Mt. Rushmore – A Must See If Visiting The Black Hills

Mount Rushmore has been on my bucket list of places to see in the USA since I was a little girl. I don’t know about you, but I really love learning about our country’s history. It is fascinating how this sculpture was created and the sacrifices so many made during the construction. Mt. Rushmore is a massive site carved into the mountains located in the Black Hills region of South Dakota.

When you arrive, there is no entrance fee to the park, but there is a $10 parking fee which is good for 1 year after purchase. If you live close by or even travel through South Dakota often, this is a good deal. I recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds. We arrived around 8:30/9:00 AM and had no trouble parking or walking around taking pictures without tourist blocking our view. I honestly wish we had arrived earlier, we may have had the place to ourselves.

I would encourage you to visit the museum when you first arrive. There you will learn exactly how and why Mt. Rushmore was carved and it gives you a real appreciation for what it took to make this monument a reality.

The Carvers’ Marketplace is the only dining facility and serves a variety of foods if you want to stay for lunch or dinner. There is also an ice cream parlor for dessert!

For those of you who travel with your pups like we do, you are allowed to have pets on the grounds, but they are not allowed inside the park itself. Mt. Rushmore does welcome all service animals inside the park.

Rapid City, SD

We chose Rapid City as our home base while visiting Mount Rushmore. This region has an abundance of other fun activities, check out our post on Wind Cave National Park, The Badlands National Park & Wall Drug for more ideas on ways to squeeze in as much as you can while exploring the area.

If you want more information on Mount Rushmore visit the Official Webpage

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