Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

One of the most recognized and controversial landmarks in the United States, Mt. Rushmore features the faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln.

Known to the Lakota Sioux as Six Grandfathers, the mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a prominent New York lawyer, during an expedition in 1885.

The entire memorial covers 1,278 acres (5.17 km2) and is managed by the National Park Service.

The memorial attracts approximately 2 million people annually.

The United States Government seized the area from the Lakota tribe after the Black Hills War in 1876.

This is one reason why the carvings at Mount Rushmore are controversial. Land ownership, respect for the land, spiritualism and other factors important to American Indians play a large part in the controversy.

Mount Rushmore is largely composed of granite. Fractures in the granite were sealed by pegmatite dikes. The light-colored streaks in the presidents' foreheads are due to these dikes.

Mount Rushmore is located within the United States Presidential Memorial.

Each head is about 60 feet (18 m) high.

Location

Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Keystone, South Dakota
USA

Getting There

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Here are some ways to get there by public transportation:

Bus: The Rapid Transit System, also known as The Rapid, operates bus routes throughout Rapid City, SD. You can take Route 9 from downtown Rapid City to the Central States Fairgrounds, where you can transfer to Route 12 to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Check The Rapid's website for schedules and fares.

Shuttle: If you're staying in Rapid City, you can take a shuttle to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Several companies offer shuttle service from Rapid City to the memorial, including Black Hills Open-Top-Tours, Black Hills Gray Line, and Rushmore Express.

Tour: You can also take a guided tour from Rapid City to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Several tour companies offer half-day and full-day tours, including Mount Rushmore Tours and Badlands Tour Company.

Car rental: If you prefer to drive yourself, you can rent a car in Rapid City and drive to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Several car rental companies have locations in Rapid City, including Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise.

Note that while public transportation is available to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, it may be limited and less frequent than other major tourist destinations due to the park's remote location.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in South Dakota that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.