South Dakota Vacation Guide 2012 - (Page 206)

Volunteers are reconstructing Gold Mountain Mine, near Hill City, into a gold mining interpretive site. At right, Jewel Cave is one of many unique Black Hills caves that offers public tours. Underground mysteries and visions of gold here’s lots of beautiful landscapes throughout western South Dakota, but as the saying goes, “beauty is more than skin deep.” That’s certainly true of the Black Hills – home to some of the world’s most exotic and unusual underground cave formations. Nature’s treasures hidden in the Hills T And it was the tantalizing allure of gold tucked in the underground crevasses and creekbeds of Black Hills streams that drew thousands of adventurous fortune seekers into the area during the late 1800s. Circling the Black Hills like a racetrack, a belt of Paha Sapa limestone laced with underground caverns comprises the second-longest cave system in the world. Of the 72 known calcite crystal caves on the planet, 68 of them are right here. Two of the world’s longest caves are found right here in Black Hills, Badlands & lakes Region the Black Hills. Jewel Cave, with more than 150 miles of mapped passageways, is listed by spelunking explorers as the second longest in the world. Wind Cave, at 132 miles, is ranked fourth longest in the world. Six “show caves” in the region have been developed with lighting, easy routes and guided interpretation. In addition to Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park, tours are available at four private Black Hills caves: Rushmore Cave near Keystone; Beautiful Wonderland Cave near Nemo; Black Hills Caverns on Highway 44 at Rapid City; and Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns on Mount Rushmore Road. Most tours are around one half mile in length and take about one hour. Some caves offer candlelight and spelunking tours. 206 (Continues on Page 208)  http://www.bigthundermine.com http://www.bigthundermine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of South Dakota Vacation Guide 2012

South Dakota Vacation Guide 2012
Contents
Getting Here, Getting Around
Interstate Information Centers
State Facts
Native American Information
Places of Interest
Calendar of Events
Public Campgrounds and Recreation Areas
Southeast Region: A slice of South Dakota charm
Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region: Stories from the frontier
Great Lakes Region: Land of the mighty Missouri
Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Region: Enchanting mountain getaway
Black Hills map
Index

South Dakota Vacation Guide 2012

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