Jewel Cave and Wind Cave Offer Free Tours Veterans Day Weekend

Boxwork along the Garden of Eden Tour.

NPS Photo: Matthew Chuvarsky

News Release Date: November 2, 2011

Contact: Tom Farrell - Wind Cave, 605-745-1130

Contact: Bradley Block - Jewel Cave, 605-673-8330

WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, S.D. – Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park will offer free tours beginning Friday, November 11, through Sunday, November 13, in honor of Veterans Day.

Jewel Cave visitors may choose the Scenic Tour or Discovery Tour.The Scenic Tour will be conducted at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and provides an opportunity to view a variety of beautiful, colorful, and rare cave formations for which Jewel Cave is famous. This one-half mile tour is moderately strenuous, following a paved, lighted trail with over 700 steps.The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. The Discovery Tour will be conducted at 9:05 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 3:45 p.m. and is a 20-minute introduction to the cultural and natural history of Jewel Cave.This wheelchair and stroller accessible program is conducted in one large room of the cave.

Wind Cave will offer tours at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Visitors will walk along the Garden of Eden Tour route. This quarter-mile tour is moderately strenuous with approximately 150 steps, most of which are down. Cave formations such as boxwork, popcorn, and flowstone are seen along this trail. This tour lasts approximately one hour.

Both sites offer first-come, first serve tickets.Due to tour sizes, limited tickets will be provided to visitors on a daily basis.Cave temperatures in both caves are approximately 50 ºF. A light coat or sweater and sturdy walking shoes are recommended. All tours begin at the respective visitor centers.

For more information, please contact Jewel Cave National Monument at 605-673-8300 or online at www.nps.gov/jeca or Wind Cave National Park at 605-745-4600 or online at www.nps.gov/wica.