Spelunking in South Dakota: The Most Intricate Caves in the U.S.

For the experienced spelunker or cave explorer, the southwest of South Dakota is an area of adventure and discovery. Here, you’ll find a network of caves and underground systems and passageways that are perfect for exploring.

If you’re visiting South Dakota for caving, you won’t be disappointed. This guide to some of the most challenging caves in the state will help you prepare and plan your trip.

Jewel Cave National Monument

Subterranean wonders in the form of dazzling colors and fascinating cave formations await visitors at Jewel Cave National Monument. It’s home to the world's longest cave, which can be found beneath South Dakota's Black Hills.

Visitors descend 234 feet to the cave by elevator, exploring it via guided tours. With four tour levels offered, you can tailor your visit to your experience and ability.

The cave's largest room is called 'The Big Duh', measuring 570-feet long, 90 to 180-feet wide and 30-feet high. The cave's tallest passage, known as 'Wall Street', soars 136-feet high. For travelers who might be feeling a little claustrophobic despite the cave's high ceilings, guided tours aren't necessary to trek the park's hiking trails, which offer different levels of ease.

Rushmore Cave

One-hour scenic walking tours take subterranean explorers through Rush Mountain's Rushmore Cave. Through gaps in the cave walls, adventurers can glimpse views of George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln's faces carved into Mount Rushmore.

Pathways wind through several stalactite rooms. Explore the cave's Big Room, which features more stalactites than any other cave room in the Black Hills. Then venture to the Floral Room, where formations create patterns mirroring the shapes of flowers and leaves.

Wind Cave National Park

Tucked away beneath the South Dakota prairie, formations with evocative names like popcorn, boxwork and frostwork cover cave walls and ceilings at Wind Cave National Park.

The world's fourth largest cave, Wind Cave gets its name from the cool, forceful barometric winds that blow from its natural entrance and switch directions, blowing in and out. The cave is also famed for its intricate, paper-thin calcite formations known as boxwork or honeycomb. It's believed that less than 10 percent of this intriguing cave has been discovered.

Black Hills Caverns

The limestone caves of Black Hills Caverns were discovered in 1882. But it’s believed that they originate much further back than that – possibly even centuries beforehand.

Black Hills Caverns has several different rock formations, including logomites, stalactites, stalagmites and popcorn crystals. There’s a choice of tours, depending on your own fitness or spelunking experience. Take the Crystal Tour to stay on the first level or choose the aptly named Adventure Tour. With this tour, cavers can explore the lower levels of the caverns.

Wonderland Cave

In 1929, two loggers stumbled upon Wonderland Cave's upper room while looking for a lost dog. Now well-lit paths and stairways lead visitors through the cave's formations.

You’ll find more than 20 rooms within Wonderland Cave, which dates back more than 60 million years. Tour guides are on hand to ensure you get the very best experience when visiting. Located in Nemo, it’s open throughout the year, from May to October, so be sure to plan your stop here with those dates in mind.

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