Day 15 (D-48) Wind Cave and Jewel Cave...near, but not on our itinerary

I wish we had more time.
There are two beautiful caves nearby that we could visit, if we had more time.  Jewel Cave and Wind Cave.  

Jewel Cave National Monument was discovered in 1900 and is the third longest cave in the world with over 180 miles of passages filled with fragile formations and glimpses of brillant color.  There are several tours.  The Scenic Tour lasts an hour and twenty minutes...with 723 stair steps, but the Discovery Tour is an excellent short visit to Jewel Cave.  This 20-minute ranger talk is a brief introduction to Jewel Cave's natural and cultural history, with only 15 steps into one large room of the cave.

Wind Cave National Park is an American national park in southwestern South Dakota.  Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh national park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork, as well as its frostwork.

                                                               Boxwork

(National Park Service of United States of America)

Frostwork  (Dave Bunnell)

Approximately 95 percent of the world's discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. The cave is recognized as the densest cave system in the world. Wind Cave is one of the longest caves in the world with 149.01 miles (239.81 km) of explored cave passageways, as of 2018. Above ground, the park includes the largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie in the United States.  

As of July 1, 2019, because the elevators are not working, no cave tours are being offered at this time.

These two caves make me think of the Choranche Cave in the Isère, France and of The Chauvet Cave in Ardèche, France ...but without the amazing rock art. I took another group of Uiad students to Chauvet Cave in April of 2016.

My best,
Jane
PS. For anyone who doesn't know these two caves in France, you must take a look here at the site of the Pont d'Arc Cavern (a reconstruction of The Chauvet Cave).: http://www.cavernedupontdarc.fr/discover-the-pont-darc-cavern/the-pont-d-arc-cavern-site/the-chauvet-pont-d-arc-cave/
Extraordinary.
And Choranche is closer to Grenoble.  https://www.visites-nature-vercors.com/fr/choranche/decouvrez-choranche/
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--caves = grottes, not wine cellars!
--Quick math again: 180 miles --> add 18 x 6 (108 which means 60%) = 288 kilometres.
--glimpse = a brief or quick view or look
--boxwork= filonnet de calcite en relief

National Monument:  : an area /a place of historic, scenic, or scientific interest set aside for preservation usually by presidential proclamation  

Statue of Liberty National Monument

Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming, the first National Monument (1906)

National Park:  an area of special scenic, historical or scientific importance set aside and maintained by a national government and in the U.S. by an act of Congress.

There are 61 National Parks operated by the National Park Service (NPS).  Yellowstone National Park, the first national park. (1872)