A nice stop for one of those hot days
Written: May 21 '03 (Updated Dec 03 '03)
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Pros: Good lighting effects, interesting formations, great tour, cool/humid for hot summer days
Cons: Not the most interesting cave I've been to
The Bottom Line: If you are interested in geology, you should certainly check it out on a hot day.
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| tch7's Full Review: Jewel Cave National Monument |
Jewel cave is still in the process of being discovered, and at this current point in time it is the second largest in North America, however, it could quite possibly be the largest. It has size, but there are more interesting caves in North America; but if you come to the Black Hills region you may as well book this in for a half day venture.
We came to the Black Hills area after being down in Arches National Park (Utah) and much Colorado as part of a 3-4 week driving trip. I wasn't overly enthused about going to South Dakota, especially since I was driving through Wyoming desert on my birthday to get there. However, I'm glad I went, and Jewel cave is part of the reason.
The Jewel cave tour was created by the same people who discovered the cave, so it has a great set up and quite good lighting. The only problem is that there wasn't much other than rocks, most of which weren't anything amazing looking. I like caves with roots of trees hanging down, and bats flying around, and pools of water. There were some very interesting looking rock formations and you were given good details as to how they all formed.
I'm not sure if you'd want to bring young, active kids along, as the tour is strictly informative and they are quite serious when they say not to touch any of the rocks (they have an example of what happens when people do at the entrance to the center). They also turn the lights off at one point to demonstrate how dark the cave naturally is, which I could see frightening younger kids. However, I'm quite sure kids would survive, they just wouldn't have much fun. The other people it may not be appealing to is seniors, as there are many, many stairs.
They said that you need good, sturdy footwear for going down, but you really don't. I think the entire tour was on metal stairs or platforms, so the only thing that you don't want to take are high heels - which is a rediculous idea in the first place. You may want to have warm footwear though, as it can get to be quite cool down there depending on weather systems and the time of year.
The entire process is very professional and very much worthwhile if you are in the area while visiting the crowded Mt. Rushmore (Jewel cave is like solitary confinement in comparison to Mt. Rushmore). If I were travelling a long distance to just look at a cave, there are better choices (ie. Mammoth).
It's quick, cheap, informational, and a great retreat from the throngs of people at Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore. If it's a hot day outside, there is even more reason to go on the tour. If you're in the area, go; if you aren't then don't feel like you are missing an incredible opportunity.
For information on the rest of my road trip:
Montana
Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Colorado
The Vail Area
Rocky Mountain National Park
Arches National Park
Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Anybody
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tch7
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