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Jewel Cave National Monument A close-up of calcite crystals/NPS file photo
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Jewel Cave National Monument
Discovery Tour
\\Inpjeca20089513\public drive\JECA - Website Materials and Information\Target Room Platform (Eric Dodd)

NPS Photo - Eric Dodd

Target Room of Jewel Cave where the Discovery Tour / Ranger Talk takes place.

The Discovery Tour is an excellent short visit to Jewel Cave.

This 20-minute ranger talk is offered daily, year-round, as a brief introduction to Jewel Cave's natural and cultural histories. Participants view one large room of the cave. This easy cave visit enters and exits the cave by elevator in the Visitor Center, and involves walking up and down 15 stair steps. The Discovery Tour is wheelchair accessible for people who have trouble negotiating stairs, and the tour is limited to 20 participants.

During the Discovery Tour, you see two types of calcite crystals commonly named nailhead spar and dogtooth spar, which are the "jewels" of Jewel Cave. You also see manganese and paleofill, which are not cave formations, but are important to the geology of Jewel Cave. Visitors will learn the theory on how Jewel Cave formed as well as how the cave was discovered in 1900.

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Person exploring the cave/NPS file photo

Did You Know?
Over 80,000 people a year go on cave tours at Jewel Cave National Monument. In the summer season, visitors can tour 3 different areas of Jewel Cave.
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Last Updated: December 18, 2010 at 12:35 MST