Rushmore Cave — Attraction in Hill City

If you get one thing from this review, it should be this: Leo, the tour guide, saved my life.

My love and I went to Rushmore caves to have the most exciting cave experience that Carlsbad Caverns could not give us. We started the cave tour just like any other tour.

We came in expecting stalactites, some historical jokes, and maybe a geode or two. What we did not expect was all that along with a brush with death, and the heroic intervention of the greatest cave guide this world has ever known.

The tour started off innocently enough: dim lighting, cool ancient rock formations, and Leo delivering jokes sharper than any stalagmite in the cave. The man has comedic timing that could rival any comedy movie. My love and I chuckled along, blissfully unaware of tragedy that lurked in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

It happened during one of Leo’s finest punchlines—a joke so funny, delivered so perfectly, that I threw my head back in laughter. In doing so, I accidentally inhaled the piece of gum I had been chewing (yes, I ignored the rule about not eating in the caves—hubris is a dangerous thing. Please listen to Leo. Leo knows best).

Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t breathe. My eyes bulged. My hands shot to my throat in a dramatic display that would make even the finest actor jealous. I looked to my love for help—surely, she would save me, but all she did was let out a shriek that I’m told can still be heard echoing through the caves to this day.

As the sweet blue of cyanosis began to grace my face and I started considering what I wanted engraved on my tombstone, Leo (hereinafter referred to as Leo the Lion) the brave, fearless, life-saving guide Leo sprang into action. Like a majestic cave lion, Leo the Lion appeared out of nowhere, his boots barely making a sound on the rocky floor. With the precision of a man who has trained for this moment his whole life, he wrapped his arms around me and performed the most textbook-perfect Heimlich maneuver in history. With one swift motion, the gum shot from my throat, ricocheted off a stalagmite, and landed in the hands of my love.

I fell to my knees, gasping for breath, while my love wept tears of joy and relief. Leo the Lion simply dusted off his hands, and said walking away, “I’m just doing my job.”

I would trust this man with my life. In fact, I already did.

10/10 experience, would choke in a cave again if it meant being saved by Leo. We are seriously considering naming our firstborn after him, as well as commissioning a life-size statue in his honor. If you’re considering this tour, don’t hesitate! Not only will you experience stunning cave formations, but you’ll also be in the capable hands of a genuine hero. Way better than Carlsbad Caverns.

Thanks for a...

We on the final tour through Rushmore Cave today with a smaller group in attendance and with Leo as our guide through the experience, and both our time and money were very well spent!

The tour through the cave is a full hour—they don’t cheat you out of time or rush you through the cave—and our guide, Leo, made certain to check-in with our group periodically to be certain we were feeling comfortable throughout the tour and to see if we had any questions about the information he had presented thus far. I really appreciated Leo’s welcoming attitude and friendliness; the jokes he sprinkled throughout his presentation helped my group feel more comfortable asking questions as we went through the cave with him.

I’ve been in caves throughout the US, and this one is definitely worth a visit for anyone curious about exploring underground. The cave is well-lit and the stairs and floor inside allow it to be fairly-easily traversed by a variety of persons with a range of mobility-capabilities, and not only those of us at the upper-most range of capabilities where mobility is concerned.

I will say that Leo did an excellent job in referring us in his tour to the other range of cave tour options in the form of the Rushmore Cabe’s “Adventure Tours,” which he mentioned involve more active “caving” (non-exploratory-spelunking) of the “fairyland” or “bookworm alley” sections of the cave. From his descriptions of these options, I must admit I am considering returning for more and have further interest in increasing my involvement with this type of community! If I should visit and attend one of those tours, I will update this post...

This is not a family friendly cave tour and I would not recommend for children under 6. It was very clear from the very start that Matt, our tour guide had little patience for small children on his tour. I can appreciate being asked if we feel the tour is inappropriate for our 3 year old due to how much talking there is on the tour, and the offer that we can leave the tour at any time and our money be refunded, but customer service is all about the tone and how you speak to people, and I felt he had very little tact in the tone of his voice. It came across as frustration, and my interpretation, it was due to him asking us questions and talking quietly while he was talking. Again, it was not the fact that the question was asked, multiple times, it came down to the tone used.

I would recommend putting something in your advertising about suggested ages, and not having it on your signs out front that baby front carriers are permitted. If our toddler asking questions quietly while we hung way back with him so the rest of the tour wouldn’t be disturbed or his train of though affected, I cannot imagine what the reaction to a baby babbling the whole tour would have been.

I would highly recommend Crystal Caverns! We were there the day previous and had no issues with our 5 and 3 year old on that tour. They were super friendly and made the mining part extremely fun...