Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Nearby Trips in South Dakota
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
General
The giant sculpture of four presidential heads carved into Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous symbols of the USA. It is a National Memorial managed by the National Park Service.
The monument represents the first 130 years of American history and is built of four giant head sculptures of four of the country's presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The height of the giant sculpture is 18 meters, where each head is about the height of a six-story building. The carving of the mountain began in 1927 to encourage tourism in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and ended 14 years later in 1941. Gutzon Borglum, a famous Dutch-American sculptor, was the one who sculpted and carved the heads until his death in March 1941, when his son continued the work until its completion at the end of that year. More than 400 people participated in the hard work. Dynamite was used to remove about 450,000 tons of granite from the mountain to create the sculpture. The entire mountain, which rises 1,745 meters above sea level, covers an area of 5.17 square kilometers and is located in the Black Hills area of South Dakota. Every year, about three million tourists visit the national memorial, despite its remote location far from major cities and other popular tourist sites in the USA. Entry to the park is free, but parking at the park entrance requires a fee.
♦ Booking a trip to Mount Rushmore from the Viator website:
Did you know? There is a giant secret room behind President Lincoln's head containing very important documents for the country, including 16 enamel panels with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the biographies of the four presidents, and the history of the USA.
How to Get There:
The closest airport to the park is located near the city of Rapid City in South Dakota. This is a relatively small airport with domestic flights only within the USA. It is located about a 45-minute drive (50 km) northeast of the park. The closest town to Mount Rushmore is Keystone, located about 5.5 km (about a 10-minute drive) northeast of the park.
♦ Recommended Hotels in Rapid City
Residence Inn by Marriott Rapid City
A recommended suite hotel of the Marriott chain, offering studio units and one or two-bedroom suites that can accommodate 4-6 people. Breakfast is included in the price. The hotel features a gym, cafe, restaurant, and bar. Free internet and parking.
Hampton Inn & Suites Rapid City Rushmore
A high-quality hotel belonging to the Hilton chain, with rooms for 2-4 people and suites for up to 6 people. The hotel features an indoor pool and gym. The price includes breakfast. Summer Creek Inn & Spa
A high-quality Bed and Breakfast offering double suites, some overlooking the mountains and others the gardens. The property includes a pool, game room, bar, spa with a jacuzzi, and a large terrace overlooking the gardens, a waterfall, and a picnic area. Free internet and parking.
Recommended Hotels in Keystone
Tiny Keystone has a much smaller selection of accommodation options (as well as restaurants, cafes, pubs, and attractions). The most recommended hotels in the town:
A magical little hotel with 40 rooms and suites suitable for 2-6 people. The hotel features an indoor pool, game room, and billiards. The price includes breakfast. Free internet and parking.
Quality Inn Keystone near Mount Rushmore
A high-quality motel with suites featuring a kitchenette, suitable for up to 4 people. The motel features an indoor pool and jacuzzi. Free internet and parking.
Weather at Mount Rushmore and When to Visit:
The summer is hot and humid with plenty of rain. Temperatures between June and August range from 21-35 degrees Celsius. The wettest months are May-June, with about 40 mm each month, but temperatures are comfortable: 6-20 degrees in May and 12-26 in June. The winter is cold and dry with temperatures between 3-4 degrees Celsius during the day and -10 at night. Cold winds blow occasionally, and often in winter, fog prevents a good view of the sculptures on the mountain, which is why the number of visitors at the site in November through March is the lowest. In September, temperatures are comfortable: 9-25 degrees Celsius with relatively low precipitation. The crowd of visitors also decreases, making this the best month to visit the park. In October, daytime temperatures are around 14-16 degrees Celsius but drop at night to only one or two degrees above zero. The busiest months are June to August.
What to Do and See in the Park?
The park has two visitor centers: Adjacent to the main parking of the park is the Information Center with data on the daily activity organized by the rangers, including a free half-hour walking tour with the park rangers, providing extensive information on the site, the vision, the flora and fauna, etc. This center also houses the site's bookstore. A larger and more impressive center is the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, which features a small museum and a 14-minute film about the national monument and its construction process. On its second floor is a recommended observation point called Grand View Terrace, overlooking the mountain and the four presidential figures carved into it.
The main attraction at the site is a half-hour walk through a pine forest on the Presidential Trail, 960 meters long, which reaches near the mountain and includes several viewpoints for a closer look at the presidents carved into the mountain. The trail includes an ascent of 422 steps.
It is worth including a visit to the Sculptor’s Studio, the place where Gutzon Borglum worked between 1939-1941 to complete the masterpiece of Mount Rushmore. The studio features various exhibits about the sculptor and his works and a scaled-down model of the four presidents' sculpture (1/12th the size of the original sculpture on the mountain). Ranger lectures on the sculpture and its working methods are given there during the summer months. Every evening, a half-hour ceremony called the Ceremony of the Lights takes place in a large amphitheater. The ceremony includes a film about the history of the presidents, the lowering of the American flag, a salute to veterans who have come to the site, and the singing of the anthem while the lighting illuminating the sculptures in the dark is turned on for two hours. The park also has a restaurant called Carvers' Café and, of course, a souvenir shop.
Other Tourist Sites in South Dakota:
It is highly recommended to stay in Rapid City for at least two or three days and tour the many nature sites the region offers.
Specifically recommended:
Custer State Park
This park is located 50 minutes, 60 km south of Rapid City, only 30 minutes south of Mount Rushmore. Its first attraction is actually related to Mount Rushmore: driving on Iron Mountain Road (number 16A), which has three tunnels carved into the mountain, through each of which you can see the Mount Rushmore sculptures from a distance:
Then drive on the Wildlife Loop Road (18 miles long), which features many wildlife viewings – the highlight is a giant herd of buffalo (bison).
Additionally, you can spot wild donkeys, deer, and goats.
The most scenic road in the park is the Needles Highway, 14 miles long, winding between impressive cliffs. There are plenty of observation points along the road. The most famous of all is the Needle's Eye.
The park also has several small and picturesque lakes where you can rent paddle boats or kayaks and sail in a magical setting. Don't miss a visit, a boat ride, or at least a walk on the scenic trail along Sylvan Lake, the most beautiful of all, surrounded by pointed cliffs.
Crazy Horse Memorial
The Indian memorial site "Crazy Horse" (about 50 minutes, 60 km southwest of Rapid City, only half an hour, 30 km west of Mount Rushmore). Located north of the town of Custer, where a giant sculpture is being carved into the mountain (which, when finished, will be several times larger than the presidential sculptures at Mount Rushmore) of an Indian riding a horse. So far, only the Indian's face is carved, and work has been continuing for decades.
The site has a visitor center with a museum, an interesting film about the site and the vision, a scaled-down model of the sculpture, Indian performances, a visit to the sculptor's studio and home, and plenty of stalls selling Indian handiwork. It is recommended, for an extra fee of a few dollars per person, to join a ride of about 40 minutes to the base of the mountain to view the giant sculpture being carved (the largest in the world) up close. In the evening, watch the Legends in Light Laser Show which illuminates the mountain and the giant sculpture.
In the town of Hot Springs, South Dakota (about an hour, 90 km south of Rapid City), there are two recommended attractions:
Mammoth Site of Hot Springs
An excavation site where many fossils and ancient animal bones were found. A fascinating guided tour is conducted at the site.
The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary
The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary where various tours are held to observe the noble and impressive animals closely in their natural environment in ancient landscapes.
Badlands National Park
Located about an hour, 100 km southeast of Rapid City, it is known for its interesting geological phenomena, including jutting cliffs, colorful rocks, and fossils.
The park has plenty of hiking trails of various lengths, impressive lookouts, and a visitor center where a 20-minute film about the park and its natural treasures is screened.
