Elevator repairs mean the Scenic Cave Tours at Jewel Cave NM won't be offered from December into June/Kurt Repanshek file

Repairs to the main elevator that takes visitors down into Jewel Cave will require that cave tours along the Scenic Tour Route at Jewel Cave National Monument be suspended from December into next June. 

Completed in the late 1960s, the 300-foot elevator shaft at the monument in western South Dakota has undergone very few updates in over 50 years. The planned repair work will include replacement of structural steel beams within the elevator shaft, patching of concrete elevator shaft walls, and installation of moisture control devices along the height of the shaft walls. The work also includes replacement of obsolete elevator equipment and modernization of elevator cab finishes.    

“This work is expected to help resolve the chronic elevator problems that have at times required the cancellation of cave tours over the last few years, often during our peak summer season,” said Jewel Cave Superintendent Michelle Wheatley. “The project timeframe was selected during the shoulder seasons to minimize the impacts to the visiting public. These repairs and improvements will benefit visitors for years to come. We look forward to resuming cave tours along the Scenic Tour Route in this coming summer.”    

Consistent with previous winters and springs, the visitor center, park store, and surface trails are open Thursdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed Mondays through Wednesdays.  

For construction updates, follow Jewel Cave on social media through Facebook at www.facebook.com/JewelCaveNPS or Instagram at www.instagram.com/JewelCaveNPS. For more information regarding the visitor center and cave closures, call the visitor center at 605-673-8300. For additional information about off-season services at the monument, visit Jewel Cave online at www.nps.gov/jeca.