All cave tours are considered moderately to very strenuous. The Discovery Talk is handicap accessible.

1. All cave tours are ranger guided.

2. The cave temperature is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius). A light jacket and low-heeled rubber-soled, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended for all tours. 

3. The Scenic Tour is dimly lit, with numerous steep stairs.  There are 723 stair steps along this half-mile tour route. Cave tours are not recommended for anyone with claustrophobia, heart or respiratory problems, recent surgeries or illnesses, or other physical limitations.

4. No food, drink, candy, tobacco or gum is allowed in the cave; nor are large purses, bags or backpacks. Oxygen tanks are allowed on the Discovery Tour only.  Flash photography is allowed on the Scenic Tour and Discovery Tour, but tripods are not. 

5. There are no restroom facilities in the cave. The Scenic Tour is one hour and twenty minutes in length. The Lantern Tour is one hour and fourty-five minutes in length.  The Discovery Tour lasts twenty minutes.

6. No animals are allowed in the Cave, with the exception of service animals.

7. Children of all ages are welcome on the Scenic Tour.  If you are traveling with small children, bear in mind that most two and three year olds cannot walk the entire route.  Baby backpacks are not permitted on the Scenic cave tour.  Because all tour participants need to have their hands free to grip the handrails, carrying children through the cave is not recommended.

8. Cell phone reception is spotty in the Black Hills and non-existent at Jewel Cave National Monument.