National Monument · South Dakota, United States
Jewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave National Monument is a national monument in South Dakota, United States, covering 1,274 acres (515 ha), established in 1908.
National Monument · South Dakota, United States
No freely licensed photograph of this park is in our library yet — rather than borrow a picture of somewhere else, this profile leads with its verified facts.
Park facts
| Park type | National Monument |
|---|---|
| Location | South Dakota, United States |
| Area | 1,274 acres (515 ha) |
| Length | 215 miles (345.9 km) |
| Established | 1908 |
| Coordinates | 43.7294° N, 103.8294° W |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
About Jewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave National Monument contains Jewel Cave, currently the fifth longest cave in the world and second longest cave in the United States, with 220.33 miles (354.59 km) of mapped passageways as of July 2025. It is located approximately 13 miles (21 km) west of the town of Custer in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Jewel Cave became a national monument in 1908, becoming the first national monument established for the protection and preservation of a cave.
Description from the park's Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA), linked in the sources below.
Planning your visit
What to do
Like Jewel Cave National Monument? Visit Jewel Cave National Monument’s official park page for hours and current conditions before you travel.
Airports near this park
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) · Rapid City, United States · 44.2 miles away
- Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) · Chadron, United States · 71.8 miles away
- Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport (GCC) · Gillette, United States · 95.1 miles away
Parks nearby
More parks in South Dakota
Frequently asked questions
Where is Jewel Cave National Monument?
Jewel Cave National Monument is in South Dakota, United States (43.7294° N, 103.8294° W).
When was Jewel Cave National Monument established?
Jewel Cave National Monument was established in 1908, per the source listed at the foot of this page.
How big is Jewel Cave National Monument?
Jewel Cave National Monument covers 1,274 acres (515 ha).
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_United_States_National_Park_System_official_units — Wikipedia list of National Park System official units — unit name, state, official designation.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System — Wikipedia list of National Park System areas — year established and gross area.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewel_Cave_National_Monument — Wikipedia article — description (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.nps.gov/jeca/ — Official park page.