Day 4: Cave Day

It is on the road again for a cave kind of day.  

Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is the 7th U.S. National Park established on January 9, 1903.

170 miles of cave has been mapped

3rd longest in U.S.

6th longest in world

The Natural Entrance Tour was 189 steps down and 11 steps up.

The cave contains roughly 95% of all known boxwork formations on Earth. These delicate, honeycomb-patterned blades of calcite project outward from the cave walls and ceilings. 

The tour took the elevator back to surface!  And I jumped in the car to make the drive to the next cave tour!

Jewel Cave National Monument

President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Jewel Cave a National Monument on February 7, 1908.

I arrived with plenty of time and the volunteer suggested I take the Roof Trail while waited for tour to start.  

Again, this trip is showing me how out of shape I am but I made it back in time for the Jewel Cave Scenic Tour.  The tour has 734 stair steps and seemed we went down way farther that Wind Cave.

220.36 miles of cave has been mapped

2nd longest in U.S.

5th longest in world

So why is one a park and the other a monument?  I wish I would have asked one of the Park Rangers . . . I guess I will go ask AI.  I do know that all those steps have me tired!  ***I booked the tours last minute and options were limited.  If you plan to visit either cave, be sure to book tours in advance because they do sell out even during the less busy times of year.  If you are wondering, it is possible to visit both in same day but are at least a 45 minute drive between them.***