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Mount Rushmore visitor guides

Practical, checked guides to visiting Mount Rushmore: what you really pay, the Evening Lighting Program, how much time to allow, pairing it with Crazy Horse or the Badlands, and which town to stay in.

Mount Rushmore entrance fee: what you actually payFree entry, a parking fee, passes and the 2026 rules.Read the guide →Mount Rushmore lighting ceremony: times, season and tipsStart times, the season, seats and the 2026 fireworks.Read the guide →How long to spend at Mount RushmoreOne to three hours, the trail, the light and the crowds.Read the guide →Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse in one dayThe drive, the admission and the tours that do both.Read the guide →Badlands and Mount Rushmore: one day or two?Distances, the Loop Road and whether one day is enough.Read the guide →Where to stay near Mount RushmoreKeystone, Hill City, Custer, Rapid City or Deadwood.Read the guide →

Tours

Popular Mount Rushmore tours

Booked on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Mount Rushmore Half-Day Tour from Rapid City Rushmore only 4 hoursFree cancellation

Mount Rushmore Half-Day Tour from Rapid City
Half dayParking coveredPickup

The shortest guided option: about four hours from Rapid City to the memorial and back, with time on the terrace and the trail. The listing includes the parking fee and bottled water.

What's included
  • Pickup at your hotel or Airbnb in Rapid City
  • The Mount Rushmore parking fee
  • Tour guide and cold bottled water
  • Food and tips are not included
  • The listing says it is not suitable for wheelchair users; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Duration4 hours Book this
Black Hills & Monuments Small-Group Day Most complete day 8 hoursFree cancellation

Black Hills & Monuments Small-Group Day
Hotel pickupUp to 14Crazy Horse

An eight-hour small-group loop that the listing says covers Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Custer State Park wildlife, Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake. Admission to the stops is listed as included.

What's included
  • Pickup and drop-off in Rapid City, Keystone, Hill City, Deadwood, Lead or Sturgis (per the listing)
  • Admission to all attractions on the route, as stated on the listing
  • A fully narrated tour in a small group of up to 14
  • Buffet lunch at the State Game Lodge is paid on the day
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Duration8 hours Book this
Rushmore, Crazy Horse & Wildlife Loop Day Bison country 8 hoursFree cancellation

Rushmore, Crazy Horse & Wildlife Loop Day
Wildlife LoopFees includedUp to 12

About two hours each at Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, then the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park, where bison roam. The listing includes the parking fee, park fees and guide tips.

What's included
  • Pickup and drop-off at your hotel or Airbnb in Rapid City
  • Mount Rushmore parking fee and state park admission (per the listing)
  • Crazy Horse Memorial admission is listed among the admission fees
  • Guide gratuities and cold bottled water; lunch is not included
  • Small group of up to 12; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Duration8 hours Book this

Before you go

Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake in one small-group day, with hotel pickup across the Black Hills.

Book this