Mount Rushmore

Into a granite cliff in the Black Hills of South Dakota are carved the sixty-foot faces of four presidents, Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, blasted and drilled over fourteen years. A colossal feat of sculpture and a potent national symbol, it is also a contested one, cut into mountains sacred to the Lakota.

Background

The Lakota name for the mountain, Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe Pahá or Six Grandfathers Mountain, refers to six head-like knobs along its summit ridge. It reaches 5725 feet and stands 3.7 miles east-northeast of Black Elk Peak, the high point of the Black Hills. Doane Robinson, the state historian, came up with the idea of a carving. Gutzon Borglum chose this face partly because it looks southeast and gets the most sunlight. Work began in 1927, and the faces were finished between 1934 and 1939. Borglum died in March 1941, and his son Lincoln led the project until work stopped on October 31, 1941. Each figure was meant to reach the waist, but only Washington has any detail below the chin.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mount Rushmore"

What to look for

• The carved faces - the four presidents high on the granite cliff.
• The Avenue of Flags - the approach lined with state flags to the viewing terrace.
• The sculptor's studio - the museum on how the monument was carved.
• The evening lighting - the ceremony that lights the faces after dark in summer.

When to go

The warm months for full services and the evening lighting ceremony; it is open year-round but quieter and colder in winter. Morning light falls best on the faces.

Good to know

It is essentially one view, seen in a couple of hours, so it is a stop rather than a day. It is a contested monument on land sacred to the Lakota, a history worth knowing. The nearby Crazy Horse Memorial offers a Native counterpoint.

Nearby

The Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and the Badlands are all in the Black Hills region near Rapid City.