If you visit only one Black Hills cave, this would be a good choice. It's 13 miles west of Custer and is so named because calcite crystals line much of its walls. Some 187 miles have been surveyed so far (3% of the estimated total), making it the third-longest known cave in the world. Tours vary in length and difficulty and can be reserved three to 90 days in advance (605-717-7629, www.blackhillsvacations.com). The visitor center has useful exhibits.
Jewel Cave National Monument
Black Hills
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
21.27 MILES
Visitors can't help but be impressed by the sheer scale and massive physical effort of the team behind Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota…
22.39 MILES
Mt Rushmore may lure travelers to the Black Hills, but it's nearby Custer State Park that often creates the most lasting memories. Not only does it boast…
26.84 MILES
The best water you'll drink in the Black Hills flows freely from this spring right in the center of town. It's not cold, but it's also not so hot you'll…
11.98 MILES
The world's largest monument is this 563ft-tall work-in-progress (with a lot of work to go). When finished it will depict the Sioux leader astride his…
21.19 MILES
This park, protecting 44 sq miles of grassland and forest, sits just south of Custer State Park. The central draw is, of course, the cave, which contains…
27.32 MILES
Right near the center, this is the country's largest left-as-found mammoth fossil display. Hundreds of animals perished in a sinkhole here about 26,000…
Nearby Black Hills attractions
11.98 MILES
The world's largest monument is this 563ft-tall work-in-progress (with a lot of work to go). When finished it will depict the Sioux leader astride his…
21.19 MILES
This park, protecting 44 sq miles of grassland and forest, sits just south of Custer State Park. The central draw is, of course, the cave, which contains…
3. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
21.27 MILES
Visitors can't help but be impressed by the sheer scale and massive physical effort of the team behind Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota…
22.39 MILES
Mt Rushmore may lure travelers to the Black Hills, but it's nearby Custer State Park that often creates the most lasting memories. Not only does it boast…
26.84 MILES
The best water you'll drink in the Black Hills flows freely from this spring right in the center of town. It's not cold, but it's also not so hot you'll…
27.32 MILES
Right near the center, this is the country's largest left-as-found mammoth fossil display. Hundreds of animals perished in a sinkhole here about 26,000…