Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial
13000 Highway 244
Keystone,
South Dakota
605-574-2523


Map

This national memorial is home to the famous mountain carving of four instrumental United States Presidents. It stands as a memorial to American history. Here is an excerpt from the National Park Service web site. It tells which presidents are featured on the mountain and why they were chosen. "The birth of our nation was guided by the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had dreams of a greater, more perfect nation, first in the words of the Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of our nation through the Louisana Purchase. Preservation of the union was paramount to Abraham Lincoln, a nation where all men were free and equal. At the turn of the Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt envisioned a great nation, a leader on the world stage, our nation was changing from a rural republic to a world power. The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for the United States of America as solid as the rock from which their figures were carved." When visiting this national park with your pet, you will be restricted to just a few areas. The park's official web site states that there is a "pet ban" at Mount Rushmore. They say that pets are no longer allowed in the developed areas of the park, and that there are pet walking areas located at each end of the upper parking ramp. When we visited, the pet area consisted of a dirt area with some bushes and weeds. However, you and your pet can still get a nice view of the Mount Rushmore memorial from the "pet area". You will not be able to get really close to the memorial, but you can still easily see it and can get a nice photo with a zoom lens. The parking fee is $8 for a car.