks and crannies. You’re required to crawl through “the block” beforehand, which is a concrete remodel of The Brain Drain, a crawl space in Jewel Cave that is only 8 inches tall.
Advance reservations are required for the Wild Caving Tour. To make a reservation, speak with a park ranger at (605) 673-8300.
Cost: $31/adult (16 and older only)
Hiking Trails at Jewel Cave
There are three trails at Jewel Cave that range from easy and short to long and steep.
The Roof Trail is only about 1/4-mile and takes less than thirty minutes. Park rangers offer guided hikes on the Roof Trail in the summer and snowshoe hikes in the winter.
My favorite trail is the Canyons Trail, which takes you from the main visitor center over to the cave’s historic entrance in a scenic loop. This trail is about 3.5 miles and takes 2-3 hours.
Last but not least is the Hell Canyon Trail. This is just across the street from Jewel Cave’s historic entrance (on U.S. Forest Service lands). It’s the most strenuous trail at a length of 5.5 miles and takes about 3-4 hours to complete.
White-Nose Syndrome at Jewel Cave
White-nose syndrome is a disease that affects the bat population. While bats hibernate, a fungus begins to grow on their noses and skin. It appears to be a white fuzz, which is how the disease got its name.
The fungus disrupts the bat’s hibernation, causing them to become more active. This causes them to lose valuable fat they’ve reserved for their hibernation. They may display strange behavior, such as flying during the day. The cold weather and lack of food eventually lead to millions of deaths.
It is believed that the fungus is primarily transferred by humans. Unfortunately, the fungus that causes White-nose syndrome has been found in Jewel Cave. When visiting, you’ll notice mats that clean your shoes are located outside the entrances and elevators.
To protect bats around the world, I implore you to remember the shoes you wore inside Jewel Cave. If you go into any other cave, wear different shoes.
When I lived in the Black Hills, I visited Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and had to take care to keep my shoes separate. It’s vital to keeping the bat population alive and healthy.
Bats serve a very important role in the ecosystem and eat the mosquitoes you hate so dearly. Protect them by not re-wearing the same shoes in any other cave you visit. Furthermore, don’t wear shoes in Jewel Cave that you have worn in other caves.
Pin the Park Expert Guide to Jewel Cave
I hope this guide to visiting Jewel Cave has helped you plan your trip. Let us know how your experience went in the comments below!
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