Historic Lantern Tour of Jewel Cave

Posted from Hermosa, SD   (Click on Pics to Enlarge)

On Saturday we drove to Jewel Cave National Monument to take a Lantern Tour led by the NPS interpreter. We visited this same cave on our visit to the area last year, but took the Scenic Tour during that visit.  While that tour was certainly very interesting, this one was certainly more adventurous.

The tour begins near the Jewel NM original visitor center.  (A short distance away from today's visitor's center).  The original cabin was home to the first ranger and served as a visitor's center at the same time in the late 1930's.

This Lantern Tour is designed to give visitors a feel for what it was like in earlier times when tours were given by lanterns prior to the installation of electric lights which are used today in the other tours. The brochure states The tour route is approximately 1/2 mile long, and includes ~600 steep wooden steps (ladder-like stairs), and requires bending and stooping.  I must say that it certainly lends a different feeling to the tour.  Our ranger was dressed in the uniform of the period, with the exception of the hat.  (The original hats were felt, but the NPS couldn't find one in his size today).  He indicated that he had been caving for 35 years and was quite knowledgeable about this cave, and caving in general.

Every other person in the group needed to carry a kerosene lantern for illumination.  The younger folks in the group were given identical lanterns, but they used battery-powered lights instead of real flames.  (A very good idea, by the way, with all of the vertical climbs and narrow stairs.)

The cave maintains a constant temperature of approximately 49 degrees. A jacket is a good idea here. Once everyone was inside the first "room" of the cave, our guide gave us the basic safety rules and asked if anyone was claustrophobic or wished to leave at this point.   We had about 10 younger folks on the tour, but no one wanted to leave.

There are many "tight areas" encountered during the tour and certainly many low ceilings.  I always manage to find these low ceilings with the top of my head.  Did it again today!


We really enjoyed this cave tour.  It was certainly different from the prior tours we had taken both here and in Wind Cave.  This one really gives you a truer feeling of what it must be like to "explore" a cave rather than just be a "tourist" in a cave.  I would highly recommend this one if you get the chance. The cost this year was $12 per person, or $6 per person with a senior pass.

This was the last day that we had a pass to visit Custer State Park, so on the way back to the campground we drove the Wildlife Loop Road for the final time. We saw many of the frequently viewed animals, but no bison today.  Prairie dogs, pronghorn antelopes, and burros are common sights every time we took this route.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

Jewel Cave National Monument (and a Buffalo sighting)

Hermosa, SD            (Click on Pictures to Enlarge)

Yesterday we drove west through Custer, SD and stopped at Jewel Cave National Monument to do some exploring. The Park Staff offers several levels of cave tours ranging from a short, orientation tour to a "wild caving" tour which takes approximately 4 hours and explores the cave by traveling off trails and is guaranteed to "get you dirty".  We decided to take the middle road here and take the Scenic Tour. That tour lasts approximately 1 1/2 hours and is led by a Park Ranger traversing through the cave via stairwells, ramps, and flat platforms.

While waiting for our tour to begin two of the "wild caving" tour Rangers gave a brief talk on the equipment needed for caving. A demonstration (using a smaller child) was shown because persons taking this tour will be required to pass through an 8"x24"  passageway. This was illustrated by the concrete structure in the center of this picture. (Another reason why we did NOT choose this tour.)

The Basic and Scenic Tours begin at the Visitor's Center.  Visitors are transported via elevator to an initial depth of 306 feet beneath the surface. Yesterday's outside temperature was approximately 80 degrees at the surface.  The cave is a constant 49.3 degrees and a jacket is strongly suggested before heading down.

Our Tour Leader was excellent. We learned something before even beginning the tour. Does anyone know the difference between a National Monument and a National Park?  A National Monument is a protected area which can be quickly declared by the President of the United States without the approval or discussion by Congress.  National Parks must be approved by Congress.  Ok, on to the tour.

The Scenic Tour traverses many stairs (both descending and ascending), metal ramps, metal platforms, and concrete walkways to explore the cave.  This tour descends to a depth of 387 feet beneath the surface.  The wild caving tour goes down to 500 feet.

Here's a look at some of the formations in the cave.  (Sorry about some the poor quality, but flash photography is prohibited in areas when the group is walking.)

For those of you who have taken cave tours back East, you'll notice that the inside of the caves and their formations are quite different.  The cave here is chiefly made of calcite, so you don't see the stalactites and stalagmites found in the eastern caves.

During the tour we learned that the discovery of the cave was made by two brothers Frank and Albert Michaud in 1900. They found a small opening too small for human entry, but used dynamite to enlarge the opening and found "jewels" glistening along the walls. The brothers thought they had found a very profitable area and filed a claim.  The glistening walls turned out to be calcite crystals which were of little commercial value.  Along with a partner, Charles Bush, the trio attempted to open the cave as a tourist attraction in 1902. This ultimately failed and the claim was sold to the Federal Government for $750 after President Theodore Roosevelt declared the area a national monument in 1908.  The brothers moved away from the area. The National Park Service began administering the monument in 1933.

The original cave opening discovered by the Michaud brothers can still be visited, but is locked unless a tour group is being led in through this opening.

Along the walk to the original opening site is an area that has a few benches and what looks like an opening into the cave.  Karen took a look inside, but decided our tour was much easier than climbing into this hole.

On our way back to the campground we decided to take another drive through the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park.  Well, we finally got lucky and saw some of the buffalo "up close and personal".  Here's a short video showing the buffalo blocking the roadway.

Thanks again for stopping by to take a look!