Important Information
- Hours: 8:30AM - 4:30PM
- Address: 11149 US-16 B-12, Custer, SD
Is there an entry fee?
There is no entry fee to walk the hiking trails above the caves. Cave tours each have their own distinct prices depending on the one you select.
Do I need to place a reservation?
If you’re just hoping to walk the Canyons Trail or Roof Trail, you may be able to hike the above ground trails without a reservation depending on ticket availability, though we still recommend placing a reservation.
Want to delve into the cave? You’ll need a reservation with one of the cave tour guides to see beneath the surface of the monument.
Can I bring my dog?
You can, but your pup must be on a six-foot leash as you walk the grounds. They aren’t allowed in the caves.
The Jewel Cave Tour Options
With hundreds of miles of cave trail to plunder, the Jewel Cave has a variety of ways to experience the subterranean trails.
Discovery Tours
- Level: Easy
- Adults (16+): $6
- Youth (6-15): $3
- Young Child (5 and under): FREE
- Distance/Time: Lasts around 20 minutes.
For guests who want to experience the cave but don’t want to dive too deep will love the discovery tour. It’s a short, 20-minute walkthrough where your tour guide will talk about the beautiful national monument. The tour takes place in the first cave chamber.
The Discovery Tour is accessible to all people regardless of their physical condition.
Scenic Tours
- Level: Moderate
- Adults (16+): $16
- Youth (6-15): $8
- Young Child (5 and under): FREE
- Distance/Time: Lasts around ½ a mile at 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Do you want a tour with a bit more meat on its bones? Sign up for the scenic tour for a glimpse at the colorful cave formations. As you walk down the over 700 stairs into the depths of the landmark, you’ll be able to learn from experienced tour guides how the cave naturally formed.
The trail is paved and is decorated with electrical lighting so you don’t need to worry about losing your way. It gives you more adventure than the Discovery Tour.
Historic Lantern Tours
- Level: Difficult
- Adults (16+): $6
- Youth (8-15): $3
- Children under 8 are not allowed on this tour.
- Distance/Time: Lasts around ½ a mile at 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The Historic Lantern Tour is the highlight of the cave tour. Only available in the summer, the tour gives its patrons the chance to tour the cave as they did in the 1940s. You’ll carry a lantern through a ½ mile of undeveloped cave with no lighting outside of your handheld beacon.
Guests are required to be physically able to walk the tour, as you’ll need to bend, stoop, duck walk, and climb up “ladder-like steps."
Wild Caving Tour
- Level: Difficult
- Adults (16+ only): $45 a person
- Distance/Time: Lasts around 3-4 hours at ⅔ of a mile long.
Perfect for the adventurous adrenaline seeker, the Wild Caving Tour gives you everything you’d ever want from a strenuous hike. You’ll scramble over broken cave rock, belly-crawl through narrow passages, and use a rope to climb a vertical wall. This is not for the faint of heart, and unless you are passionate about this kind of thrilling activity, you may want to focus on one of the other tours.
