Mt Rushmore National Monument

Afternoon

Vs.

Night

Vs.

Morning

Mt Rushmore is another of those places that I've longed to see.  Set in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mt Rushmore is an awesome sight.  Mt Rushmore combines two of my favorite things: history and mountains.  I'm also quite fascinated with human ingenuity and this place exemplifies that.

Amazingly, 90% of Mt Rushmore was carved by the use of dynamite.  Sculptor Gutzon Borglum could use the dynamite precisely enough to come within an inch of his desired location.  Unfortunately he never lived to see the monument completed.  His son oversaw its completion.  Some stats: the faces are 60 feet high; the noses 20 feet high; their eyes are 10 feet wide; it took 14 years to complete from 1927-1941.

Original plan, but the rock did not cooperate

I arrived late in the afternoon and checked out the visitor center.  There is a short trail (it's a boardwalk and pavement) that gets one closer to the monuments.  This was quite enjoyable.  There was also information on the presidents.

At night, after sunset, there is a ranger program and lighting ceremony.  The talk tonight involved World War I.  Apparently all four of Teddy Roosevelt's sons served during the Great War.  Two were injured and one was killed in combat.  Less than a year after his son's death, Teddy Roosevelt passed away.

They had a tribute to those who have served in the military and then the faces are lit up.  It's a pretty interesting sight.  The faces are lit up against the back drop of the night sky.  When I searched for a camping spot, I could see the faces lit up in the distance.

All the state flags plus the territories

While at the visitor center, I asked the ranger when the best times are for viewing the monuments.  He told me that sunrise is definitely the best and it draws quite a few photographers.  At this time of year, the light is good until about 9:30 before shadows start to creep in.

New York

George Washington & Thomas Jefferson

Teddy Roosevelt & Abraham Lincoln

So my advice to anybody visiting: (1) Come in the early evening and walk around and then stay for the lighting ceremony; and (2) stay in town (Keystone or other surrounding towns, Rapid City or Custer) and come back in the morning when the natural light is best;  (3) also get up early and take a ride on Iron Mountain Road, I regret not enjoying the views of Rushmore from the spots on this road,  they were amazing.  

From Iron Mountain Road