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Free Traveling Guides » States » South Dakota » Black HillsJewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave National Monument, situated 13 miles (21 km) west of Custer in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is known for its spectacular Jewel Cave, the second largest cave in the world. At present, it features over 141.13 miles (227.12 km) of mapped passageways. It is filled with beautiful calcite crystals and several other wonders, which together make up the “jewels” of the Monument. The Cave was discovered by Frank and Albert Michaud in 1900. The Jewel Cave was designated a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt, on February 7, 1908. The management of the Monument was assumed by the National Park Service in the year 1933.
The Jewel Cave is thought to have formed nearly 60 million years ago, by the gradual dissolution of limestone by stagnant, acid-rich water. The layer of calcite crystals on the cave wall was probably created by the re-deposition of calcite from water saturated with the mineral. Speleothems were formed in the cave after the water that formed the cave completed drained out. The most common calcite formations found in the Jewel Cave include the stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone, and frostwork. The formations created by gypsum include gypsum beard, needles, spiders, and flowers. The most impressive formation in the Cave is the ‘hydromagnesite balloon’. These rare formations are created when gas of an unknown source inflates a pasty substance formed by the precipitation of magnesium.
Jewel Cave National monument is open to the public year round. Guided tours of the cavern, offered by the Park Service, include a spelunking tour, through an undeveloped part of the cave near the scenic loop; the historic tour, a candlelight tour through the earliest-discovered part of the cave; and the historic tour, a candlelight tour through the earliest-discovered part of the cave. The Monument also features several surface trails. Reservations are recommended only during the summer months.
- Address: 11149 US Highway 16,
Bldg B12,
Custer, SD 57730
- Telephone: (605) 673-2288
- Hours: 8 AM - 4:30 PM daily
- Website: www.nps.gov/jeca/
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