Free
No entrance pass required
An entrance pass is not required to access Jewel Cave National Monument. Other National Park Service sites may require an entrance pass or fee. Depending on your trip plans, an interagency pass may save you money. There is no fee to explore the Visitor Center or hike the trails. The only fees are associated with the cave tours.
2025 Free Entrance Days in the National ParksCome experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:
Purchasing TicketsAdvance reservations are available on recreation.gov and making a reservation is strongly recommended. Availability of same day tour tickets is not guaranteed. The booking window closes at noon the day before, and can potentially close earlier if the tour sells out. In the summer months (May through September), cave tour reservations will become available approximately 30 days in advance. All cave access is by guided tour only. Tours and Ticket FeesAll tours require participants to wear fully-enclosed shoes like tennis shoes, sneakers or hiking boots. No hiking sandals or any other types of shoes with openings are allowed.Discovery Tour - Ticket Prices
Discovery Tour Details: This 20-minute program is a brief introduction to the natural and cultural history of Jewel Cave National Monument. This activity takes place inside the Target Room, the first cave chamber along the Scenic Tour route. This easy and accessible activity enters and exits the cave by elevator in the visitor center. It is recommended that families with young children and visitors with limited time or health concerns take part in this activity, versus a extended cave tour. NOTE: 20-person maximum Scenic Tour - Ticket Prices
Scenic Tour Details: This tour is moderately strenuous and lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes. The tour enters and exits the cave by elevator in the visitor center. The 1/2-mile tour route involves walking up and down 734 stairs along a paved trail with electrical lighting. This tour provides a winding exploration through chambers decorated with calcite crystals and other colorful speleothems. It is recommended that children five and under be taken on the Discovery Tour. Parents and guardians may not carry a child of any age on the Scenic Tour except in a front carrier; all tour participants must be able to navigate the 734 stairs along the tour route unassisted. NOTE: 30-person maximum Historic Lantern Tour - Ticket Prices (Unavailable until Summer 2025)
Lantern Tour Details: The Lantern Tour (summer season only) is a 1940s style adventure within the Historic Cave Entrance. Visitors carry lanterns along a 1/2-mile undeveloped cave trail, entering and exiting the cave through the historic entrance. This strenuous tour lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes and includes about 600 steep, narrow stairs. The tour requires bending, stooping, duck walking, and navigation of steep, wooden, ladder-like steps. Children ages seven and under are not allowed on Lantern Tours. Parents and guardians may not carry a child of any age on the Lantern Tour; all tour participants must be able to navigate the tour route unassisted. NOTE: 15-person maximum Wild Caving Tour - Ticket Prices (Unavailable until Summer 2025)
Wild Caving Tour Details: At 2/3 of a mile long, this tour is a real caving adventure. You scramble over cave "breakdown," chimney between cave walls, use a rope assist to climb a nearly vertical wall, and belly-crawl through tight passages. Along the way you learn about low-impact caving, caving techniques and safety. The Wild Caving Tour lasts 3-4 hours, and is extremely strenuous. Anyone having a fear of closed spaces or heights should not attempt this tour. NOTE: 5-person maximum (2-person minimum) America the Beautiful
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Last updated: September 7, 2024