Jewel Cave National Monument — Attraction in Custer

Do not miss the Historic Lantern Tour!

We were looking for things to do on our South Dakota trip slightly outside the Mt. Rushmore/Crazy Horse norm. We’re a ‘late middle age’ couple (58 and 60) who were originally going to book the Scenic Tour, but by the time we went to reserve tickets (about 2 weeks before our trip), it was completely sold out for our available dates. At first we were a little put off by the warning that the Historic Lantern Tour was ‘strenuous,’ but decided to give it a try anyway; we are so glad we did! The tour is like a trip back in time, twice. First, you’ll learn about the early history of the cave, its discovery, its place in South Dakota history, and the lifestyle of the original Rangers, surveyors and tourist who visited the cave. But second, you’ll travel back in time hundreds of millions of years and will really get a sense for the formation of the structure and its past and future. The experience itself is really cool and is basically as described; you carry light, LED lanterns (if you want; most did) through the cave which is navigated by a series of wooden staircases. Some passages are slightly low or tight, but definitely nothing that can’t be navigated if you watch what you’re doing and pay attention to the instructions. The geological formations are really beautiful, and the entire experience gives you a real appreciation for the great diversity which exists just inches under our feet.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that we had the great good fortune of getting Ranger Christian as our tour guide. We were completely impressed with not just his knowledge of the history of the cave, but his extensive expertise in the geology and morphology of the surrounding area. He was entertaining while still maintaining safety, kept a close eye on all visitors, and explained things clearly and professionally, all whilst having a great sense of humor and clear love for his work (I told him he had the greatest job in the world.) Christian clearly takes pride in his job and is a fantastic spokesperson, not just for the cave itself, but for all our National Parks; arguably our nation’s greatest assets.

Two things to note: 1) BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE! As previously alluded, the Scenic Tour seems to sell out well in advance, so do not try to show up day-of; you will be disappointed. Even the Historic Lantern Tour was almost sold out when we booked, so plan accordingly. 2) Note that the ‘Historic’ cave entrance is NOT at the main park/cave entrance; it’s about a mile to the west and you’ll have to drive there if you go to the wrong entrance for the Lantern tour.

All in all, a really great and...

Accessibility concerns?

Really enjoyed our visit to Jewel Cave! Blown away by the size and complexity of the cave! Very cool. Tips: BOOK AHEAD!!! They sell out and even though there are some available ‘day of’ we saw several groups turned away as they were sold out for the day!!

ACCESSIBILITY… we wanted the full (Scenic) tour but I was really nervous about whether I’d be able to do all the stairs (have poor hips and am not in shape!) but it was manageable! The tour has A LOT of stairs! 40 flights? But these 734 steps are interspersed with flat or ramped areas and talking platforms. There were four of these talkng platforms where there were benches to sit and rest - often here for 5-10 minutes while the guide explained something. The longest ‘down’ section was about four flights of stairs in a row and the longest ‘up’ section was about three flights at once. But ALL the stairs have railings on both sides and are meant for single file, so you can help yourself up with the rails if stairs are not good for you. (Some are steeper and some are very gradual - most are just normal) Our guide (Alex) was excellent! Our group had 30 or so people and he asked those who might be slower (young kids, those with mobility concerns) to stay at the front with him - so he could adjust his pace to accommodate all. Note: on the website, they warn that the scenic tour is not for those with balance issues. This is because while all the paths are paved, there are parts without railings where you are walking up or down and around rock barriers - and at times the path is wet. It is not for those who need to hold onto something to maintain their balance!!

For those who might be nervous about claustrophobia… there are phones in the cave and they can call for assistance to take you back to the surface if necessary! We had a young man not feel comfortable in the cave and someone came to collect him as soon as he identified his concern. However, my husband can be claustrophobic and had no issues! The cave was not tight (although low areas while walking) and the air was not stale! It was nice and cool and felt refreshing! They do turn the lights off to show how dark it is in the cave but give lots of warning and it’s short (one minute?). Then he turned his flashlight on to show how some of the rocks would sparkle or glow - so maybe five minutes total with limited light?

There were so many cool rock and crystal formations in the cave and so overwhelming to realize that in 90 minutes and travelling about .5 miles distance, we saw about 1% of the cave!! Wow!...

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: they only have so many advance tickets available for purchase and a limited number of walk in tickets. If you do not get there early (i.e. 8:30-9:00am) you may find all tours sold out (this happened the first time we went to visit the cave last year which was a bummer since it was an hour drive one direction to get there). The rangers monitor for white nose syndrome so make sure your closed-toed shoes HAVE NOT been to a cave with this issue within the last 10 years.

This park is very clean, informative rangers in the lobby and parking lot, the park is easy to find, clean bathrooms, and has an informational area to look at while you wait for your tour. The rangers do an excellent job making sure everyone has proper shoes and reminding people that it's 49°F in the cave so a sweater and pants are a good idea. They do sell long sleeve shirts and sweaters in the gift shop if you forget one. I wish our ranger in the cave was a bit more informative with the history, discovery, and geology of the cave. I felt like her explanations were too brief/overly simplified and it began to feel like the cave was not interesting based on the information she shared with us. We took the scenic tour and it only had three stopping points where the ranger gave us a super brief explanation of the cave and history. We spent more time waiting for everyone to gather at these points and waiting for the ranger to get up to the front then she did explaining. She did answer questions, talk with people along the way, and point out interesting rock formations along the way, but if you were near the back or in the middle, it was hard to ask questions along the way. The groups are small (30 people) which makes it easy to get through and everyone was able to hear the ranger at the larger gathering spots. The tour was great for kids (although my 7 year old nephew got bored near the end) and it wasn't super strenuous. There were benches and places to rest at the larger gathering points...