Mount Rushmore
No visit to the Black Hills is complete without a visit to the magnificent Mount Rushmore National Monument. This was probably my 4th visit here, but it hasn't lost any of its appeal.
Getting There
You can get to Mount Rushmore directly from Rapid City on Hwy 16A from the north or on Hwy 244 from the west, but the best way to approach Mount Rushmore is on the Iron Mountain Road (16A) from Custer State Park.
Through pigtail loops and mountain tunnels glimpses of Mount Rushmore tease you as you get closer and closer. Two of the tunnels frame Mount Rushmore as you pass through them.
While the park has no admission fee there is a $10 per car parking fee for the massive parking garage at the entrance
Nighttime Lighting Ceremony
Mount Rushmore at Night
Our favorite thing to do at Mount Rushmore is attend the lighting ceremony that takes place every evening. Check their website for exact times, but in summer the ceremony starts at 9:30 PM.
The ceremony takes place in the amphitheater just outside the Lincoln Borglum Visitor center. On busy nights the seats will fill up before the start, so you may need to be there a half hour early.
The ceremony starts with a Ranger giving a bit of history along with some group games. Then there is a nice little movie played on a screen on the stage.
The lighting itself is done without much pomp, but is impressive none the less. Seeing the monument lit up is a completely different experience than your views during the day.
The lighting ceremony ends with the Lowering of the Flag or Retreat Ceremony for the US flag flown on the stage. All current and former military personnel are invited to the stage to take part. It is a moving experience and gives those veterans a nice acknowledgement of their service.
The grounds stay open till 11:00, so there is plenty of time to take in views of Mount Rushmore all lit up after the ceremony. Note, the visitor center closes at 10:00 (in summer), so be sure to allot yourself plenty of time before the ceremony to experience the visitor center.
Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center
If you ever wanted to learn more about how they constructed Mount Rushmore or more about the sculptor - Gutzon Borglum, then make sure you have enough time to spend in the visitor center.
As you enter the park you will pass through the Avenue of the Flags. At the end of the avenue you will need to take the stair or elevators down to the top of the amphitheater to get to the entrance of the visitor center.
You could easily spend an hour or two in the visitor center perusing all the exhibits and watching the film, "Mount Rushmore, The Shrine" which is shown every 20 minutes. The exhibits tell the story of the sculptor, Gustzon Borglum and the struggles he faced in building the monument.
The Rest of the Park
The .6 Mile Presidential Trail offers close up view of the sculpture. This paved trail is an easy walk.
Unfortunately for us half the trail was closed as was the Sculpter's Studio where you can normally see the model that Borglum used while creating Mount Rushmore.
Ranger talks are given throughout the day. Some are geared towards children and some are meant for everyone.
We attended a ranger talk given by a full blooded Lakota Indian and he talked about the history of the native american tribes in the area and the trials they faced during the last couple of centuries.
There are also gift shops and a restaurant as well. The ice cream shop looked enticing, but we passed those by in favor of Keystone.
