Visiting Mount Rushmore from Custer: routes, timing and tips

Mount Rushmore is about 30 miles from Custer, close enough for an easy half-day trip and an unhurried full day. Which way you drive makes a big difference.

The quick route

Head north on US 16/385 to Hill City, then east on Highway 244 past Horse Thief Lake. It takes about 45 minutes. Just before the memorial, a pull-off on Highway 244 gives a famous side view of George Washington’s profile.

The scenic route

Drive east through Custer State Park on US 16A, then north on the Iron Mountain Road to Keystone. The road loops over itself on wooden pigtail bridges, and three of its tunnels were built to frame the faces of Mount Rushmore in the distance. Allow at least an hour and a quarter, without stops. Make it a loop: go one way and return the other.

When to go

• Morning: the faces catch the morning sun, and the crowds are smaller before the tour buses arrive.
• Evening: on summer evenings, a ranger programme ends with the memorial lit against the night sky. Check the current schedule with the National Park Service.

There is no entrance fee, but there is a parking fee, and the parking pass is valid for a year. That means you can visit in the morning and come back for the lighting at no extra cost.

At the memorial

• Walk the Avenue of Flags to the Grand View Terrace.
• Take the Presidential Trail for a closer look at the faces.
• Watch the film and see the exhibits in the visitor center.
• Visit the Sculptor’s Studio to see Gutzon Borglum’s model.

Make a day of it

Visit the Crazy Horse Memorial on your way out or back, have lunch in Keystone and ride the 1880 Train to Hill City. Read more about Mount Rushmore.