Mount Rushmore Viewpoint

Mount Rushmore Viewpoint: crowds and conditions

Typical pattern: usually quiet; mostly local visitors. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.

Status options for this viewpoint: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.

Best time to visit Mount Rushmore Viewpoint

Season: October to February for cool, clear air; July to September for mist and greenery.

Crowd: Usually quiet; mostly local visitors.

Typical week: Mon quiet · Tue quiet · Wed quiet · Thu quiet · Fri light · Sat light · Sun light.

Visiting Mount Rushmore Viewpoint: tips

• Go at sunrise or sunset for the best light; carry a warm layer.

How to reach Mount Rushmore Viewpoint — distance from nearby cities

Coordinates: 43.87912, -103.44843. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.

Places to visit near Mount Rushmore Viewpoint

• Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center · museum · Pennington · ~1 km · Must-see
• Mount Rushmore · sanctuary · Pennington · ~1 km · Must-see
• Iron Mountain · viewpoint · Pennington · ~3 km · Must-see
• Horse Thief Lake Dam · lake · Pennington · ~4 km · Must-see
• Black Elk Wilderness · sanctuary · Pennington · ~5 km · Must-see
• Lakota Dam · lake · Custer · ~7 km · Must-see
• Black Elk Peak · viewpoint · Pennington · ~8 km · Must-see
• Needles Eye Tunnel · viewpoint · Custer · ~11 km · Must-see
• Sylvan Lake · lake · Custer · ~12 km · Must-see
• Sheridan Lake Dam · lake · Pennington · ~13 km · Must-see
• Black Hills Institute · museum · Pennington · ~15 km · Must-see
• Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns · cave · Pennington · ~18 km · Must-see
• Crazy Horse Memorial · fort · Custer · ~18 km · Must-see
• Custer State Park · sanctuary · Custer · ~19 km · Must-see
• 1881 Courthouse · museum · Custer · ~22 km · Must-see
• Reptile Gardens · sanctuary · Pennington · ~24 km · Must-see
• Stavekirke Chapel · church · Pennington · ~28 km · Must-see
• Pactola Reservoir Recreation Area · lake · Pennington · ~29 km · Must-see

See everything within a day’s drive of Mount Rushmore Viewpoint

Other hill stations & viewpoints near Mount Rushmore Viewpoint

• Iron Mountain · viewpoint · Pennington · ~3 km · Must-see
• Black Elk Peak · viewpoint · Pennington · ~8 km · Must-see
• Needles Eye Tunnel · viewpoint · Custer · ~11 km · Must-see
• Bear Mountain · viewpoint · Pennington · ~30 km · Must-see
• Cicero Peak · viewpoint · Custer · ~30 km · Must-see
• Odakota Mountain · viewpoint · Pennington · ~31 km · Must-see
• Sourdough Draw · viewpoint · Custer · ~38 km · Must-see
• Fuson Canyon · viewpoint · Custer · ~45 km · Must-see
• Red Shirt Table · viewpoint · Oglala Lakota · ~68 km · Must-see
• Terry Peak · viewpoint · Lawrence · ~73 km · Must-see

All hill stations & viewpoints in South Dakota

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