More than three million people visit Mt. Rushmore each year. Mount Rushmore is a national monument to American Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. The monument was carved out of the side of a rock mountain using dynamite. Gutzon Borglum began the sculpting of the faces into the mountain in 1927 and worked on it for nearly 15 years until he died of an embolism. His son, Lincoln, completed finishing touches on the carving in 1941. The monument celebrates the first 150 years of American history and is located in Mt. Rushmore National Park in the Black Hills National Forest just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.
Locate the state of South Dakota, which is situated in the central northern region of the United States, below North Dakota and above Nebraska. South Dakota is located west of Minnesota and east of Wyoming.
Locate Rapid City which is a city within South Dakota and is the closest city to Mt. Rushmore. Rapid City is situated along I-90 in the far southwestern portion of the state. It is the state's second largest city and is divided in half by the Black Hills mountains.
Locate the Black Hills National Forest. Mt. Rushmore is situated in the Black Hills National Forest which is located slightly south of Rapid City, South Dakota, not far from the Wyoming border.
Locate the major interstates running from your state of residence to surrounding states and find which ones take you to South Dakota. Rapid City is located just off of Interstate 90, so charting your course to Interstate 90 is a good place to start.
From Interstate 90, take exit 57 to merge onto Interstate 190 South/US 16 West toward the Black Hills National Forest and Mt. Rushmore. Turn left onto Omaha Street. Turn right onto US 16/Mt. Rushmore Road.
Follow Mt. Rushmore Road to US-16 Alt. East and take a slight right onto South Dakota 244 West. Follow this road for about one mile and turn right. Mt. Rushmore National Park is located at 13000 Highway 244 in Keystone, South Dakota.
An unmarked gravel road will take you up Mt. Rushmore to a visitors center where you may park your car and begin exploring Mt. Rushmore National Park. The National Park Service recommends allocating at least two hours to fully explore the park grounds which include two caves---the Wind Cave and Jewel Cave National Monument---as well as the famous presidential carvings into Mt. Rushmore. Maps, brochures and guided tours are available at the visitors center of Mt. Rushmore Park which is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with extended hours during the summer months.
