CUSTER, S.D. – Jewel Cave National Monument is announcing modifications to operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. As of Thursday, March 19, the monument will close its visitor center and park store until further notice. Furthermore, cave tours within Jewel Cave continue to be suspended through late May in order to make necessary improvements along the Scenic Tour route (construction project).
To accommodate spring season visitors, the restrooms and surface trails will remain open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to provide healthy options for the public. The one-quarter-mile Roof Trail is easily accessible near the visitor center, which also includes picnic tables and benches. The 3.5-mile Canyons Trail treks through Lithograph and Hell Canyons and winds back to the visitor center parking lot.
For additional visitor engagement, the monument will be releasing a series of interpretive podcasts in late March and April. The productions are slated for posting on the monument’s Facebook Page, as well as the National Park Service Channel on YouTube.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Jewel Cave National Monument is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.
The NPS urges visitors to do their part when visiting a park and to follow CDC guidance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by maintaining a safe distance between yourself and other groups; washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; and most importantly, staying home if you feel sick.
For high-risk populations, such as the elderly and people with underlying conditions, we ask that they take extra caution and follow CDC guidance for those at higher risk of serious illness.
Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. For information specifically related to Jewel Cave, visit www.nps.gov/JECA or call (605) 673-8300. For other happenings at the monument, follow Jewel Cave on social media through Facebook at www.facebook.com/ JewelCaveNPS/ or Instagram at www.instagram.com/jewelcavenps .
