Fees & Passes

Tickets are required to enter the cave, and are available on-site, in person, on a first-come, first-served basis for the day of the tour. Entrance to the cave requires a ranger-guided tour, and tour times vary by season (schedule). Tour tickets are limited and tours do sell out at any time during the day. It is advised that you arrive in the morning at the Monument to purchase tour tickets. Visitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult on a cave tour.

In collaboration with Black Hills Central Reservations, Jewel Cave National Monument offers advanced ticket sales for a limited number of guided cave tours. Advanced sales are only available for the Scenic Tour and are offered for the scheduled tours on the hour (summer season). Visitors can purchase Scenic Tour tickets in advance between 72 hours and 90 days using an online service at www.blackhillsvacations.com or a call center at 844-245-6179. Please be advised that advanced ticket sales are administered by Black Hills Vacations.

Teachers may call the Visitor Center or contact the Chief of Interpretation to inquire about educational programs and academic fee waivers.

Cave Tour Fees:

Scenic Tour - Ticket Prices

• $12.00 - Adult age 17 & over
• $8.00 - Youth ages 6-16
• $0.00 - Child ages 5 & under
• Passes Not Valid - Annual Pass / Annual - Military Pass / Senior Pass - Lifetime or Annual / Access Pass / Volunteer Pass / 4th Grade Pass or voucher / Golden Age or Access Pass

Scenic Tour Details: This tour is moderately strenuous and lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes. The tour enters and leaves the cave by elevator in the visitor center. The tour route involves walking up and down 723 stair steps along a 1/2 mile paved trail. This tour provides an opportunity to visit chambers decorated with calcite crystals and other speleothems with electric lighting. Scenic Tours are limited to 30 people per tour. It is recommended to take children five and under on the Discovery Talk. Parents may not carry a child of any age on the Scenic Tour. All tour participants must be able to navigate the 723 stair steps along the tour route unassisted.


Discovery Talk - Ticket Prices

• $4.00 - Adult age 16 & over
• Free - Youth & Children ages 15 & under
• Free - Senior / Golden Age / Access pass holder only
• Passes Not Valid - Annual Pass / Annual - Military Pass / Volunteer Pass / 4th Grade Pass or voucher

Discovery Talk Details: This 20-minute program is a brief introduction to Jewel Cave's natural and cultural histories within one large cave room. This easy cave visit enters and exits by elevator. The Discovery Talk is limited to 20 people. We recommend this talk for families with young children, and visitors with limited time or health concerns. This program takes place in the cave's Target Room, which is accessible by wheelchair.


Historic Lantern Tour - Ticket Prices

• $12.00 - Adult age 17 & over
• $8.00 - Youth ages 8-16 (must be at least age 8)
• Passes Not Valid - Annual Pass / Annual - Military Pass / Senior Pass - Lifetime or Annual / Access Pass / Volunteer Pass / 4th Grade Pass or voucher / Golden Age or Access Pass

Lantern Tour Details: The Lantern Tour (summer only) is a 1940's style adventure. Visitors, carrying lanterns provided by the Monument, enter and exit the cave through the historic entrance. This tour is considered strenuous and lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes. The tour route is ~ 1/2 mile and includes steep, narrow steps (about 600). Visitors must be in good health and physical condition. The tour requires bending, stooping, duck walking, and navigation of steep wooden ladders. The Lantern Tour is limited to 20 people per tour. Children ages seven and under will not be allowed to participate on the Lantern Tour. Parents may not carry a child of any age. All tour participants must be 8 years old or older, and all participants must be able to navigate the tour route unassisted.


Wild Caving Tour - Ticket Prices

• $31.00 - Adult age 16 & over
• Passes Not Valid - Annual Pass / Annual - Military Pass / Senior Pass - Lifetime or Annual, Access Pass / Volunteer Pass / 4th Grade Pass or voucher / Golden Age or Access Pass
• The minimum participant age allowed is 16 years old. Proof of age may be required.
• A parent or legal guardian, of a 16 or 17 year old, is required to sign a permission waiver. The parent or guardian must remain on site during the entire tour.

Wild Caving Tour Details: This 3 to 4-hour strenuous tour is designed for visitors who want the thrill of experiencing the cave in its natural state. Participants scramble over cave "breakdown," chimney between walls, climb semi-vertical rocks (rope-assisted), and belly crawl through tight passages along a 2/3 mile route. Participants must be in good health and physical condition. Participants are required to fit through a passage 8 1/2 inches high by 24 inches wide.

Participants must provide and wear specific caving clothes and boots. Tours may be cancelled due to a lack of required participants; proper caving equipment;or unforeseen incidents. Tour size is limited to a minimum of 2 visitors and a maximum of 5 visitors. Reservations are required for this tour, by phone, and reservations begin in early June. Reservations can be made up to 28 days in advance of the available tour date. Check the tour schedule for availability by tour date.

 

America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program

This program provides seven pass options for the public to use at Federal recreation sites where Entrance fees or Standard Amenity fees are charged. Recreation fees continue to provide a vital source of revenue for improving facilities and visitor services at a variety of public lands. These annual or lifetime passes provide an affordable and convenient way to access Federal recreation lands with the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management. Up to 100% of the pass program's proceeds are used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services. These passes are not valid for Expanded Amenity fees such as camping, tours, boat launches, or concession fees. Each pass is non-transferable and must be signed by the pass owner to be valid. Passes do not provide a discount at cooperating association bookstores or other park stores. Scroll down to see the types of passes available at Jewel Cave National Monument.

 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - Annual Pass, $80.00
The Interagency Annual Pass is available to the general public and provides access to Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee. The Annual Pass is valid for a full year from the month of purchase and allows for two pass owners' signatures on the pass. The Annual Pass does not cover other fees, such as camping, boating, cave tours, parking, or fees charged by concessionaires.

 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - Senior Pass - Lifetime, $80.00
The Interagency Senior Pass is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. who are 62 years of age or older. The Senior Pass provides access to Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee. The Interagency Senior Pass is valid for the lifetime of the pass owner whose signature is on the pass. The Senior Pass also provides a 50% discount for the pass owner only on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services, including the Discovery Talk at Jewel Cave. This pass does not cover fees for other cave tours, and does not reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - Senior Pass - Annual, $20.00
The Interagency Annual Senior Pass is an affordable, annual pass for U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. who are 62 years of age or older. The Senior Pass - Annual provides access to Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee. The Interagency Annual Senior Pass is valid for 12 months from the month of purchase. The pass is not valid until signed by the pass owner. The pass has only one signature line. The Senior Pass - Annual may provide a 50% discount for the pass owner only, on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch, and specialized interpretive services, including the Discovery Talk at Jewel Cave. This pass does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - Annual Pass - Military
The Interagency Annual Pass - Military is a free pass for current U.S. military personnel and their dependents with proper military identification. To obtain a pass, applicants must present a valid Department of Defense ID (CAC Card) that identifies the person as an Active duty member of the U.S. military. Dependents must present a valid Department of Defense ID (DD Form 1173) that identifies the dependent and his/her sponsor. The pass is available in person at National Park or U.S. Fish & Wildlife entrance stations or other facilities where passes are sold and issued. Contact a park or refuge near you to determine if the Annual Pass - Military is available. The Annual Pass - Military is used in the same manner as the Interagency Annual Pass listed above.

 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - Access Pass
The Interagency Access Pass is a free pass for U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. with a medically determined permanent disability. Proof of residency and documentation are required to obtain this pass. Acceptable documentation includes: a statement from a licensed physician; a document issued by a Federal agency, such as the Veteran's Administration; Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income statement; or a document issued by a State agency for vocational rehabilitation. Showing a state motor vehicle disability hang tag is not acceptable. The Interagency Access Pass provides access to Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee. The Access Pass is valid for the lifetime of the pass owner whose signature is on the pass. The Access Pass provides a 50% discount for the pass owner only, on some Expanded Amenity Fees such as camping, boat launches, and specialized interpretive tours, including the Discovery Talk at Jewel Cave. This pass does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass - Volunteer Pass
The Interagency Volunteer Pass is a free pass for volunteers who acquire 250 service hours on a cumulative basis. The Volunteer Pass provides access to Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee for a full year from the month of issuance. Once the 250-hour requirement is reached and a pass is issued, the volunteer's hours are reset to zero and the process begins again. Only one Interagency Volunteer Pass may be issued per 12-month period. The Volunteer Pass has one signature line and must be signed by the volunteer who earned the pass. The Interagency Volunteer Pass is treated the same as an Interagency Annual Pass. This pass does not cover other fees, such as camping, boating, cave tours, parking, or fees charged by concessionaires.

 

The Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass

Available to U.S. 4th graders (including home-schooled and free-choice learners 10 years of age) with a valid Every Kid in a Park paper voucher. The 4th Grade Pass is valid for the duration of the 4th grade school year through the following summer (September 1 - August 31). The paper voucher can be obtained by visiting the Every Kid in a Park website, and can be exchanged for the Annual 4th Grade Pass at any Federal recreation sites that charge Entrance or Standard Amenity fees. Digital versions of the voucher (such as on smart phones or tablets) will not be accepted to exchange for an Annual 4th Grade Pass. The pass is non-transferable. The pass has one signature line and is not valid until the student prints their first and last name on the pass. After the pass is issued, the student pass owner needs to be present to use the pass. 4th Grade Pass owners and their families should contact their local offices or Federal sites they plan to visit to determine how their pass will be accepted and what discounts might be offered at each site. Educators can also be involved! Learn more at the Every Kid in a Park website. The Annual 4th Grade Pass is used in the same manner as the Interagency Annual Pass listed above.