Mount Rushmore sits in the heart of the Black Hills, and the surrounding area is packed with things to do. I’ve spent years traveling to South Dakota and working with the state to create films on its public lands. Along the way I’ve found that the Black Hills region is one of the most underrated destinations in the country. Most folks drive in, look at the four presidents, and drive away. That’s a mistake.
Within a short drive of Mount Rushmore you have two national parks, two national monuments, a national forest, a national grassland, state parks, and enough scenic byways to fill a week. The memorial itself takes 1-2 hours. The real value of a trip here is everything that surrounds it, and that deserves 3-5 days minimum.
Here are 20 things to do near Mount Rushmore, organized by distance from the memorial and ranked by what I’d prioritize if I only had a few days.
Mount Rushmore does not charge an entrance fee. There is a $10 parking fee per vehicle. For more details on the memorial itself, check out our full guide to visiting Mount Rushmore.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Closest airport is Rapid City Regional, which services most major US airlines daily. You can be at Mount Rushmore within an hour of landing.
- Best time to visit is May through October. September is my favorite month with warm days, cool nights, and noticeably fewer crowds than summer.
- Keystone is the gateway town closest to Mount Rushmore (3 miles). Small but functional with restaurants, gas, and lodging.
- Rapid City is 30 minutes away with the full range of hotels, restaurants, and car rentals.
- Cell service is reliable in towns and along major highways. Spotty in the backcountry areas of the national forest and parks.
- A car is essential. The attractions are spread across a wide area. The scenic drives between them (Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon) are attractions in themselves.
Gas, Food, and Getting Around
Keystone has gas and restaurants and is the closest town to the memorial. It’s touristy, but the proximity is hard to beat.
Custer is a charming small town 20 minutes south. Gas, restaurants, and a good base for exploring Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park. I prefer staying here over Keystone for the quieter atmosphere and better restaurant options.
Rapid City has everything. The biggest selection of hotels, restaurants, and services in the region. If you’re flying in, this is where you’ll start.
Visiting the Mount Rushmore area? Here’s our favorite hotel near Keystone.
Suggested Itineraries
One Day
Mount Rushmore memorial in the morning. Drive Iron Mountain Road (one of the best scenic drives in America). Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road in the afternoon. That is a full day hitting the three biggest draws in the area, and honestly, it’s a perfect day.
Two Days
Day 1 same as above. Day 2 hike Black Elk Peak in the morning (the best hike in the Black Hills and the highest point in South Dakota at 7,244 feet). Wind Cave National Park cave tour in the afternoon. Crazy Horse Memorial in the evening.
Three or More Days
Days 1-2 same as above. Day 3 drive Needles Highway and explore Sylvan Lake in the morning. Spearfish Canyon and Spearfish Falls in the afternoon. With 4-5 days, add Badlands National Park (75 min east), Jewel Cave National Monument, and Devils Tower National Monument (2 hours northwest in Wyoming).
The 20 Best Things to Do Near Mount Rushmore
1. Explore Black Hills National Forest
Distance from Rushmore 0 min (surrounds it) | Time Half day to multiple days | Difficulty Varies
Mount Rushmore is literally inside the Black Hills National Forest. To get to the memorial, you drive through this beautiful forest. Of all the natural places I’ve traveled to in America, the Black Hills might top the list. The rock formations, ponderosa pine forests, wildlife, and golden-hour light here are something else entirely.
There is something almost spiritual about this place. The Lakota people have considered the Black Hills sacred for thousands of years, and once you spend time here, you understand why. The air is crisp, the forests are vibrant, and the recreation opportunities span hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, fly fishing, horseback riding, and gold panning. I’ve done all of them, and I keep coming back for more.
The forest covers 1.2 million acres and includes some of the most diverse terrain in the Northern Great Plains. You’ll find everything from granite spires and limestone caves to alpine meadows and rushing creeks. Harney Peak (now officially Black Elk Peak) and the Cathedral Spires are the crown jewels, but every side road seems to lead to something worth stopping for.
2. Hike Black Elk Peak
Distance 7.1 mi RT | Time 3-4 hrs | Difficulty Moderate | Distance from Rushmore 25 min
The highest point in South Dakota at 7,244 feet, and I consider it the best hike in the Black Hills, full stop. The trail starts from Sylvan Lake, passes through pine forest, crosses a creek, and ascends through the congressionally designated Black Elk Wilderness to a historic fire tower at the summit. The panoramic views from the top are the best in the state. On a clear day, you can see into four states.
I’ve hiked this trail in every season. Summer mornings are best since the light is soft, the air is cool, and you beat the crowds. The trail is moderately challenging with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain, manageable for anyone in decent shape. Start early and bring water. There’s no shade on the final approach to the summit.
3. Spearfish Falls and Spearfish Canyon
Distance 0.8 mi RT to falls | Time 30 min + canyon drive | Difficulty Easy | Distance from Rushmore 1 hr
An 80-foot waterfall that most folks miss because the signage is lacking and the falls are not visible from the road. Park at the Latchstring Restaurant and look for the trailhead at the end of the parking lot. The short walk through the canyon to the falls takes about 15 minutes.
In autumn, the falls are flanked by some of the most stunning foliage in the Northern Plains. Spearfish Canyon itself is one of the best scenic drives in the state, with limestone walls rising 1,000 feet on either side of a winding creek. I’ve driven it at least a dozen times and still pull over to photograph it. The light in the canyon during the last hour before sunset is genuinely world-class.
4. Wind Cave National Park
Distance from Rushmore 50 min (38 mi) | Time Half day | Difficulty Easy-Moderate (cave tour)
Home to what could be the longest cave in the world, with over 160 miles of explored passages and more being mapped every year. Wind Cave is famous for its boxwork formations, which are thin calcite fins that form a honeycomb pattern on the cave walls and ceilings. About 95% of the world’s known boxwork is in this one cave.
The surface is equally impressive. Bison, elk, pronghorn, and prairie dogs roam through mixed-grass prairie and pine hills. Show up at least 30 minutes before the visitor center opens at 8 a.m. if you want a cave tour. Lines form fast even in the off-season. For the full rundown, check out our guide to things to do in Wind Cave.
5. Jewel Cave National Monument
Distance from Rushmore 35 min (24 mi) | Time 2-3 hrs | Difficulty Easy-Moderate (cave tour)
The third longest cave in the world at over 210 miles of surveyed passages, known for its calcite crystal formations that give the cave its “jewel” name. When you shine a flashlight across the walls, the crystals light up like a geode turned inside out. Less visited than Wind Cave but equally impressive underground.
Multiple tour options are available, from the easy Discovery Tour to the more involved Scenic Tour. The Wild Caving Tour lets you crawl through undeveloped passages if you want the real experience. Check the NPS website for tour times and reservations since they fill up, especially in summer.
6. Custer State Park
Distance from Rushmore 20 min (15 mi) | Time Half day to full day | Difficulty Easy
South Dakota’s premier state park and one of the best wildlife viewing destinations in the country. The Wildlife Loop Road is an 18-mile drive through open prairie where you will almost certainly see bison, pronghorn, wild burros, and prairie dogs. I’ve done this drive dozens of times and have never once come home empty-handed with the camera. The bison herd is around 1,400 strong and has the right of way on every road.
Needles Highway, also in the park, is one of the most dramatic roads in America. Narrow tunnels carved through granite spires, hairpin turns, and views that make you pull over every quarter mile. The Cathedral Spires are visible from Needles Highway and rank among the most impressive rock formations I’ve photographed anywhere.
7. Drive Iron Mountain Road
Distance 17 mi | Time 1 hr | Difficulty Easy (driving)
An engineering marvel connecting Mount Rushmore to Custer State Park. The road features pigtail bridges (corkscrew overpasses that look like something a roller coaster designer dreamed up), one-lane tunnels that perfectly frame Mount Rushmore in the distance, and hairpin turns through the Black Hills. Senator Peter Norbeck designed this road in the 1930s with the explicit goal of creating the most beautiful drive in America. He might have succeeded.
Drive it slowly. Stop at every tunnel to look through and see how the engineers framed the mountain. This is one of those drives that rewards patience. Rush through it and you miss the entire point.
8. Sylvan Lake
Distance from Rushmore 20 min | Time 1-2 hrs | Difficulty Easy
A stunning alpine-style lake surrounded by granite boulders and ponderosa pines. The 1-mile loop trail around the lake is easy and scenic, with some of the best reflection photography opportunities in the Black Hills. Swimming is allowed in summer and the water is cold enough to be genuinely refreshing after a hike.
This is also the primary trailhead for the Black Elk Peak hike. Located in Custer State Park, so a park entrance fee applies. Get there early in summer since the small parking lot fills by mid-morning.
9. Crazy Horse Memorial
Distance from Rushmore 15 min (17 mi) | Time 1-2 hrs | Difficulty Easy
The world’s largest mountain sculpture, still very much in progress. When finished, Crazy Horse will stand 563 feet tall and 641 feet long, dwarfing Mount Rushmore. The face was completed in 1998, and blasting continues on the outstretched arm. The scale of this project is almost incomprehensible.
The museum and cultural center on site are excellent, with extensive exhibits on Lakota history and the story of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who began the project in 1948. Separate admission ($15 per person). Worth a stop to see the ambition of the project and learn about the Lakota leader it honors. The night lighting ceremony during summer months is particularly moving.
10. Wall Drug
Distance from Rushmore 1 hr (60 mi) | Time 30 min to 1 hr | Difficulty Easy
A roadside tourist attraction that has been advertising on billboards for 500 miles in every direction since 1931. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. Will you stop there anyway? Almost certainly. Free ice water, five-cent coffee, and a giant animatronic dinosaur. The place is sprawling, weird, and somehow endearing.
Best combined with a trip to Badlands National Park, which starts just 8 miles further east. Drive through Wall Drug, fill up on donuts, and then go stare at 75 million years of geological history. It’s a very South Dakota kind of day.
11. Badlands National Park
Distance from Rushmore 1 hr 15 min (75 mi) | Time Half day to full day | Difficulty Varies
One of the most underrated national parks in the entire system. The eroded buttes and pinnacles look like another planet. Bison, bighorn sheep, and swift fox roam the mixed-grass prairie, and the fossil beds here are among the richest in the world. Paleontologists have found remains of ancient horses, saber-toothed cats, and rhinoceroses in these sediments.
Budget at least half a day for the Badlands Loop Road and a few short hikes. The Notch Trail is the best short hike, and the Castle Trail is the best long one. Sunrise and sunset are when the formations light up in shades of pink, gold, and burnt orange. Our full guide covers 20 things to do in Badlands.
12. Devils Tower National Monument
Distance from Rushmore 2 hrs (130 mi, in Wyoming) | Time 2-3 hrs | Difficulty Easy (tower trail loop)
America’s first national monument, designated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The massive volcanic rock formation rises 867 feet above the Belle Fourche River in northeastern Wyoming. The 1.3-mile Tower Trail circles the base and gives you views from every angle, including a look at the parallel grooves in the rock that look like giant claw marks (which feature in both scientific and Indigenous explanations of the tower’s origin).
Sacred to more than 20 Native American tribes. Worth the 2-hour drive from Mount Rushmore, especially if you’re heading northwest toward the Black Hills’ Wyoming side. The tower is most dramatic in early morning and late evening light, when the rock shifts from grey to gold to deep orange.
13. Buffalo Gap National Grassland
Distance from Rushmore 1 hr (55 mi) | Time 2-4 hrs | Difficulty Easy
This 600,000-acre grassland surrounds much of Badlands National Park and is one of the most overlooked public lands in South Dakota. The Fairburn Agate Beds near French Creek are the main draw for rockhounds. The Fairburn agate is South Dakota’s state gemstone, and you can find them here for free. I’ve spent entire afternoons walking the creek beds and come home with pockets full of colorful stones.
The grassland also offers excellent birding, with grassland species that are increasingly rare elsewhere. If you like wide-open prairie landscapes with no one around, this is your spot.
14. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Distance from Rushmore 1 hr 15 min (70 mi) | Time 1-2 hrs | Difficulty Easy
On the drive between Mount Rushmore and Badlands, you’ll pass a site that tells one of the eeriest stories in American history. During the Cold War, 150 Minuteman II nuclear missiles sat in underground silos beneath the South Dakota prairie, ready to launch at 60 seconds notice. This National Historic Site preserves one of those silos and its underground launch control center.
The ranger-led tours are free but limited in size. Reserve online the moment they become available. Standing in the launch control center, 31 feet underground, looking at the panel that could have ended civilization, is one of the most sobering experiences I’ve had at any national park site.
15. Gold Panning in the Black Hills
Distance from Rushmore Varies | Time 1-3 hrs | Difficulty Easy
The Black Hills gold rush of 1874 is what brought settlers to this area in the first place (and sparked the conflict with the Lakota). You can still pan for gold in many of the creeks. Several operations near Keystone and Hill City offer guided panning where you’re essentially guaranteed to find a few flakes. It’s a fun activity for families and a good way to fill an afternoon between bigger excursions.
16. Horseback Riding
Distance from Rushmore 20 min | Time 1-3 hrs | Difficulty Easy
Several outfitters in the Custer and Hill City area offer guided horseback rides through the Black Hills. The terrain is perfect for it. Pine forests, open meadows, creek crossings, and granite outcrops. Rides range from one hour to full-day trips. No experience necessary for the shorter options.
17. Fly Fishing on Rapid Creek
Distance from Rushmore 15-30 min | Time 2-4 hrs | Difficulty Easy-Moderate
Rapid Creek runs right through Rapid City and offers some of the best trout fishing in South Dakota. The stretch between Pactola Reservoir and Canyon Lake is catch-and-release only and produces healthy brown and rainbow trout. I’ve fished this creek in September when the cottonwoods are turning gold and the water is gin-clear. It’s about as good as fly fishing gets in the Northern Plains.
18. Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
Distance 70 mi loop | Time 2-4 hrs | Difficulty Easy (driving)
This 70-mile byway links Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway into one continuous loop through the heart of the Black Hills. It’s essentially the greatest hits of Black Hills driving condensed into a half-day circuit. Pigtail bridges, granite tunnels, Cathedral Spires, Sylvan Lake, and the Needles are all on this route. Combine it with stops at Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park for the ultimate driving day.
19. Side Trip to Yellowstone
Distance from Rushmore 5 hrs (375 mi) | Time 2-3 days minimum | Difficulty Varies
If you have extra time, the drive from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone through northeastern Wyoming is one of the great American road trips. You can stop at Devils Tower on the way, drive through the Bighorn Mountains, and enter Yellowstone through the northeast gate. Our Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone road trip guide covers the best route and stops.
20. Watch Prairie Dog Towns
Prairie dogs are everywhere in the Black Hills and Badlands region, and their towns are genuinely entertaining to watch. Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, and Badlands National Park all have active colonies visible from the road. The dogs bark, wrestle, and kiss (yes, they greet each other by touching noses). Kids love them. I love them. Bring a telephoto lens.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need near Mount Rushmore?
Three days minimum to hit the highlights. Five days if you want to include Badlands National Park and Devils Tower. The Black Hills region has far more to offer than most folks realize.
Is Mount Rushmore itself worth visiting?
Yes, but manage your expectations. The memorial takes 1-2 hours. The real value of a trip here is everything that surrounds it. The Black Hills, Badlands, Wind Cave, and Custer State Park are the reason to spend multiple days.
What is the Mount Rushmore controversy?
Mount Rushmore was carved into the Black Hills, which are sacred to the Lakota people and were guaranteed to them in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. The U.S. government seized the land after gold was discovered in 1874. The Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that the seizure was illegal and offered compensation, but the Lakota have refused the money, which now sits in a trust account worth over $1 billion. They want the land back. This history is important context for any visit.
What’s the best scenic drive near Mount Rushmore?
Iron Mountain Road, hands down. The pigtail bridges and framed tunnel views of the memorial are unlike anything else in the national park system. Needles Highway is a close second.
