For being one of the most iconic symbols of America, Mt Rushmore is a pretty crazy destination to most of us. What really even is Mt. Rushmore?
Is it art? Is it a destination? Is it just text books eye candy?
As one of the most frequently listed places on global bucket list, it’s still most often thought of as something too distant to actually visit…but it’s, well, it’s easy to visit.
More than that – it’s just as cool as 6th Grade you thought it might be (although slightly smaller than you might have imagined). And, chances are, you are actually one of the people making the decision to visit…you’re gonna love it (you’ll actually love it and you’ll love South Dakota…I know – crazy – right?)
I’m gonna give you our tips for how and when to visit, but I really think how this rock art (are we calling it art?) came to be adds to the overall experience.
The Tiniest Bit of True History
Mt. Rushmore wasn’t always going to be the 4 presidents, originally the idea was to carve in the heads of Western Heroes, including Red Cloud, Lewis & Clark & Buffalo Bill. The goal was simple – South Dakota wanted more tourists… but that wasn’t a big enough vision for the eventual sculpture – Gutzon Borglum.
See, Borguim had just escaped from a job carving Stone Mountain (literally outrunning the KKK to North Carolina), when he was brought onto the project that would become Mount Rushmore. He wanted something grand that would stand the test of time, he wanted global acclaim. So, under his guidance, the South Dakota project got a new, bigger site and the focus shifted to creating something deliberately iconic (presidents have a bigger draw than folk heroes).
Gutzon’s wasn’t the only vision. From the beginning, there were petitions and acts in Congress aimed at changing or adding new people to the stone, but all were ultimately denied. The four heads he envisioned ended up being the total scope of the project – even if his secret room was ultimately Congressionally cancelled.
Gutzon died just short of the monuments completion – which was left to his son and partner Lincoln to complete.
*It’s also worth nothing that after a fight with Lincoln, artist Korczak Ziolkowski left the project and started the still-ongoing Crazy Horse Memorial nearby. So the 3 most famous stone carvings in the US are all connected even though they were/will be completed decades apart.
**Another quick note, the name ‘Mount Rushmore’ is wasn’t the mountain’s first name. It had been known by many names, but they were all Native American names. Mt Rushmore was actually named by a prospector during a gold rush in the area. And I know what you’re thinking – ‘what an awesome name … gold rush, rush more’. Unfortunately that bit of amazingness didn’t happen – it was just the name of the guy who surveyed the mountain on the right day.
Our Family Visit
Of course, I only had a vague urban legend understanding of Mt. Rushmore’s Western Hero roots when we visited.
We were just like you probably. Mt. Rushmore sat somewhere between the Grand Canyon and Area 51. A spot that is supposed to symbolize the best of America and at the same time, a place that’s sort of weird…patriotic rock art…enticing but almost fanciful…
…for most people, that’s where the story ends. And it’s actually sort of sad. I mean, every time we’ve traveled to Rapid City (the closest major city to Mt. Rushmore) we’ve ended up in elevator conversations with people repeating the same thing ‘I put this off too long’…which is a real problem because…
…Mount Rushmore can be a little tricky to visit. For us it took three trips out from Rapid City to really see it all, which sort of worked to our advantage. After the first day being fogged out(not uncommon), we decided to go all in and see every bit of Mt. Rushmore while we were there.
Now, when we look back, our one day of fog actually ended up giving us all these great memories of the National Park. And let’s face it, you’re probably only going to visit the Mt. Rushmore area once in your life and you also might be the only one of your friends that ever does…so you should make the most of it. Do it all.
Our Tips for Visiting Mount Rushmore
Best Time to Visit
There are two factors to consider when planning your trip – crowds and weather. As you might guess, June – August are the busiest months followed by May, September & October. So basically the most convenient times to visit are when most people visit.
So, if you’re like most people and want to avoid being outside in a South Dakota winter, worry less about visiting outside the busy season and instead plan your visit on a day-by-day basis – which comes down to the best timing and keeping an eye out of daily weather occurrences.
- Timing: Visit either early in the morning or towards mid-afternoon (around or after 4pm). Not only are these non-peak times, but they’re also better for summer/spring temperatures.
- Weather: Check out the daily weather before you head out to Mt. Rushmore. Fog can be a real problem, and can make it impossible to see the mountain at all.
How Long to Visit
I recommend visiting Mt. Rushmore 2-3 times during your trip and spending about an hour there each time.
Ok, so why?
Going several quicker times instead of one massive trip makes each visit to the site a chance to do something different while avoiding getting worn down by one long day at the Monument. Also, visiting at different times of the day gives you an opportunity to see the many different sides of the park – morning, full-sun afternoon, and the evening lighting – without having to be there for 12 hours.
How We Recommend Managing Your Visits
- Plan one morning trip out to see the site in full sun, and do the short President’s Trail hike around the site. Most of the year, the National Park opens at 5am…but I’d at least wait for sunrise.
- Plan an afternoon with a helicopter tour over the site. These are short and very reasonable. The view from the helicopter is fun but the main draw is that it’s a fun, affordable helicopter ride!
- Plan an evening to catch the nightly lighting of the Mountain (seasonal). We weren’t sure we’d appreciate this so much, but it was actually very nice and moved many people in the audience to tears.
How to Get There
The closest major airport to Mt. Rushmore is Rapid City Regional Airport. It’s approximately :45 – 1 hour from the airport to the National Park.
While there are tour busses, we personally prefer renting a car and driving out on our own.
**Keep in mind, in addition to National Monument admission. There is a separate charge for parking on site at Mt. Rushmore paid per car. But – awesome – Parking lasts for a full year from the date of purchase.
Where to Stay
We highly recommend staying in Rapid City when you visit Mt. Rushmore. This town is really accessible and has a ton to do – especially for families. Also, it’s only about a :30 – :45 minute drive from these downtown hotels to Mt. Rushmore, which is a totally do-able in the morning.
As for staying close to Mt. Rushmore, there are dozens of hotels near the Park. However, if you’re making more than a weekend trip to the area, we’d recommend only staying here for part of your vacation. While staying in a nearby town like Keystone makes the park a shorter drive, it can make it harder to enjoy the rest of the area and (in our experience) was mostly a town devoted to kitsch rather than authenticity.
What to Do at Mount Rushmore
Sure, you want to see Mt. Rushmore, but how do you see it? Here’s what we recommend :
The Basics
- Avenue of the Flags – This is essentially the entryway, a lengthy stone walkway lined with every state’s flag. It’s pretty grandiose and is a great frame for the sculptures…I mean, it’s the kind of pomp-and-circumstance you want at a place like this. Tip: If you’re wanting a pristine photo – arrive early
- The Grand Terrace – Located at the end of the Avenue of the Flags, this is the main viewing area for Mt. Rushmore with a pretty iconic vista of the site.
- Visitor Center & Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream – If there’s one peculiar thing people know about Mt. Rushmore, it’s that they sell Ice Cream made with Thomas Jefferson’s recipe – thought to be the first ice cream recipe brought to the US. From my tastebuds, it tasted like thick, creamy ’ice cream’ but – I mean, ice cream is delicious. This is a very popular stop for visitors at the park so prepare to wait in line to get your treat, and also – keep in mind – the shop closes much earlier than the park (typically around 4:30pm)
The Must-Do’s
- Not the Grand, but still Great Vistas – While the Grand View Terrace is the primo view, here are our top recommendations for alternative views we also loved.
- The Spot I Wish Had a Name – Off to the Right and slightly below the Grand Terrace is another open patio. This is much less visited than its next door neighbor and provides just about as clear of a view of the carvings (it’s like the only place we could take ‘creative’ pictures).
- Borglum View Terrace – Along the President’s Trail, this small open area gives another great view of the monument with space for kids to run around.
- The President’s Trail – This .6 mile loop trail lets you get really close to the monument as well as your best chance to get away from the crowds. I mean, you get super close to the faces on this walk, which is pretty fun.
- Junior Ranger Program (for families) – We never miss a chance to participate in any of the National Park Junior Ranger Programs. These are great opportunities for kids to feel connected to the Monument and walk away with some great info…do this with your kids. You’ll find more info and get sworn in at the visitors center.
- Sculptor’s Studio – I only briefly touched on the history of Mt. Rushmore, stop in here to see some of the designs and the building of the monument. I always think it’s so cool to see how the artist/engineer works on massive projects like this. Plus, this is really visual so it’s accessible to even the most hesitant museum goer.
Don’t Miss
- Evening Lighting of Mt. Rushmore – This is a nightly program that operates seasonally. During our trip, there was a short video, followed by a ranger speaking about the history and meaning of the site – how everything came together to represent America. The Ranger also asked all the former and current members of the military to stand and be recognized…this was pretty emotional. At the conclusion of the presentation, the lights on the faces are turned on (which…let’s be honest…should be paired with fireworks…maybe I’ll start a petition).
- Helicopter over Mt. Rushmore – As I mentioned before, this is a very affordable helicopter ride that lasts only 15 mins. From all my travel experience, this is the most accessible helicopter tour in the world.
Things to Do Beyond Mt. Rushmore
Planning a trip to Mount Rushmore is sorta like rolling over an old rock. As you research, you’ll discover so many other amazing sites near the National Park that you can’t believe you didn’t know were there. Within a 1-2 hour dive from Mt. Rushmore/Rapid City, you have access to just about ever sort of landscape that America has to offer as well as a handful of National Monuments and National & State Parks.
Visiting the Rapid City area is a vacation of a thousand possibilities…which I’m not going to talk about here. You can find out more about these types of sites on our Rapid City posts.
Instead, I want to focus on the sites and attractions that are either immediately around Mount Rushmore or are spread along the road leading into the National Park.You know, here are the things that have minimal drive time and maximum impact. Since we visited as a family, this is a family friendly list.
- Bear Country USA – Staying in your car you drive through habitats for elk, mountain lions, reindeer and yes – bears. The open design of the zoo gives the animals very spacious habitats and lets you get really close to the animals. Zoos and animals can sometimes be sticky recommendations, but we all honestly really enjoyed this experience and the animals seemed to be really well cared for with tons of space to roam. Don’t skip on this one.
- Crazy Horse Monument – Still under construction but open to the public. This is the largest stone sculpture in America. As I mentioned, this was actually begun by one of the people who briefly worked on Mt. Rushmore. Don’t let the idea that it’s still under construction scare you off, this sculpture is huge and you can get great views as well as pretty close to it.
- Black Hills Caverns – We always stop for caves. Maybe it was growing up near Mammoth Caves, but I think going into caves is always worth the visit. There are a few different entrances near the National Park, and visiting provides a great flip side to the Mountain.
- Chapel in the Hills – Just to prepare you, this is little more than a roadside stop, but it looks really cool. It’s a giant wooden chapel set at the edge of the forest. It’s not a big experience, it just looks really cool – and, to be honest, there’s just not many things that look like this in the US.
While I think the first few recommendations are good for just about everyone, these last two are best suited for families with little kids…probably topping out at 5 or 6.
- Old MacDonald’s Farm – This is a bunch of farm animal encounters grouped together. Most of the experiences involve feeding or petting, and during our trip we had to figure out the farm’s schedule to really get the chance to do everything. Ok, sure you’ve done petting zoos, but – for kids – this place provides a great balance to the almost completely visual experience of Mt. Rushmore. For us, spending an hour here gave Augustine the sort of tactile experience that let her chill out during our National Park visit.
- Storybook Island – This is a great public park in Rapid City. There are tons of unique play structures and every inch of it is themed out. Being fenced in, this is our #1 recommendation to wind down or to give the family a chance to run free.
