Jewel Cave Adjusts for Late Season Visitation
Jewel Cave Adjusts for Late Season Visitation
Monument Remains Open with Limited Services
Custer, SD – Jewel Cave National Monument is modifying its operations for late season visitation beginning Monday, September 28. Beginning next week, the visitor center will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed on Mondays through Wednesdays. Furthermore, the Jewel Cave Historic Area will be closed for the season beginning Monday, September 28.
Although the visitor center is closed on some days, hikers will still have access to the one-quarter-mile Roof Trail and 3.5-mile Canyons Trail. Visitors are also able to use the picnic areas near the visitor center throughout the week. Acting Superintendent Josh Bernick states, “Although we are reducing the visitor center hours of operation, we do recognize that many visitors still enjoy hiking the trails and want to explore their public lands. This change in schedule allows for off-season recreation and helps the monument save funds for an optimistic 2021 summer.”
The monument also partners with the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association, which operates a Park Store inside the visitor center. The store will also remain open on the same schedule as the visitor center and provides visitors with multiple products and services to complement their visit.
Bernick further shares, “This year has been challenging for most everyone. Yet, the monument is seeing strong visitation in late September, and we hope that our modifications will continue to allow visitors access to the monument. This truly is a beautiful time of year to visit the Black Hills, explore a trail, and recreate responsibly in a natural setting.”
Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted at www.nps.gov/jeca, as well as on social media through Facebook at www.facebook.com/JewelCaveNPS/ and Instagram at www.instagram.com/jewelcavenps. For those with travel plans to other sites within the National Park Service, updates about NPS operations are posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.