Jewel Cave National Monument

Jewel Cave National Monument is an outdoor activity in Custer, SD, part of the Black Hills guide. Cost: free. Historic Lantern Tour offered in summer only.

US Highway 16, about 13 miles west of Custer · Custer, SD

Why you should go…

Jewel Cave lies under the Black Hills about 13 miles west of Custer, with more than 220 miles of mapped passages. The cave is named for the calcite crystals that cover many of its walls, and all cave access is by guided tour. The Scenic Tour is a half-mile loop with 734 stair steps, while the shorter Discovery Tour visits a single chamber, the Target Room, by elevator. The cave stays at 49 degrees year-round, and the visitor center and trails are free.

#cave tour
#national monument
#black hills
#calcite crystals

What's around here?

The closest stops to Jewel Cave National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Black Hills Bronco Adventures
$50+
Guided open-top Bronco tours through the Black Hills, visiting Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and backcountry trails.
3.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Museums
Family Favorite
Four Mile Old West Town Museum
Under $25
Recreated 1880s Black Hills stagecoach town with over 50 buildings, western artifacts and a comic Old West show.
7.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Custer State Park
$25–$50
Drive the Wildlife Loop past free-roaming bison, wind through the Needles Highway and walk the shore of Sylvan Lake.
11 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Black Hills Balloons
$50+
Sunrise hot air balloon flights over Custer State Park and the southern Black Hills.
12 mi awayMore like this
Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Black Hills Aerial Adventures
$50+
Take a helicopter tour over the Black Hills for aerial views of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park.
13 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Needles Highway
$25–$50
Drive 14 winding miles past granite spires, Sylvan Lake and narrow rock tunnels in the Black Hills of Custer State Park.
16 mi awayMore like this