Tucked into a pine canyon a short drive west of the modern visitor centre sits the old ranger cabin at Jewel Cave National Monument that once was home to the whole operation. Men from the Civilian Conservation Corps built it by hand in the mid 1930s, notching the log corners and shaping the ends by axe. For decades it served as both the monument's headquarters and the ranger's home. It still stands in the Historic Area down in Hell Canyon among tall ponderosa pines with pale limestone cliffs rising behind. This historic cabin is a peaceful, but versatile shooting subject. You can easily frame the cabin through the pine trunks, or move in close on the hand-cut log corners where the attention to detail really shows. The stone stairway and the narrow cliff trail the original crews cut still run from the parking area toward the original cave entrance. They make natural leading lines into a shot. The canyon and the trees keep the light soft and dappled. Overcast days and the low sun of early morning or late afternoon suit the logs far better than harsh mid afternoon light. The cabin sits just west of the current visitor centre off of Mt Rushmore Rd with a small parking area that allows you to explore this Historic Area. There is no fee to wander the grounds and photograph the cabin from outside, and the interior opens seasonally through summer and early fall. This classic historic cabin is well worth the stop during a Jewel Cave National Monument shooting adventure. (Custer, South Dakota, United States)
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