Hours
The Monument is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The Visitor's Center is open from 8am until 5pm in winter, and is closed December 25th. In summer, the Visitor's Center stays open until 10pm and there is a nightly light-show presentation at 9pm.

Although there is free parking, it's located in the boonies compared to the pay parking lot right by the entrance. Go ahead and pay the $8 parking fee to get there right away, as there's no fee to actually enter the Monument area.

How To Get There
Located 25 miles southwest of Rapid City, South Dakota, Mount Rushmore can be reached directly via U.S. Highway 16. If you're coming from Keystone, follow either Highway 16A or 244 for three miles directly to the monument. Airlines and buses serve Rapid City.

Where To Stay
There are no campgrounds located within the monument area, but if you want to stay in the Black Hills, there are lots of local commercial and State-run campgrounds open to the public. There are no reservations necessary unless you're visiting in the height of the summer months.

If I were you though, I'd see the Monument and some of the other attractions in the area and then get the hell out.

Drive for about 1½ hours to the amazing Badlands Ranch Resort. The next day you'll wake up in the serene beauty of one of the most spectacular and undiscovered areas in the United States. Please see my article on Badlands National Park for more information.

This monument takes a little over an hour to really "do" well, unless, that is, you're planning on scaling the heads of our four favorite Presidents as Cary Grant did in "North By Northwest." Located in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, Mt. Rushmore is one of the most anticipated family destinations during any vacation, but quite frankly, it's just not that good.

Although you can't help but marvel at the detail and sheer force it took to immortalize Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt in rock, there is a certain sense of the unnatural.

Don't get me wrong here. This place is a must see if you're in the area, and the Park Service has provided excellent educational materials and presentations as usual, but Mount Rushmore doesn't have the natural beauty that moves you. It's cool to look at the sculpture, buy a postcard, and go to the bathroom, then I recommend that you move on and take in any of a number of other attractions in the area.

So here's information about Mount Rushmore first, and then some extra recommendations of what to do elsewhere, depending on your taste and speed. Write to:

The Monument and Whatnot
Once you pay the $8 parking fee, you'll be led through the majestic entrance to Mt. Rushmore. You'll see the sculpture on the face of the Black Hills straight ahead. The friendly park rangers will be waiting for you, so be ready to tell them where you're from or where you wish you were from (This is a good opportunity to try out your Australian accent).

There are all sorts of little stores and places to buy overpriced trinkets and bad pizza. While you're chomping on a stale pretzel, just remind yourself that the proceeds benefit real National Parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite. The Orientation Center will give you lots of historical and practical information about the process of making Mount Rushmore a reality. It has exhibits and a short film presentation shown continually.

In summer, you should also check out the tours leading to the Sculptor's Studio. Here you can view exhibits containing tools, carving equipment and models used in the creation of Mount Rushmore.

Etc.
If you like the occasional kitschy destination, make a quick stop in the town of Keystone, just three miles from Mt. Rushmore. I guarantee you'll be amazed by the sheer amount of things that they managed to print pictures of Mount Rushmore on! From shot glasses and full dinnerware to kites and dog collars. Get out before it overwhelms you, and don't get suckered into buying anything you'll be ashamed of later (and if you are, just give it away to someone at home as a souvenir).

There's also a gondola-like skyway you can catch in Keystone, which gives you a fun ride and a view of the monuments. The prices vary from year to year, and the people running it are used to tourists who don't know what they're doing, so be sure not to be bamboozled.

Additional Attractions
If you're in this area, check out my articles on the following nearby attractions:

Coming Soon!

Crazy Horse Monument
If the timing is right, you can bring a picnic into this monument and eat on nice big red picnic tables.

Deadwood, SD
If you are heading east from this area of South Dakota, you should check out my article on Badlands National Park, one of the most magical places on this earth.

Sturgis, SD
Every August Sturgis, the small town in South Dakota, is over run, or run over by bikers from all hill and dale. Forget about camping here during that week, as people have season tickets to their favorite grassy site. If you do want to try and check out this world famous biker rally, you should make reservations at the beginning of the year, if not sooner.

The Needles Highway
Badlands National Park
Wall Drug, SD

©1999 Emma Beyn. Reproduction of this work and photographic images in whole or in part, including reproduction in electronic media, without the expressed written permission of the author is prohibited.