Discover the New Roof Trail: Jewel Caves latest restoration project | [Video]

CUSTER, S.D. – The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund recently supported a major rehabilitation project on the Roof Trail at Jewel Cave National Monument. This quarter-mile trail offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the connection between the monument’s surface and subsurface resources. The rehabilitation is a key step toward enhancing accessibility for all visitors.

The project was carried out by a Maintenance Action Team (MAT) funded by GAOA, consisting of skilled craftspeople from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC). The Jewel Cave National Monument Facilities Division also contributed by preparing the site and providing additional support. The team moved approximately 105 tons of gravel to level the trail, reducing the previous slope from 45% to a more sustainable 15%. The original 50 steps on the Roof Trail were reduced to just 6, and 115 yards of topsoil were added to correct slope issues …