Greatheart Press

America’s National Parks

Puzzle 27 · The Great Plains · Page 45 in print

Jewel Cave

With Charles Bush, the Michauds found rooms coated with calcite crystals that sparkled like “jewels” in their lantern light, and on October 31, 1900, they filed the “Jewel Tunnel” mining claim in Custer.

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A calcite strand discolored reds, oranges, and yellows, similar to bacon, adorns the cave wall.

A thin cave drapery known as cave bacon.

NPS Photo · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) · Original record
Image changes

Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.

A helictite stretched outward in a crooked direction from a calcite ceiling in Jewel Cave.

Crooked helictites growing from cave popcorn.

NPS Photo · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) · Original record
Image changes

Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.

The words

  1. Albert Michaud

    Albert Michaud, one of the brothers who filed the early cave mining claim.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  2. Breathing Cave

    A breathing cave, describing Jewel Cave's airflow in response to atmospheric pressure.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  3. Cave Bacon

    Cave bacon, the ribbon-like mineral formation in the cave.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  4. Dogtooth Spar

    Dogtooth spar, the sharp-ended calcite crystals in the cave.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  5. Frank Michaud

    Frank Michaud, one of the brothers who filed the early cave mining claim.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  6. Hell Canyon

    Hell Canyon, the canyon beside the cave's early tourist development.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  7. Herb Conn

    Herb Conn, a surveyor and explorer of Jewel Cave.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  8. Jan Conn

    Jan Conn, a surveyor and explorer of Jewel Cave.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  9. Jasper Fire

    The Jasper Fire of 2000, which affected the monument's surface landscape.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  10. Jewel Cave

    Jewel Cave, the cave protected by the national monument.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  11. Lantern Tour

    The Historic Lantern Tour, the lantern-lit cave tour.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  12. Mining Claim

    The mining claim filed by the Michaud brothers in 1900.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  13. Nailhead Spar

    Nailhead spar, the flat-topped calcite crystals in the cave.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  14. Ranger Cabin

    The historic ranger cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

  15. Wild Caving

    Wild caving, exploration through undeveloped passages on the park's tour.

    National Park Service (opens a new tab)

Sources

  1. Discovery & Early History - Jewel Cave National MonumentNational Park Service
  2. Cave Explorers - Jewel Cave National MonumentNational Park Service
  3. Formations of Jewel Cave - Jewel Cave National MonumentNational Park Service
  4. Jewel Cave National Monument's Timeline - Jewel Cave National MonumentNational Park Service

How we choose sources and photographs