Mount Rushmore
United States of America · South Dakota · 1745 m
Description
Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States, rising amid the pine-covered Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota. The monumental memorial is famous for the roughly 18-meter-high faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln carved into its granite cliffs, symbolizing defining chapters in American history. Mount Rushmore combines monumental art and history with the striking landscapes of the Black Hills, a region of profound cultural significance to Indigenous peoples. Together with Custer State Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Badlands National Park, it forms one of the highlights of a journey through South Dakota and the Great Plains.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Presidential Trail
- Custer State Park
- Needles Highway
- Crazy Horse Memorial
- Badlands National Park(Day trip)
- Sylvan Lake
- Wildlife Loop Road
- Iron Mountain Road
- Wall Drug(Day trip)
- Mount Rushmore Evening Lighting Ceremony
- Deadwood(Day trip)
- Black Elk Peak
- Needles Eye
- Cathedral Spires
- Devils Tower National Monument(Day trip)
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Wind Cave National Park
- Badlands Loop Road(Day trip)
- Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
- Mount Rushmore Sculptor's Studio
- Grand View Terrace
- Avenue of Flags
- Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway(Day trip)
- Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage Village
- Sunday Gulch Trail
- Notch Trail(Day trip)
- Pinnacles Overlook(Day trip)
- Little Devils Tower Trail
- Legion Lake
- Stockade Lake
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site(Day trip)
- Mount Coolidge Lookout
- French Creek
- Tower Trail at Devils Tower(Day trip)
- Bison Herd of Custer State Park
- Pronghorn & Wildlife in Custer State Park
- Black Hills National Forest
- Roughlock Falls(Day trip)
- The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs(Day trip)
- Lead & Homestake Mine(Day trip)
- Hot Springs(Day trip)
- Spearfish Falls(Day trip)
- Bridal Veil Falls(Day trip)
- Mount Moriah Cemetery(Day trip)
- Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center(Day trip)