Mount Rushmore

Attractions / Activities Food Final Comments

Deep within the Black Hills of South Dakota resides a mountainside sculpture known as the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. This 60-foot (18-meter) monumental masterpiece, carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore, portrays George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These 4 presidents represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation, and their gargantuan granite likeness serves as a reminder of the leadership necessary to build a great nation.

I enjoyed my time immensely while visiting the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. I liked it so much I visited twice—once during the summer, and once during the winter. And even though the memorial is an incredible achievement, I can’t imagine the amount of drugs needed to convince people that this idea made sense.

“What’s that? You want to build a massive sculpture by carving the mountain?!…Aight. Coo. Sounds good. That idea makes perfect sense.”

Fun Fact: The Memorial was under construction from 1927 to 1941. This meant that they followed through with this idea during the Great Depression.

When you visit, make sure to follow this adventure guide to maximize your time at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Recommended Duration of Visit

2 days (ideal), 1 day (doable)

Recommendations: Before Arriving

Download an offline map of the entire Mount Rushmore region, check the weather, prepare all your gear, and finalize nearby lodging.

Recommendations: Adventure Gear

Weather-appropriate clothing, sun protection, sunglasses, and comfortable hiking shoes, among others.

Click for some interesting facts about the Mount Rushmore National Memorial

The actual mountain is 5725 feet (1745 meters).
The area is called the Black Hills due to the deep green color of the Ponderosa Pines. The Sioux Indians called the area ‘Paha Sapa’ or Black Hills.
Jefferson was meant to be on the right of Washington. However, poor-quality rock forced a design change. Since Jefferson’s face was already partially carved, dynamite was used to blast it away. As a result, Washington’s profile is clearly visible from a different angle of the mountain.
Theodore Roosevelt is further into the formation because sculptors could not find workable rock until further in. Since there was not much rock to work with, Theodore’s carving was perfect from the start and no mistakes were made.

PEAK SEASONS

Summer (June to August) to Early Fall (September) are the peak seasons.

RUSHMORE’S STORY

For 14 years (October 4, 1927, to October 31, 1941), sculptor Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the memorial to represent the first 130 years of American history.

ATTRACTIONS

Cosmos Mystery Area, Keystone, Sculptor’s Studio, and Presidential Trail.

Replica, Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, United States

LANDSCAPE

2 miles² (5.18 kilometers²) of forests and mountains.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Keystone Hometown Celebration and the Mount Rushmore Half Marathon are events held at the end of September.

PLANNING

While there is an abundance of lodging options in the nearby town of Keystone, it will be much cheaper to stay in Rapid City.

RUSHMORE’S STORY

For 14 years (October 4, 1927, to October 31, 1941), sculptor Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the memorial to represent the first 130 years of American history.

PEAK SEASONS

Summer (June to August) to Early Fall (September) are the peak seasons.

LANDSCAPE

2 miles² (5.18 kilometers²) of forests and mountains.

ATTRACTIONS

Cosmos Mystery Area, Keystone, Sculptor’s Studio, and Presidential Trail.

PLANNING

While there is an abundance of lodging options in the nearby town of Keystone, it will be much cheaper to stay in Rapid City.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Keystone Hometown Celebration and the Mount Rushmore Half Marathon are events held at the end of September.

Attractions and Activities

Attractions Overview

Brighten Up Your Day: You will be taking many photos against a picturesque landscape. Depending on the focus of your camera, the background or your profile might be dark. I recommend focusing on the background and turning on the flash. The flash will brighten your image, and the focus will capture the background adequately. Naturally, you can skip the flash if your objective is to draw more attention to the scenery.
Just a Little Longer: Mount Rushmore is special in the sense that you can visit it in a relatively short amount of time, or you can easily spend the whole day hiking around the area, participating in the activities, and reading up on the history.
Kinda Crazy: The Crazy Horse Memorial is an often overlooked yet incredible monumental masterpiece worth visiting as well. It is about 40 minutes southwest of the Mount Rushmore Memorial.

Attractions Overview

Brighten Up Your Day: You will be taking many photos against a picturesque landscape. Depending on the focus of your camera, the background or your profile might be dark. I recommend focusing on the background and turning on the flash. The flash will brighten your image, and the focus will capture the background adequately. Naturally, you can skip the flash if your objective is to draw more attention to the scenery.
Just a Little Longer: Mount Rushmore is special in the sense that you can visit it in a relatively short amount of time, or you can easily spend the whole day hiking around the area, participating in the activities, and reading up on the history.
Kinda Crazy: The Crazy Horse Memorial is an often overlooked yet incredible monumental masterpiece worth visiting as well. It is about 40 minutes southwest of the Mount Rushmore Memorial.

Cosmos Mystery Area: Cosmos Mystery Area features an interactive optical illusion tour that challenges one’s senses and understanding of physics. During the tour, objects and people seemingly defy the laws of physics, making for a very interesting and entertaining experience.

In general, it’s a very fun attraction with plenty of opportunities for strange yet thoroughly entertaining photos. And apparently, even though it’s a hotspot for weird supernatural activity, the actual internet hotspots are terrible (I had 0 signal here).

Cost: For more information, refer to the official Cosmos Mystery Area website. Recommended Duration of Visit: Tours are approximately 40 minutes long.

Keystone: This humble yet festive town is about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away from Mount Rushmore, making it the closest source of alternative fun. And despite covering a small area, this former gold-mining town offers a ridiculous amount of lodging, activities, and restaurants.

Here, you can find unique places such as the National Presidential Wax Museum, Rushmore Tramway Adventures, and Rushmore Helicopters Adventures, among others.

Cost: Variable depending on activity. Recommended Duration of Visit: 2 – 3 hours.

Reservations should ideally be made at least 24 hours in advance, but tickets can also be purchased on a walk-in basis.

To reduce expenses, I recommend exploring this town during the day but staying in Rapid City for the night.

Sculptor’s Studio: This small museum covers the history of Mount Rushmore, its creator Gutzon Borglum, and the efforts it took to create the world-renown masterpiece. It’s also a convenient shelter from the cold or heat.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 15 – 30 minutes.

Presidential Trail: This scenic hiking trail, extending no more than 1 mile throughout the region, features various exhibits on each of the 4 presidents. The exhibits showcase the life and achievements of the presidents, highlighting why they were so unique and deserved their place on the mountain.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

A park ranger will provide a presentation about every half hour on the history of Mount Rushmore.

The Presidential Trail is basically a scenic loop with multiple runoffs to various viewpoints.