Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore is located in the scenic Black Hills of South Dakota
Who doesn’t want to see the magnificent Mount Rushmore National Memorial? The sheer immense undertaking of carving out the presidents in natural granite is awesome! Come and make this one of your stops in your outdoor adventure vacation as you travel around to the surrounding state and national parks, monuments and forests. Keep reading for further great Mount Rushmore National Memorial information.
Uniqueness
The sheer size of the mountain carving on Mount Rushmore National Memorial evokes a sense of awe in those who view it. The four presidents carved in stone represent all Americans. They represent our courage, dreams, freedom and greatness. The birth of our nation was guided by the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had dreams of a greater, more perfect nation, first in the words of the Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of our nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Preservation of the union was paramount to Abraham Lincoln, a nation where all men were free and equal. At the turn of the Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt envisioned a great nation, a leader on the world stage, our nation was changing from a rural republic to a world power. The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for the United States of America as solid as the rock from which their figures were carved. Each president possessed great skills and leadership of the brand our nation needed for the times they represent. We all can look into their faces and gain inspiration and strength from these four great men and ourselves.
The geologic forces of heat, pressure, deposition, uplift and erosion have combined with millions of years of time to create the spectacular setting for the carving of Mount Rushmore . The rocks which form and surround the memorial are part of the “crystalline core” of the Black Hills, the oldest rocks in South Dakota and among the oldest in the western United States . There are two main types of rock at Mount Rushmore , very old granite and much older metamorphic rocks. If you go for a hike on the Presidential Trail or hiking to Old Baldy or into Starling Basin you should touch the granite. Mount Rushmore is carved from a granite formation locally known as Harney Peak granite. The core of the Black Hills is made of this granite that formed underground as a batholith. A batholith is a large plume of magma that cools and hardens underground. Mount Rushmore is 5,725 feet above sea level.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial provides self-guided and ranger-guided opportunities for you to explore the history, art and science of this mountain sculpture and its setting. The sculpture on Mount Rushmore is illuminated nightly year-round. A short stroll along the Presidential Trail provides the closest access to the sculpture. Along the way, enjoy more intimate views of the artwork as either a self-guided or ranger-guided walk. Ranger-led activities are conducted daily during the summer. Rangers are also available to answer your questions at either the Information Center or Visitor Center throughout the year.
Mount Rushmore Information Center is open 7-days a week October 24th – April 30th-8:00 am – 5:00 pm; May 8th – August 31st-8:00 am – 10:00pm; and May 1st – 7th-8:00 am – 8:00pm. It is closed December 25. The Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible and accessible restrooms are also available. Closed captioning of all films is provided. Braille and large-print copies of park brochure are available upon request. Exhibits have historic photos of each president on Mount Rushmore taken during construction and different exhibits covering the construction of the memorial. Plan on at least a 2 hour stay to fully enjoy the memorial.
Sculptor’s Stu dio is open only May through part of October. The studio itself is an historic structure built in 1939 as the second on-site studio for sculptor Gutzon Borglum. Exhibits include Sculptor’s Model: Gutzon Borglum’s original 1/12 scale model used to create the memorial and Hall of Records Model: a model depicting the concept of the unfinished Hall of Records. It also includes an explanation of the artist’s intent and how it has recently been fulfilled. Other displays include original tools and plaster mask used by workers. There is a 15 minute ranger presentation on the mountain carving process during the summer only.
The Lincoln Borglum Museum is open the same hours as the Information Center . Permanent exhibits include: interactive displays about the artist, Gutzon Borglum, and the workers involved in creating the sculpture; historical film footage of the carving; original models and tools used in the making of Mount Rushmore . Other exhibits highlight the selection of the presidents, memorial dedication ceremonies, preservation of the sculpture and Mount Rushmore in popular culture. Evening Lighting Ceremony is a 30 minute ranger presentation that concludes with the illumination of the sculpture. Presidential Walk is a 30 minute ranger-led activity that takes you to the base of the sculpture and reveals more about the men portrayed on the mountain.
There is more to Mount Rushmore than meets the eye, use all five of your senses to discover the little known wonders hidden below the sculpture of the four presidents. The Black Hills are also called the ” Island in the Prairie”, because they are an island of granitic hills surrounded by a prairie sea. Therefore the Black Hills have great biological diversity and the plant and animal life is abundant and varied. On a typical day at Mount Rushmore you might see several different species of wildflowers, a deer, chipmunks and turkey vultures. If you take a closer look you might find spiders and beetles in the grass or a snake sunning itself on a rock.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is just a small, 1,200 acre portion of the Black Hills . Because Mount Rushmore is a small part of something larger, the entire Black Hills ecosystem, it is still possible to see a wide variety of wildlife. Below the famous sculpture of the four Presidents are the habitats of many different animals. An animal’s habitat consists of four essential elements: a source of food, water, shelter and space. Mount Rushmore provides these elements to wildlife large and small. The Ponderosa pine forest that surrounds the Memorial provides shelter. The hollow dead trees provide a place for red squirrels and some song birds to nest, providing wildlife and bird watching opportunities. The needles that have fallen to the ground provide cover for small mammals like voles and insects. The cones from the Ponderosa provide food as do berries and other plants and grasses. Water can become harder to find by the end of summer but there are many spring fed and snowmelt streams flowing around the Black Hills in the spring and early summer. Grizzly Creek, part of which is within Mount Rushmore National Memorial, is fed by springs and even supports a beaver pond. After a snow storm tracks identified as mountain lion have been found at the base of Mount Rushmore . The Black Hills are rugged and a lot of space has been left open for wildlife in Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, the Black Elk Wilderness in Black Hills National Forest and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
The subspecies of the Western Terrestrial Garter snake found throughout the southwest South Dakota is the Wandering Garter Snake. The chances of seeing a snake are small. The Wandering Garter Snake prefers areas in or near water. They eat almost everything, but are partial to slugs, snails, leeches, worms, fish, and salamanders. They do have toxic saliva to subdue their prey, but it is not harmful to humans. The Wandering Garter Snake excretes musk; as a defense mechanisms to ward off humans and other predators. Environmentally, they are important because they eat insects and rodents; they are a natural bug trap and rodent trap. Unfortunately, many snakes face extinction because of pesticide use and the destruction of their habitats.
The Longnose Dace and Brook Trout are the only two fish found within the boundaries of Mount Rushmore . Finding and catching these fish at Mount Rushmore may be difficult. Grizzly Bear Creek and Starling Basin run through rugged terrain that is difficult to get to. During drought years the creeks may be dry. The longnose dace is a fish you have to catch using a net and some skill, but the brook trout can be fun game fishing for anglers.
The Black Hills are a very unique ecosystem. Several plant ranges overlap here. You can find plants from areas north, south, east and west growing in the Black Hills . Only about 5% of the plant species in the hills are indigenous to the area. The Ponderosa pine is a tree that grows commonly in the western United States . Using your sense of smell you can easily identify the Ponderosa pine trees that dominate the landscape in the Black Hills . Look for a tall pine tree with reddish bark. If it has long needles you may have a Ponderosa pine. Now walk right up to the tree and smell the bark. Does it smell sweet, kind of like vanilla or butterscotch? You have a Ponderosa pine!
Mount Rushmore is here today because the granite erodes very slowly compared to the surrounding rocks. In the area of the memorial the hard granite creates mountains or hills and the equally tough quartzite forms knife ridges. The less resistant mica schist tends to be eroded into canyons and gullies. The primary erosive forces in action today are wind, rain, snow and frost wedging. The forces of wind and weather slowly eat away at the rocks of the memorial. However, the granite is extremely resistant. The rate of erosion on the granite faces has been estimated at only 1/10 inch per one thousand years. A more significant erosional force in the Black Hills is frost wedging. Granite has natural cracks in it. If water gets into the cracks it expands as temperatures dip below freezing-exerting great pressure on the rock and gradually expanding the cracks. This is prevented by the caulking of cracks on the memorial with a silicon solution that prevents water from entering the cracks. The result of all these geologic forces created a place where a colossal carving could stand. The four granite faces look down upon millions of visitors each year from their lofty heights and will continue to do so for thousands of years to come.
There are several family and children activities available. Children’s Program is a one hour series of ranger-led activities for children age 6-10 years. Parents must accompany children during the program. This is offered during the summer only, daily at 2pm. The Junior Ranger Program has a Junior Ranger Activity Book for children ages 5-12 years. No fee is involved. Youngsters learn more about Mount Rushmore as they explore the memorial through the activities inside. A certificate is awarded upon completion of the booklet. Once the certificate is obtained, a souvenir patch may be purchased in the Visitor Center bookstore. The Rushmore Ranger Activity Booklet is for ages 13 and up. No fee is involved. It is designed for older children and adults to enhance their Mount Rushmore experience through learning activities. A certificate is awarded upon completion of the booklet. Once the certificate is obtained, a souvenir patch may be purchased in the Visitor Center bookstore.
On a clear day at Mount Rushmore you can see over 40 miles out onto the plains and the air would smell fresh and clean. There are factors though that could change the view in the future. Natural events like fault movement, fire and rivers can cause change, but outside influences can have an effect as well. Dust, pollution, light and noise that come to Mount Rushmore from distant places on the wind or with the weather change the local environment. It is the mission of the National Park Service to conserve and protect National Park Sites for the enjoyment of present and future generations. This means the National Park Service has the job of keeping these natural and cultural wonders in pristine condition, so you can come and enjoy these places again and again.
Warm days and cool nights are common in the summer, but July and August are typically hot. Moderate temperatures usually prevail in the winter months with some below zero temperatures. Afternoon thunderstorms in the summer may bring damaging hail and on occasion fog will obscure any view of the memorial. Snow may fall as early as September and may last until mid-May. Layered clothing is recommended along with comfortable walking shoes.
The wildlife at Mount Rushmore is wild so remember to keep a safe distance between you and the wildlife, no matter how friendly they seem to be. Never feed or harass the wildlife.
The $8.00 parking fee is the only fee for the park. There are no other fees for use of facilities or special events. The parking fee is a special use fee and is valid for the entire calendar year in which it is purchased. This is not a Federal entrance fee, so National Park Passes , Golden Age, Access and Eagle Passports are not accepted for parking.
There is no camping at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. There are several campgrounds in Black Hills National Forest and Custer State Park nearby.
Badlands National Park is 85 miles away. Devils Tower National Monument is 130 miles away. Jewel Cave National Monument is 35 miles away. Wind Cave National Park is 40 miles away. Yellowstone National Park is 460 miles away. Black Hills National Forest is 1 mile away with the Black Elk Wilderness inside. Custer State Park is 27 miles away.
By plane, Rapid City Regional Airport is 35 miles away from the memorial.
By car, visitors traveling on I-90 should exit at Rapid City and follow Highway 16 southwest to Keystone and then Highway 244 to Mount Rushmore . Visitors coming from the south should follow Highway 385 north to Highway 244, which is the road leading to the memorial.
Rental cars or private tour companies can bring visitors to the memorial from Rapid City ; SD. Personal vehicles are the most common form of transportation. No public transportation options exist.
Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Mount Rushmore:
By Car:
Rapid city, SD – 21.95 miles
Bison, SD – 204.86 miles
Hot Springs, SD – 52.71 miles
Cheyenne, WY – 288.09 miles
Sioux Falls, SD – 369.63 miles
By Plane:
Rapid City Regional Airport – 32.42 miles
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 13000 Highway 244, Building 31, Suite1
Keystone , SD 57751-0268
Headquarters 605-574-2523
Visitor Information Recorded Message 605-574-3171
By Fax 605-574-2307
