Black Hills Road Trip - Let's Go Spelunking!

Wind Cave

Spelunking is cave exploration. Sprawling underneath the Black Hills are Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park. Though within a few miles of each other, they are different experiences and  we were glad we decided to see both.

Jewel Cave

Cave Bacon

We entered Jewel Cave by an elevator that dropped us deep into the earth.  We exited onto a metal platform in a spacious cavern.  True to its name, the walls of Jewel Cave sparkle.  Jewel Cave also has a nice collection of one of my favorite features: Cave Bacon!  If you haven't seen it, cave bacon is a translucent ribbon of minerals growing from the walls of the cave.  The variation in color looks a lot like bacon fat.  Cave Popcorn follows the same logic and can also be found in Jewel Cave. If that makes you feel hungry, get a snack before the tour because there is no food or drink allowed in these delicate caves.  Just touching the walls can kill the minerals that make these caves beautiful and unique.

There are no bathrooms in the caves. We knew this and made sure the whole family answered the call of nature beforehand, but our four-year-old son still announced fifteen minutes into the eighty-minute tour that he had to go.  He was potty-trained well enough that he could hold it, so that's what he had to do.  A while later, the ranger guide approached us and whispered that she had noticed his potty dance and had a special bag for such emergencies. She handed it to my husband and said, "I carry it in. You carry it out." My boys hung back far enough to take care of the situation privately and my husband did carry the bag for the rest of the tour. He's a champ.

Jewel Cave

Outside of Jewel Cave there is a small visitor center where you can stand on the patio and appreciate the view of the forested hills.  There are some hiking trails that start from the visitor center as well.  There is no fee to enter the monument, but there is a per-person fee for the cave tour.  There are several different tours with different lengths and fees and at both caves, and we took the Scenic Tour.  Adults cost $8.00 and children aged 6-16 pay $4.00. Children under age 6 are free, but I would not take a child on the tour who could not walk it on his own. There are many stairs, but they mostly go down and there are frequent opportunities to stop and listen to the ranger. Our four-year-old was fine. National Parks passes are not accepted.  Seniors with Golden Age passes are discounted. There is a free Junior Ranger program for children. Pick up the information at the ranger desk before the tour to earn a badge at the end.



Wind Cave
We took the Natural Entrance Tour at Wind Cave, so instead of taking an elevator down we walked in at ground level and walked down stairs into the depths of the cave.  After walking mostly down for the duration of the tour, we exited the cave by elevator into the visitor center. We did not originally plan to see Wind Cave, because how many caves do you really need to see - and pay for - on a vacation? However, many of the attractions in the Black Hills are outdoors and it was pouring rain. We were not far from Wind Cave and figured that the weather is always the same underground. We enjoyed our tour of Wind Cave just as much as Jewel Cave and my husband and I agreed that we couldn't recommend one over the other.

Boxwork in Wind Cave

Wind Cave Visitor Center

Though we were much closer to the surface, Wind Cave felt smaller than Jewel Cave.  The caverns were not nearly as spacious.  The colors were different and so were the features.  Wind Cave has one of the best collections of boxwork formations - crisscross lines of minerals sticking out from the ceilings and walls - in the world. This tour was $9.00 for adults and $4.50 for children aged 6-16.  Children aged 5 and under are free, though again, I would not take a child who could not walk and navigate 300 stairs - mostly down - on her own. Again, national parks passes are not accepted and seniors are discounted.

Wind Cave is a national park instead of a national monument because it also protects an abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery above ground. It borders Custer State Park. We saw a herd of bison on our drive to the visitor center.  There are also elk, prairie dogs and other wildlife. There are hiking trails and campgrounds. The visitor center is larger than at Jewel Cave and offers more exhibits. There is no fee to enter the park and visitor center unless you want to do a cave tour. Our children also participated in the free Wind Cave Junior Ranger program and happily added another gold badge to their collection at the end of the tour.


Before You Go
Reservations for all cave tours are recommended year-round.  We called less than an hour in advance for Jewel Cave and just dropped in at the visitor center at Wind Cave and were fortunate to get some of the last openings in the next tour. Summer is the busiest season, but tours are offered less frequently during off-season months. Both caves offer different tours, including ADA accessible, candlelight and adventurous tours. Both caves are about fifty degrees Fahrenheit year-round, so bring a jacket.  Large purses, food, baby backpacks, and strollers are not allowed in the caves. Unless you have serious claustrophobia issues, I think that at least one of these cave tours is essential to any trip to the Black Hills.

Outside Jewel Cave

Related Posts:

Mount Rushmore
Bear Country U.S.A.
Reptile Gardens

Howard Johnson Inn and Suites Hotel Review