Jewel Cave National Monument - Plan Your Visit

Operating Hours Seasons

The Visitor Center is open daily except on Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and January 1.

All cave tours are ranger-guided and require a minimum of 2 participants. Tickets are available and sold on a first-come, first-served basis at a Kiosk located in the parking lot near the visitor center entrance. Cave tours do sell out; therefore waiting times could be 2-4 hours. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead for tour availability and to purchase tickets over the phone.

Tickets can be purchased up to seven days in advance for the Scenic and Lantern Tours, and the Jewel Cave Discovery program. Organized groups and Spelunking Tour reservations may be made up to one month in advance. Please call 1-605-673-2288, between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, to speak with a representative in order to purchase tickets.

Getting There

Plane

The nearest major airport is 54 miles away in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Car

The main Visitor Center and cave entrance is thirteen miles west of Custer, South Dakota on RT 16, 24 miles east of Newcastle, Wyoming on RT 16 and 54 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota via RT 16 and 16 -385.