Description

About the film

Jewel Cave National Monument sits along US-16 in the Black Hills of South Dakota, between Custer and Newcastle. With over 220 surveyed miles, it is the third-longest cave in the world, after Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) and Sistema Sac Actun (Mexico). Most of that cave is inaccessible even on the most adventurous guided tour. This film was produced specifically for the Jewel Cave Visitor Center to give visitors a look at what the tour routes contain, what the science looks like, and what makes the cave worth 220 miles of effort to map.

It was shot in Ultra High-Definition, which matters in a dark, close environment where the detail in the calcite crystals and cave formations is easy to lose on lower-quality footage. The film has received recognition from the National Association for Interpretation, the professional organization for park interpreters and visitor center staff across the country.

What the film covers

The film follows all three of the cave’s guided tour routes. The Scenic Tour is the standard walking tour on paved paths, the route most visitors take. The Historic Lantern Tour retraces the original path used by Frank and Albert Michaud, the brothers who discovered the cave in 1900 when they noticed wind rushing from a small opening in the hillside. The Wild Caving Tour takes viewers off the paved paths entirely, into areas that require crawling and squeezing through tight passages.

Beyond the tour footage, the film includes scientific research segments. Cave climatologist Dr. Andreas Pflitsch contributed airflow studies that help explain why Jewel Cave has such a distinctive and powerful wind at its entrance (the same wind that led the Michauds to investigate in the first place). Animated sequences illustrate current research into how the cave formed. Jesse Alston’s bat research is also featured, relevant because Jewel Cave is an active habitat for several bat species.

The cave itself

Jewel Cave takes its name from the calcite crystals lining the walls: dogtooth spar (sharp, pointed) and nailhead spar (flat, blunt). Other formations include boxwork (the same honeycomb calcite fins Wind Cave is famous for), cave popcorn, flowstone, and a calcite ribbon nicknamed “cave bacon.” The cave was established as a National Monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, about eight years after the Michauds found it.

Systematic survey work began in earnest in the 1960s and 70s, when climbers Jan and Herb Conn mapped roughly 64 miles of passages. The cave has continued to grow: a 2014 breakthrough in the Splinter Section added more than 24 miles, and on December 15, 2018, a six-person team crossed 200 miles of surveyed passage in a single night, ending at 200.3 miles. The current figure is 220+ miles, and survey work continues.

Who is this for?

The most likely buyer is someone who has visited Jewel Cave and wants to take the experience home. The film functions as a proper souvenir of the visit, showing footage from the same tour routes they walked. It also works as a preview for people planning a future visit who want to see what the cave looks like before committing to a tour ticket.

For families with kids who were captivated by the cave or who did not get to take every tour, the DVD fills in the routes they missed. The Wild Caving Tour, in particular, is limited in attendance and fills up fast; the film shows that experience in full.

The film is also a practical reference for educators, youth group leaders, or anyone teaching about karst geology, cave ecosystems, or bat biology in the region.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same film that plays at the Jewel Cave Visitor Center?
Yes. This DVD is the official visitor center film. Buying it brings that same production home.

What tours does the film cover?
All three guided tour routes at Jewel Cave: the Scenic Tour (paved walking route), the Historic Lantern Tour (candlelit route along the Michauds’ original path), and the Wild Caving Tour (off-trail crawling and squeezing for a more technical experience).

What is the cave length shown in the film?
The film references the cave’s mapped length. As of 2026, Jewel Cave has more than 220 surveyed miles, making it the third-longest cave in the world. Survey work by volunteer teams continues, and that number has grown steadily since the 200-mile milestone in December 2018.

Who are the scientists featured in the film?
Dr. Andreas Pflitsch, a cave climatologist whose airflow research explains the strong wind at the cave entrance; and Jesse Alston, whose bat research documents the cave’s bat populations. Animated sequences also illustrate cave formation research in progress.

What award did this DVD receive?
The film is a National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Award recipient. NAI is the professional organization for park interpretation and visitor services staff across the United States.

Does buying this support Jewel Cave?
Yes. BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.

Is this DVD region-locked?
Region code information is not listed on the product page. Contact us at [email protected] if you need to confirm compatibility before ordering.

What player do I need?
A standard DVD player or computer with a DVD drive. The production is Ultra High-Definition, but playback depends on your player and display. The DVD format itself plays on any region-compatible DVD player.

Related items

If you are building a Jewel Cave collection, the Jewel Cave store section includes hiking medallions, pins, patches, ornaments, and apparel. The Jewel Cave Benchmark Hiking Medallion and Jewel Cave 200-Mile Lantern Pin are both specific to the cave’s survey history and pair well with this film.