Exploring the Historical Mount Rushmore
Is the Historical Mount Rushmore all it is hyped up to be? Well, I’ve been waiting to go visit this massive monument since I was a youngen (some may argue I still am) and I finally got to see it with my own eyes. Here is our adventure.
Parking at Mount Rushmore
I mean seriously goodness gracious. Out of all the national monuments we have been at thus far, this is definitely the most complex parking system I have seen yet. To be fair, it is built on the side of a mountain so the different tiers they have set up aren’t too surprising.
It does cost $10 to park at Mount Rushmore, although technically it is free to enter the park itself. Not sure what the situation really is if you just walked up or rode a bike up the massively steep hills. If you have done this, let us know in the comments below!
As with most national monuments, especially ones of historical significance like this one, get there early if you want to avoid the crowds and find a parking spot. As we were leaving there was quite the line of cars heading towards Mount Rushmore, even though there was a huge storm forming just west of it.
Touring Mount Rushmore
There are a multitude of ways to explore Mount Rushmore depending on how much you want to spend. There are audio tours under $10 a person that you can listen to as you walk from point to point. I believe there are even ranger led tours, but I am not sure what the cost of those are. Deanna and I chose the cheapest route and just walked around Mount Rushmore reading signs and taking in the gorgeous views of the surrounding area.
Once heading into Mount Rushmore, there is an information center I recommend hitting up to get familiar with the area if you are not already. We started out tour by heading towards the avenue of flags and the grand view terrace. It is obvious that Mount Rushmore National Monument was very well thought out as every detail is well designed.
After our initial observance of Mount Rushmore, we decided it was time to stretch our legs and take the presidential trail for a spin.
The Presidential Trail
We started the presidential trail by starting at the grand view terrace and heading west. Although the obvious viewpoint is of Mount Rushmore itself, I recommend taking in the surrounding wooded area as well. It is such a serene and beautiful place within the Black Hills that everything really deserves a look.
Our first real stop along the trail was walking into a giant boulder with a huge crack in the side of it. Through this crack you can see a very unique perspective of George Washington’s nostrils. Well, his entire face, but it really is the perfect angle to see how much detail they really did put into these faces.
Along the trail there are many signs and plaques to teach us about each of the four presidents who are forever engraved upon this mountain side. Although I jokingly just mentioned their birthdays within the video above, the signs do offer a bit more insight into each president’s past and what makes each unique.
After viewing the presidents at every angle we possibly could legally, we started heading towards the Sculptor’s Studio.
The Sculptor’s Studio
Still thirsty for information and details on how or why this sculpture was created the way it was? In and around the Sculptor’s Studio there are historical artifacts and remains of the tools they used and information about the methods devised to carve such an elegant masterpiece.
If you don’t like to read and rather hear more about the history, be sure to talk to one of the many informed rangers throughout Mount Rushmore National Monument. They were all extremely nice and had a wealth of knowledge on the area.
Did you know that they never really finished Mount Rushmore completely as to its original design? This is just one of 100s of fun facts about the area you can learn while visiting. Our adventure vlog isn’t here to take place of your adventure, but to inspire you to go check it out yourself! So no more spoilers here! 🙂
Other Features of Mount Rushmore National Monument
Although that pretty much wraps up all we explored while visiting Mount Rushmore due to a storm that was heading our way, there is still more to explore that we didn’t. There is also a Nature Trail that connects the main parking area towards the Borglum View Terrace. There is also a “Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Heritage Village” we must have missed while hiking around the presidential trail.
Also don’t forget to gaze upon the beautiful Black Hills in the distance. We parked towards the very back of the top tiered parking lot and it is an absolutely fantastic vantage point.
OTHER NEARBY ADVENTURES
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Favorite Hike at Rocky Mountain National Park
Alluvial Fan Rocky Mountain National Park
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
