Are you planning a trip to South Dakota? There are so many amazing things to do in this beautiful state. Check out this South Dakota Bucket List for more ideas on what to do. If you are heading to Mt. Rushmore you probably don’t realize how many fun things are in the same general area of SD. You can use these 11 awesome things to do near Mt. Rushmore to help plan your trip!
This article may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see the affiliate disclaimer here.
The Basics: Mount Rushmore
Are you wondering if Mount Rushmore Is Worth A Visit?
Getting To Mount Rushmore –
13000 SD-244, Keystone, SD 57751
- Mount Rushmore is located in Keystone, South Dakota.
- 30 minutes from Rapid City, you will take Route 16 from Rapid City To Mount Rushmore through Black Hills National Forest. It’s the way that I went and it is a really scenic drive!
- 40 minutes from Custer State Park, you will take 16A through Black Hills National Forest, it’s also an incredibly beautiful drive.
Hours (remember South Dakota is on Mountain Time) –
Parking structure and memorial grounds: 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.- Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sculptor’s Studio: Closed for the season.
- Sculpture Illumination: Sunset to 9:00 p.m.
- Gift Shop: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Carvers’ Café: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost –
- Cars, Motorcycles, and RVs: $10 per vehicle, $5 for Seniors, Free for Active Duty Military
- Commercial Tour Bus – $50
- Non-Profit Educational Bus – $25
How Far Do You Have To Walk To See Mount Rushmore? –
Mount Rushmore is very accessible and the walking is pretty minimal to get from the parking garage to Grand View Terrace.
Know Before You Go: Mount Rushmore Edition
- Be prepared because Mount Rushmore is insanely busy, ALL the time. This place hosts approximately 3 million visitors a year.
- There are no reservations necessary to visit Mount Rushmore.
- There is no public wifi and the cell signal is spotty.
- Traffic back-ups sometimes occur at the entrance to the parking garage, where the large volume of vehicles passing through the gates can cause congestion.
- Leashed pets are allowed in the parking garages and the areas adjacent to them. Please pick up after your pet with bags that are provided in the pet exercise areas.
- Service Dogs are the exception to this rule and are allowed everywhere.
- I wouldn’t plan on more than a few days max at Mount Rushmore.
For more information on visiting Mount Rushmore click here.
Want to know a little more about the history of Mount Rushmore? Check out Mount Rushmore: History Nugget for a bite-sized little morsel on everything you need to know before your visit.
11 Things To Do Near Mount Rushmore
Badlands National Park
Drive Time: 1 hr 22 m
If you are traveling from the East, like I was, then you will hit Badlands before Mount Rushmore. Badlands National Park is 1000% worth a visit, even if you can only spend a day in the park!
For more information read: One Day In Badlands National Park, Is Badlands National Park Dog Friendly?, 10 Fun Things To Do At Badlands National Park
Wall Drug
510 Main St, Wall, SD 57790
Drive Time: 1 hr 20 m
If you are looking for some kitschy fun then check out Wall Drug. If you are driving through South Dakota you will see a million billboards for this place, some will make you laugh, others are a little cringey, but they get your attention, thats for sure!
Custer State Park
13329 US Highway 16A, Custer, SD 57730
Drive Time: 43 m
Cost: $20 for admission, for for 7 days
Custer State Park is really close to Mount Rushmore so it’s kind of a two for the price of one deal in that you could easily fit both into one day. Although I do recommend at least 2 or 3 days in Custer in order to really explore all that Custer State Park has to offer.
Even if you only have a day, make sure to give yourself enough time to drive some of the park’s scenic roads. Needles Highway and the Wildlife Loop are 2 drives you need to do while in Custer State Park!
For more read: Top 16 Things To Do In South, Dakota
Needles Highway
Drive Time: 50 m
Needles Highway is a 14 mile stretch of road that offers beautiful views. It’s a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by aspens, and rugged granite mountains. The road’s name comes from the needlelike granite formations that seem to pierce the horizon along the highway. Due to its narrow, windy roads, Needles Highway is closed in the winter months. So make sure to plan your visit from spring through fall.
Hike Black Elk Peak
Drive Time: 39 m
- Distance: 7.1 miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elelevation Gain: 1,469ft
This hike is
Crazy Horse Memorial
12151 Avenue Of The Chiefs Crazy Horse, SD 57730
Drive Time: 36 m
Learn more about Crazy Horse in the history nugget below. Once it is finished the Crazy Horse Memorial will be the world’s largest mountain carving, and yes, it will be larger than Mount Rushmore. The mission of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is an admirable one. They are trying to protect and preserve the culture, tradition, and heritage of the North American Indians.
Learn more here.
Wind Cave National Park
26611 US Highway 385, Hot Springs, SD 57747
Drive Time: 48 m
Cost – There is no entrance fee at Wind Cave, however, you do need to pay for cave tours
Wind Cave National Park is definitely a lesser known park but it’s still worth a visit on your next South Dakota roadtrip. But Wind Cave isn’t just about touring the caves, whether it’s going for a hiking, viewing wildlife, or pitching a tent in the backcountry, there is so much to do!
BONUS – Wind Cave National Park is semi-pet friendly! There are two hikes within park limits that are dog friendly, those are the Prairie Vista Trail and Elk Mountain Campground Trail.
There are 3 main cave tours and then a few specialty options including a candlelight tour.
Find out more here.
Mammoth Sight & Museum
1800 US 18 Bypass, Hot Springs, SD 57747
Drive Time: 1 h 5 m
Cost – (Ages 4-12) – $9.00
(Active & Retired Military) – $9.00
(Ages 13-59) – $12.00
(Ages 60 & Over) – $10.00
This place is really cool and has an awesome story: basically, a heavy equipment operator was leveling the ground in Hot Springs when he struck something. Upon closer inspection, the operator saw that it was a 7 ft long tusk, along with other large bones. Can you imagine seeing something like that? Imagine his surprise when the bones ended up being those of a wooly mammoth.
There is a very high concentration of mammoth remains here on about 14 acres of land. The area is believed to have been a large sinkhole formed about 26,000 years ago. Sadly, many mammoths got stuck due to their size. There are 61 mammoths that have been discovered here, so far.
Spearfish Scenic Byway
Drive Time: 1 hr 17 m
The 22-mile journey begins at Exit 10 or Exit 14 off Interstate 90, the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway throngs with summertime drivers. If your wanting to get out more, hikers can enjoy exploring the side canyons like Iron Creek or Eleventh Hour Gulch. And bicyclists love the wide shoulders and uniform 3% grade of the road.
Deadwood
Drive Time: 1 hr 15 m
You’ve probably heard about or seen the HBO series, Deadwood. But the actual town in South Dakota is a must see. If you’ve heard of Deadwood, then you know about the crazy characters that called this once rough and tumble town on. This one time gold camp turned town was known for its gamblers and gunslingers a like!
Visit the graves of Wild Bill Hickok, who was only in Deadwood for 2 short weeks before he was gunned down while playing a poker game. And his female companion, Calamity Jane who was known for her
There is so much to do in Deadwood and it’s absolutely worth a visit. I recommend a long weekend here to really appreciate all that Deadwood has to offer.
To Find Out More About Deadwood Check Out These Posts: 14 Fun Things To Do In Deadwood, South Dakota, Deadwood, South Dakota: History Nugget
Tatonka: Story Of The Bison
100 Tatanka Dr, Deadwood, SD 57732.
Drive Time: 1 hr 16 m
This exhibit is not free, it costs $12 but you get access to all that Tatanka has to offer. This exhibit pays tribute to the millions of bison that once roamed this region of the United States. It also commemorates native cultures that prospered alongside the bison. Remember Kevin Costner? He actually founded and operated Tatanka. The exhibit features a bronze sculpture of bison being pursued by Native Americans on horseback. It’s very cool and definitely worth a visit! Find out more here.
Interesting Facts About Mount Rushmore
- Did you know that the mountain that Borglum chose to carve was known to the Lakota as the “Six Grandfathers”?
- The actual carving was done by a team of over 400 men. And remarkably, no one died during construction.
- Mount Rushmore once had an amateur baseball team. It’s where the name Memorial Team Ice Cream came from!
- Did you know that 90% of the mountain was carved with dynamite, and more than 450,000 tons of rock was removed?
- Each president’s face is 60 feet high.
- The carving was originally meant to include the bodies of the presidents down to their waists.
- Rushmore’s resident mountain goats are descendants of a herd that was gifted to Custer State Park by Canada in 1924.
- Some believe you can see an elephant, or at least the stone face of an elephant if you look to the right of Lincoln. Others believe if you look at a picture of the mountain rotated 90 degrees, you can see another face.
- Mount Rushmore has a secret room (not so secret anymore) that no one can enter. It’s known as The Hall Of Records and is located behind the facade of Abraham Lincoln. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the chamber to hold information for visitors about the monument and information of America’s history from 1776 to 1906.
South Dakota is one of those states that will surprise you! There is so much to see and do in this beautiful part of the country, so do yourself a favor and plan a trip to South Dakota soon!
Like This Post? Pin It For Later!
