This is the first of a series of posts on our road trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota last year. A vacation in the Black Hills had been on my "list" for a few years and last summer we made it happen. It was as great as we hoped it would be. There is so much to do there, that it would be overwhelming to put it all in one blog post.
The attraction that first comes to mind when most of us think of the Black Hills or South Dakota is Mount Rushmore. We have all seen photos and movies and replicas and even parodies of this iconic monument for our entire lives. Since I felt like I had seen it a million times, I did not expect to be as awestruck as I was when I finally stood in front of it. It is spectacular. It is an impressive feat of art and engineering set in one of the most beautiful parts of our nation. It stirred feelings of patriotism and reverence in me to a degree that I did not expect. We did not attend the evening lighting ceremony, which will include active military personnel and veterans in the flag folding ceremony in 2012, but I am sure it is a special experience.
When you first leave the parking area, you will enter a wide long plaza with a view of Mount Rushmore at the end. There is a display of flags from every U.S. state. It's a great photo op, though you shouldn't judge it by my photo. Neither we nor our camera are great photographers. You will pass by the gift shop, etc onto a large patio where there is lots of seating for viewing the monument or the stage and amphitheater below. You can also walk down the stairs into the amphitheater. To the right and left are a loop trail that will take you closer to the monument. There are lots of stairs and some distance - I'm thinking at least a half-mile - but it is not difficult for families. Along the way, you can enjoy the scenery and watch for wildlife and there is a hands-on Native American exhibit on one side and an artist's studio where you can see the finished product that the sculptor intended on the other. There was a working artist talking with visitors on the day we were there.
Downstairs from the patio is the ranger desk and visitor center. We stopped there to get free Junior Ranger information for our children. The Junior Ranger activities helped our children learn about the history, nature and wildlife in the area. When they have completed the required number of activities, they take the books back to the ranger who will quiz them on the activities and then swear them in as junior rangers. They will receive a plastic gold Mount Rushmore badge. There are also additional exhibits, videos and a small book store in this area. Back upstairs on the patio, you will find an ice cream shop, a cafe and a large gift shop, which was my daughter's favorite part of our visit. We visited Mount Rushmore twice during our stay and were there for a couple of hours each time.
When to Go
Mount Rushmore National Monument and most of its amenities are open year-round. It is located in a mountainous area where the road twists and turns and changes elevation frequently. I assume that it is well maintained in the winter, but warmer months are obviously the most popular. We were there during the first week of June at the end of an extra-cold, wet spring and it was eighty degrees one day and jacket weather another. There were lots of people there when we visited, but not so many that we could not enjoy our stay and get some good photos. This monument is built for crowds. There are patriotic festivities scheduled around Independence Day (July 4) every year. I'm guessing that it would be a great experience, as long as you don't mind sharing it with 21,000 other people.
Getting There
Mount Rushmore is just outside the tourist town of Keystone, South Dakota and about 20 miles away from Rapid City, which was our base for this trip. There is no admission charge for the monument itself, but there is an $11 per vehicle parking fee. National Parks annual passes do not cover this parking charge. However, the parking pass is good for a week and we used it a couple of times during our trip. I did not see any practical way to park outside the monument and walk in, though we could see the monument from a distance a few times as we drove through the Black Hills. Once we had paid, we had no trouble finding a space in one of the four parking structures.
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