Climate
The cave itself is a constant, somewhat damp, 49 degrees.
Flora and fauna
There are many wildflowers in the National Monument. As with many national parks and monuments, there are non-native species that the managers actively work to remove. This work restores the area to its original condition and removes the threat non-native species often present to the native species.
Where there is a cave, there is often bats. Bats use caves to hibernate during the winter. Elk, mule deer, rabbits, squirrels, a variety of snakes, hawks, eagles, and other birds can be found in the area.
History
Two brothers, Frank and Albert Michaud, filed a mining claim in 1900. This the first written record of Jewel Cave. The brothers intended to transform the cave into a tourist attraction. The remote location of the cave precluded it from being a commercial success. On Feb 7, 1908, US President Theodore Roosevelt set aside the cave as a National Monument following a local movement to preserve the cave.
Understand
The 2000 Jasper Fire
On August 24, 2000 a wildfire started near Jewel Cave. The fire burned 83,508 acres in the Black Hills and nearly 90% of Jewel Cave National Monument's land area. In 2007, visitors to the National Monument can still see evidence and remnants of the great wildfire.
Landscape
Jewel Cave National Monument is in a large pine forest.