Visiting Mount Rushmore, South Dakota - Everything You Need to See with Your Family

Mount Rushmore gives me all the patriotic feels!! We were lucky enough to be in the area for several days, so we were able to see it at all different times of day. During the day, it’s incredible to see the detail in the massive rock carvings. It’s also a great time to take pictures. But, my favorite time to go is during the Evening Light Ceremony.

I have so much to share with you! Keep reading for more about the Black Hills area, Custer Park, Deadwood City, Spearfish Canyon, and Mount Rushmore itself!!

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Mount Rushmore Highlights

The Evening Light Ceremony is a free program in the amphitheater that sits at the base of Mount Rushmore. At the ceremony, the park rangers chat about the presidents who have been carved on the mountain, patriotism and the nation's history. After the ranger talks for a bit, they will show a short movie called "Freedom: America's Lasting Legacy."
At the end, they honor all the veterans or active military in the audience. My father in law served in the Airforce, so that part of the ceremony was really special for us. The evening program is held every day night May- September.
We loved walking the Presidential Trail. The trail takes you along a path where you can see different views of Mount Rushmore. It begins up behind the amphitheater, so it was a great thing for us to do just before the Evening Light Ceremony.
They have a great little free visitor center, just outside the parking garage (you do have to pay for parking) that goes over the history of how Mount Rushmore was made.

More great things to do in the Black Hills:

Besides Mount Rushmore itself, my favorite place we went was Sylvan Lake inside Custer Park. This is where they filmed part of the movie, “National Treasure 2.” It’s absolutely gorgeous with lots of different hikes in varying lengths. You can have a picnic by the lake, or let your kids climb on the huge rocks.
Spearfish Canyon has many hikes. These hikes were harder than the hikes we went on at Sylvan Lake, but are great for people who love to explore waterfalls and streams.
Another fun place to visit with the family is the DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery- Fish Hatchery Gulch in Spearfish. Admission is free, but you have the option of purchasing food to feed the fish.
Deadwood City takes you back to the Wild West. It’s a historic town that makes you feel like you stepped back in time. Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok are buried in the cemetery there. There is a theater troupe that goes around the city doing different reenactments, like the assassination of Wild Bill Hickok with a gunfight in the streets.
Rush Mountain Adventure Park was a lot of fun. Our kids had the most fun here. Just a word of warning, it is pretty pricey though. They do offer group rates that we took advantage of. Check those out here. The kids loved the roller coasters and the ropes course the best, and I really loved taking the tour of Rushmore Cave.
Lastly, you have to go see the Badlands!!! There is so much that we love about the Badlands, it has it’s own post on our blog. More about Why You Should Stop at the Badlands When You Visit Mount Rushmore HERE!!

We loved this area so much. We stayed at a hotel in Rapid City when we visited. My dream is to have a summer home in the area to escape our burning Texas heat!!