Today was jam-packed with South Dakota adventure. We started the day, planning to just see the Jewel Caves and the Wind Caves, but we ended up visiting Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore. If you have the stamina, this is a pretty doable day for most if planned right.
Wind Cave National Park
We started our day at Wind Cave National Park. Visiting the actual caves requires a guided tour; you are not able to visit the caves on your own. We had learned that getting tickets to any of the tours are sold on a first-come, first-serve on the day of, and they sell out quickly. So we wanted to get to the Wind Cave as close to opening as possible.
The Visitor Center opened at 8:00 a.m., and we got there about 8:30 a.m. It was a good thing we didn't get there much later because most of the tours were sold out already. Before going, we had researched about the different tours they offered, and we decided to try the Natural Entrance Tour. We were a little nervous about the 300 stairs, but it turned out the worry was in vain. We bought our tickets, and killed time shopping in the gift shop and walking around the Visitor Center. By the time it was time for our tour, we noticed that all the tours were sold out for the day.
The Natural Entrance Tour:
- Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Distance: 2/3 mile (1 kilometer)
- Total stairs: 300
- Difficulty: Moderate. Paths are uneven, and stairs can be slippery, steep and dimly lit. Bending and stooping required.
- Description: See boxwork and cave popcorn along this route.
The Natural Entrance Tour started at the natural opening to the Wind Cave, which is the largest, natural opening to the cave. You come to see that the opening is barely big enough to drop your hat in. The tour guide shares the Lakota emergence story, as the natural opening is the site of the emersion story:
People at that time lived underground in the Tunkan Tipi, the spirit lodge, and were waiting as the earth was prepared for them to live upon it. There were two spirits who lived on the surface of the earth: Iktomi and Anog-Ite. Iktomi, the spider, was the trickster spirit. Anog-Ite, the double face woman, had two faces on her head. The two spirits worked together to tricked some humans to come to the surface before the earth was ready, defying the Creator's instructions to stay underground. Upon leaving the underground, the humans found life on the surface too difficult. However, when they tried to return through the hole they emerged, it was covered, and they were trapped on the surface.
When the Creator heard their cries, the Creator was upset that they had disobeyed. As punishment, the Creator turned those humans into great, wild beasts, which was the first herd of bison. Once the surface was ready, the Creator instructed the remaining human that were underground to leave the caves and come to the surface. The Creator told the people to follow the bison, as everything they needed to survive on the earth could come from the bison. Once the humans had left the cave, the Creator shrunk the hole, making it too small for people to enter.
The Natural Entrance tour then starts by entering the cave through a man-made entrance and journey into the middle level of the cave. We enjoyed the Wind Cave's famous boxwork, composed of thin calcite fins resembling honeycombs, which is abundant throughout this trip, along with “popcorn” formations, which are small, knobby growths of calcite on the cave walls. The tour guided also talked about the history of the Wind Cave becoming accessible to the public.
The tour ended at an elevator to return to the surface. We left the park and started heading to the Jewel Cave, grabbing a quick bite to eat on the way.
Jewel Cave National Monument
We arrived at the Jewel Cave National Monument about mid-afternoon. Similar to the Wind Cave, there are only guided tours. You are able to purchase tickets in advance during the summer months (May-September), which is what we did. There were two tour options: Discovery Tour or Scenic Tour. We opted for the Discovery Tour.
Discovery Tour
- Duration: 20 minutes
- Distance: 37 feet
- Total stairs: 15
- Difficulty: Easy
- Description: See two types of calcite crystals commonly named nailhead spar and dogtooth spar.
To be honest, we were a little surprised by the ease of this tour. It's really just walking into one giant cave and learning about the cave formations found there, along with some history of the discovery of this cave.
We had picked this tour because the other tour available was the Scenic Tour, which had 734 stairs (the equivalent to 40 flights of stairs), and we were nervous about being able to complete it. But hindsight, we kind of wish we had done the other tour instead. Regardless, we still enjoyed the quick tour of the "Target Room" as it was interesting, and we got to see several types of cave formations.
Crazy Horse Memorial
- Duration: 1-2 hours with no guided tour (depending on your reading time in museums)
- Walking Difficulty: Easy with no guided tour
- Cost: $24 per vehicle (for 2 people)
Our original plan had been to head home after visiting both caves, but we had noticed we can see Crazy Horse Memorial from the road as we were traveling to the caves. When we could see it again on the drive back, we decided to go ahead and check it out since it was on our agenda for next weekend anyways.
Crazy Horse Memorial was more expensive than the other sights, but it is not a government funded memorial. The memorial is privately funded by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. They first started the massive carving in 1948, and they estimate finishing it by 2037.
The memorial depicts a 563 foot sculpture of Crazy Horse (c. 1840–1877), a revered Oglala Lakota war leader who famously resisted U.S. government encroachment, playing a key role in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Additionally, "it honors all Indigenous people, remembering the importance of reconciliation, respecting differences, embracing diversity, striving for unity, and appreciating life’s deeper meaning as it has always been represented in Native American cultural values." The memorial also includes a museum, where you can learn more about the history of the memorial as well as the Indigenous people.
There are guided tours options that take you closer to the sight, but we were satisfied with the views available with admission ticket.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Duration: 1 hour
- Walking Difficulty: Easy (some stairs leading in)
- Cost: $10 parking pass
Once we left the Crazy Horse Memorial, we were still excited from all we've seen. So we honed that energy and headed to Mount Rushmore. Coming from Crazy Horse Memorial took us from US Highway 16 to SD 244. The drive on 244 was beautiful, with lots of cliffside overlooks and mountainous boulders towering over us.
To get into Mount Rushmore, you only have to pay to park your car, and the parking pass is for a whole year. There's multiple parking garages, and then some stairs taking you into the entrance.
We had read that many travelers had suggested that Mount Rushmore in the morning is best, but we found that arriving in the late afternoon/evening definitely had its benefits. (1) The sun is not as hot, so it was more pleasant weather. (2) Less crowded. There were more people leaving than coming in. And it wasn't so crowded that it was difficult to move around. (3) The low sun made fewer shadows, making for better photos.
Overall, Mount Rushmore was a rather short visit. There wasn't much to do besides visit the gift shop and the monument itself. But there was an ice cream parlor, so we grab a scoop, and sat to enjoy the majestic carving.
There is a lighting ceremony offered in the evenings, but we didn't stay as we were satisfied with what we had seen. So we head back to our camper, enjoying the last bit of the scenic drive through the Black Hills.
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