How long does it take to go through Jewel Cave?

The Scenic Tour is moderately strenuous and lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes. The tour route involves walking up and down 734 stair steps along a 1/2 mile loop, (equivalent to 40 flights of stairs).

Is Jewel Cave open to the public?

In the off season, the Visitor Center, Park Store, surface trails, and picnic areas are open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time….Mid-May to Mid-September.

How much does it cost to get into Jewel Cave National Park?

Adult tickets are for visitors 17 and older. Youth tickets are for visitors 6-16 in age. Child tickets are for visitors 5 and under. Adult tickets are for visitors 17 and older….Closures & Seasonal Exceptions.

What is special about Jewel Cave?

Jewel Cave is a unique world of sparkling calcite crystals, delicate strands of gypsum, and other spectacular cave formations. It contains large rooms strewn with boulders, tight crawlways, and dark fissures leading into the unknown.

How far down is Jewel Cave?

What is the depth of the cave? The elevation range of Jewel Cave spans 832 feet. This is its official “depth.” The highest point in the cave is 5,410 feet above sea level, and the lowest point is at 4,578 feet.

How many entrances does Jewel Cave have?

two entrances
Jewel Cave has only two entrances about a mile apart from one another. One of these is an artificial elevator entrance.

Is Jewel Cave a maze cave?

Jewel Cave National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) With over 208 miles of mapped and surveyed passages, this underground wilderness appeals to human curiosity. Its splendor is revealed through fragile formations and glimpses of brilliant color. Its maze of passages lure explorers, and its….

What lives in Jewel Cave?

Mammals are among the more exciting animals to see; we are home to Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Mountain lions and many more. Reptiles, mostly snakes, thrive on the rocky surface of Jewel Cave National Monument.

What crystals are in Jewel Cave?

The “jewels” of Jewel Cave include calcite crystals known as nailhead spar and dogtooth spar, along with formations of boxwork, cave popcorn, flowstone and a long ribbon drapery known as “cave bacon.”

How far apart are Wind Cave and Jewel Cave?

Though Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park are separated by fewer than 20 miles in South Dakota’s Black Hills, to the casual observer they may as well be 1,000 miles apart.

Where is the Jewel Cave in South Dakota?

Trail Guide. Beneath the Black Hills of South Dakota is the intriguing underground world of Jewel Cave. With over 190 miles of explored passageways, Jewel Cave ranks as one of the longest caves in the world. The cave was discovered at the turn of the century by brothers passing through Hell Canyon.

Where is the Jewel Cave National Monument located?

e Jewel Cave National Monument contains Jewel Cave, currently the third longest cave in the world, with 200.3 miles (322.4 kilometers) of mapped passageways. It is located approximately 13 miles (21 km) west of the town of Custer in Black Hills of South Dakota. It became a national monument in 1908.

How long is Jewel Cave?

Its 198.00 mi (318.65 km) of mapped passageway make Jewel Cave the third longest cave in the world, after Mammoth Cave System in Kentucky and Sistema Sac Actun at the Yucatán Peninsula ( Mexico ), at 198 mi (319 km). The discovered areas in the cave account for only about 3 to 5% of the estimated total air volume of the cave.

What is the longest cave in South Dakota?

Beneath the Black Hills of South Dakota is the intriguing underground world of Jewel Cave. With over 190 miles of explored passageways, Jewel Cave ranks as one of the longest caves in the world. The cave was discovered at the turn of the century by brothers passing through Hell Canyon.