Mt Rushmore National Memorial, SD

Could not pass up visiting Mt Rushmore while I was in the area. The drive through the Black Hills, while scenic, was rather steep and curvy. The day was also getting hotter. As I got closer to Mount Rushmore, the sculpture of the four presidents became visible.

This place was clearly designed for a large number of visitors judging from the parking areas, operated by a conssessionaire. While admission to the Memorial was free, it cost $10 to park. I was directed to a parking area for small RVs. From there it was a short walk to the Memorial itself.

It was around lunch time and I was hungry. Decided to have a bite at the Carvers' Cafe. They had outside seating with great views of the mountain but because of the heat, I opted to sit inside. The tall windows offered filtered views of the sculpture. The food was typical fast food, I had a bowl of chili which was actually quite good.

After lunch, I wandered around the park, saw the outdoor amphitheater, and found the visitor center that was located further in and a level down from the main walkway. It was worth spending time at the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center (Borglum was the scupltor who oversaw the construction of the Memorial). Exhibits covered the history of the Memorial, how the sculpture was constructed. There was a movie but I did not have time to watch it as I wanted to visit the Sculptor's Studio.

I hiked the Presidental Trail, a one mile loop paved trail with a lot stairs up and down. The trail took me to the base of Mount Rushmore; I could see a few people off on an unpaved rocky trail that got them closer on the mountain. I continued on through areas of ponderosa pines and caught views of the sculpture from different perspectives.

I found the Sculptor's Studio and sat in on the last half of a ranger presentation on how Borghum made and modified the scaled down models to carve the mountain, as well as the lives of the workers who did the carving.

I spent more time at Mt Rushmore than anticipated, it was that interesting! Did not stop at turnouts to check out wildlife on the way to Elk Mountain Campground near Wind Cave National Park since I did not want to arrive at the campground in the dark.