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Jewel Cave National Monument

A caver near the Crushing Deep, Jewel Cave National Monument / NPS - Dan Austin

The National Park Service (NPS) protects and preserves so many unique environments and landscapes, including caves. Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota is one such unique cave system within the NPS purview. At 220 mapped miles (354 km), Jewel Cave is considered one of the longest caves in the world. There’s even speculation (no proof … yet) that it might be connected to 167-mile-long (268.8-km) Wind Cave in Wind Cave National Park, 29 miles (46.7 km) away, although there are reasons why this may not be the case.

Discovered in 1900 by gold prospectors and brothers Frank and Albert Michaud, Jewel Cave became the first cave to ever be protected as a national monument in 1908. Further investigation has led to the belief there are another 5,000 – 7,000 miles (8,047 – 11,265 km) left to explore.

Both above and below ground, this national monument’s landscape provides habitat for birds, bats (10 species, 5 of which make their home year-round in the cave), mammals, and reptiles.

While wandering above ground, you will notice remnants of charred and downed trees, the result of the 2000 Jasper Fire which burned approximately 90 percent (>83,000 acres / ~34,000 hectares) of the land area of Jewel Cave National Monument. You will also notice saplings protected by white net tubes dotting the hillsides, part of an ongoing U.S. Forest Service reforestation project.

Jewel Cave is indeed a jewel among caves and an overlooked gem of the National Park System. While this national monument may not be the final stop on your national park trip, it should still be on your radar and is worth a visit – not only to take one or more of the cave tours offered, but also to explore the landscape and history above ground without the crowds and congestion prevalent in so many other parks.

Traveler’s Choice For: cave formations, bats, history, geology

Jewel Cave History, Below And Above Ground

There’s not any written evidence that either Europeans or Native Americans ever visited what is now named Jewel Cave, but it’s surmised that Indigenous peoples must have known about the then-small entrance to this cave. It wasn’t until 1900, when brothers Frank and Albert Michaud, prospecting for gold, discovered the cave’s small entrance.
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Jewel Cave Bats

Jewel Cave National Monument hosts one of the largest bat hibernations in the western United States, with 10 species living there year-round and 7 species making the cave their winter home (hibernaculum). Some bats, don’t even live in the cave. The hoary bats and the silver-haired bats, for instance roost in trees at the national monument.
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Cave Photography Tips

Low-light interior photography takes a little effort at the best of times, and this is with a tripod. Cave shots captured during one of the tours offered at Jewel Cave National Monument (or any of the other cave units within the National Park System) are trickier, because tripods, bipods, and monopods are prohibited. How do you achieve great cave shots during a cave tour?
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