Experiences
Things to do near Mount Rushmore: the Black Hills beyond the four faces
Most people drive to Mount Rushmore, take the photo and move on. That is a shame, because around the monument are some of the best scenic roads, bison herds and national parks in the United States. Here is how to spend two or three days in the Black Hills.
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The first time you see them, it is through a tunnel. Iron Mountain Road winds up through the pine forest, and suddenly the tunnel mouth frames four faces in the mountain far ahead. It is the best introduction to Mount Rushmore, and few visitors know about it.
The monument sits in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, a forested range rising out of the prairie. Within an hour's drive you will find a state park with free-roaming bison and a Lakota leader being carved into another mountain. There is also the moonscape of the Badlands and a frontier town where Wild Bill Hickok was shot. Links to hotels and tours go to Hotels.com and Expedia.
In short: how long do you need at Mount Rushmore?
The monument itself takes one to two hours with the viewing terrace and the trail beneath the faces. Give the Black Hills two to three days, and you will have time for Iron Mountain Road, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse and a day trip to the Badlands. Stay in Keystone or Rapid City, and fly into Rapid City.
Our first choice: K Bar S Lodge. Check availability and prices
Mount Rushmore: arrive early or late
From the car park you walk up the Avenue of Flags, lined with the flags of every state. It leads to the terrace right below the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln.
Take the Presidential Trail, a short path with plenty of steps that takes you in beneath the mountain. From there you see the faces from the side and from below, and you pass the studio of sculptor Gutzon Borglum with the model he worked from. From the road just east of the park you can see Washington in profile.
Midday is crowded. Come straight after opening, or return in the evening. From late May through September, park rangers hold an evening lighting ceremony, when the faces are lit after dark.
It is worth knowing that the Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota, and that the land was taken from them in breach of an 1868 treaty. That history is told both at Mount Rushmore and at Crazy Horse, and it makes the visit more interesting than a photo of four presidents.
Custer State Park
The park's bison herd is one of the largest in the United States and roams freely across Wildlife Loop Road.
Iron Mountain Road and Custer State Park
The best of the Black Hills is seen from the car. Drive Iron Mountain Road from south to north, and three tunnels frame Mount Rushmore along the way. The road also has pigtail bridges, wooden bridges that spiral to take you up the steepest sections.
Iron Mountain Road ends in Custer State Park, one of the largest state parks in the United States. Wildlife Loop Road is a loop of about 29 kilometres through prairie with around 1,350 bison, deer and elk. A band of wild burros will happily put their heads through your car window. Drive early in the morning or towards sunset, when the animals are most active. If there is a traffic jam, it is almost always bison.
Needles Highway runs through granite spires and a tunnel barely wide enough for an ordinary car, past Sylvan Lake, the prettiest lake in the area. The road closes to cars when the snow comes and reopens in April at the earliest.
Badlands National Park
The Badlands are an hour's drive east of Rapid City and work well as a day trip.
Crazy Horse, the Badlands and Wind Cave
Three stops that turn the trip into more than Mount Rushmore, all within an hour's drive.
Crazy Horse Memorial is half an hour from Mount Rushmore. It is a sculpture of the Lakota leader Crazy Horse that has been under way since 1948 and is still far from finished. It receives no public funding and will, if completed, be the largest mountain carving in the world. The face is done, the rest is blasted out in rough form.
Badlands National Park is an hour's drive east of Rapid City. The landscape is eroded clay and sandstone in stripes of pink, yellow and grey, surrounded by prairie, with fossils in the ground. Drive the Badlands Loop Road and stop at the overlooks, ideally late in the afternoon when the colours are strongest.
Wind Cave National Park lies south of Custer State Park and is one of the oldest national parks in the United States. Beneath it runs one of the longest caves in the world, known for boxwork, thin mineral fins that form a honeycomb on the ceiling. Cave tours need to be booked.
Where to stay
Keystone is the small tourist town right below the monument, and the practical choice if you want to be there early in the morning. Rapid City has the most restaurants and is close to the airport. Deadwood works for a night if you are heading north.
K Bar S Lodge: in the forest just outside Keystone
K Bar S Lodge sits on the hillside above Keystone, surrounded by pine forest and a short drive from both Mount Rushmore and Iron Mountain Road. It is a large lodge-style hotel, and guests rate it very highly.
It suits those who want to be at the monument early and spend the rest of the day in the car. Keystone has a limited choice of restaurants, so expect to eat at the hotel on some evenings.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at K Bar S Lodge
Under Canvas Mount Rushmore: a tent with a real bed
Under Canvas is glamping: large safari tents with proper beds and wood-burning stoves. The tents are spread across an open meadow, and many have their own bathroom, with views of the hills. There is no TV in the tents, and that is the point.
It is the best choice for couples and families who want a starry sky and a campfire in the evening. The camp is open in the warmer half of the year, and nights can be cool, even in July.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore
Hotel Alex Johnson: a historic hotel in Rapid City
Hotel Alex Johnson opened in 1928, while work on Mount Rushmore was getting under way, and has been the town's grand hotel ever since. The lobby mixes European half-timbering with Lakota motifs, and there is a rooftop bar with views over the town.
Choose it if you want restaurants and breweries within walking distance and do not mind a half-hour drive to the monument. It is also the best base for the day trip to the Badlands.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Alex Johnson
The Lodge at Deadwood: a night in the frontier town
Deadwood is an hour's drive north of Mount Rushmore and was the gold rush town where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in 1876. The main street keeps its 19th-century brick buildings, and the town has casinos again. The Lodge at Deadwood sits on a hill just outside the centre, with an indoor pool and views over the valley.
It works as a last night if you are continuing north to Devils Tower or west towards Yellowstone.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Lodge at Deadwood
Experiences: See experiences and tickets
When is the best time to visit the Black Hills?
June to August is peak season. Everything is open and the lighting ceremony runs every evening, but there are queues at Mount Rushmore at midday and hotels fill up.
September is our favourite. Fewer people, the lighting ceremony still runs and the bison herd gathers in Custer State Park. In late September the herd is driven in for the annual roundup, a popular spectacle.
Early August brings the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Several hundred thousand riders come to the area, and hotels are full across the Black Hills.
Winter is quiet. Mount Rushmore is open, but Needles Highway closes and Iron Mountain Road can close after snowfall.
Our first choice near Mount Rushmore
K Bar S Lodge
We recommend K Bar S Lodge because it sits on the hillside above Keystone, close to both Mount Rushmore and Iron Mountain Road. It is a large lodge-style hotel surrounded by pine forest. It suits anyone who wants to be at the monument early and spend the days driving.
Frequently asked questions about Mount Rushmore
Where is Mount Rushmore?
Mount Rushmore is in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, just above the small town of Keystone. The nearest airport is Rapid City, half an hour's drive away. From the UK you fly via a larger US hub such as Denver, Minneapolis or Chicago.
How long do I need at Mount Rushmore?
One to two hours is enough for the viewing terrace, the Presidential Trail and the exhibition. If you want to see the evening lighting ceremony, you can come back after dinner. Allow two to three days for the Black Hills if you also want to see Custer State Park, Crazy Horse and the Badlands.
What is there to do near Mount Rushmore?
Drive Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway, and see the bison on Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. Then visit Crazy Horse Memorial and take a day trip to Badlands National Park. Wind Cave National Park and the frontier town of Deadwood are also within an hour's drive.
Do I need a car in the Black Hills?
Yes. There is almost no public transport, and the best experiences are the scenic roads through the parks. Hire a car at Rapid City airport. Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway have narrow tunnels, so choose an ordinary car rather than a large motorhome. Fill the tank in Rapid City or Keystone before you drive into the parks.
Is Crazy Horse Memorial finished?
No. Work began in 1948, and only the face is complete. The rest of the sculpture is blasted out in rough form. The project receives no public funding, and there is no set date for completion. In summer a light show plays on the mountainside in the evening, and the visitor centre has a model of how the finished sculpture will look.