Exploring the Area

Day Hikes

Travelers to Jewel Cave should also take time to experience life aboveground by taking a nature hike (there are two hiking trails), enjoying a picnic, or searching out the plants and animals that inhabit the rugged hills and canyon country of the Black Hills.

In the stillness of the ponderosa pine forest that blankets the park are mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, porcupines, coyote, squirrels and chipmunks, and several species of birds, including golden eagles and hawks. Plants of both the prairie and the hills grow here, and in summer, wildflowers paint the landscape.

A huge wildfire burned about 90% of the monument's land area in August 2000, and visitors today will still see evidence of what is called the Jasper Fire, ranging from dead or damaged trees to plants that have come back since the blaze. Trail sections are occasionally closed on windy days if rangers think there is danger of burn-damaged trees falling. Check with the visitor center or a ranger for current conditions.

Canyons Trail -- This loop trail provides views of the limestone palisades of Hell Canyon and Lithograph Canyon, and offers a chance of seeing some of the deer, birds, and wildflowers that live in the ponderosa pine forest through which the trail winds. If you want to experience a part of the Canyon Trail without going the entire distance, you might try the 1.5-mile round-trip between the visitor center and the historic area of the cave. 3.5 miles RT. Easy to moderate. Access: Visitor center.

Walk on the Roof -- While visiting the "roof" of Jewel Cave on this self-guided interpretive walk, you'll learn how the monument's surface and subsurface resources interact. Interpretive trail guides for this walk are available at the information desk in the visitor center. .25 mile RT. Easy. Access: Visitor center.