The high was 100 degrees the day of our Mt. Rushmore trip, so we decided to get up early to beat the midday heat. We had a 1.5 hour drive and arrived around 9:00 am. The site was already busseling with tourists. There is no charge to enter the park, but a $10 parking fee for the parking garage. When you walk through the entrance there are restrooms, a small visitors center, and several kiosks to pay your parking fee.

As you continue, you will walk along the Avenue of Flags, taking in the iconic site of Mt. Rushmore framed by the state flags. Make sure to have someone snap a picture at this spot before deciding your next step!

At the end of the Avenue of Flags, you have access to the amphitheater, museum, Presidential Trail, and the Sculptor’s Studio. It’s your choice the order you take, but I’ll share what we chose to do, which worked out well.

We began with the Presidential Trail, which is a half mile loop with several lookout points of Mount Rushmore, each one highlighting one of the four presidents. The first half is stroller friendly and there was a definite turn around spot that many people were taking before hitting the many stairs that made up the remainder of the trail. We folded up the stroller and kept going though, not wanting to miss out on anything. I would ditch the stroller next visit & just keep the baby in the carrier!

Next was the Sculptor’s Studio, which could be accessed from the Presidential Trail or the amphitheater viewing point. No matter which direction, it will require several sets of stairs. It was a nice ending to the Presidential Trail on a hot day, providing some air conditioning, water bottle filling stations, and restrooms. The studio had a replica of Mount Rushmore used to plan and construct the original design. Park Rangers were there answering questions and sharing more about the sculptor and the process in which Mount Rushmore was constructed.

Next, we took a quick walk through the museum that provided a timeline and more information about the construction. There was also a 25 minute movie you could watch, but we were losing stamina with the little ones.

To lift everyone’s moods, we decided to hit Thomas Jefferson’s Ice cream Parlor, which was located at the cafe. The ice cream parlor doesn’t open until 11:00 so we were one of the first visitors & the line was already at the door. The line moved super fast though so don’t let it deter you, the icecream was definitely worth it. Although the other flavors may look appealing, you MUST get the Thomas Jefferson vanilla. It is President Jefferson’s own ice cream recipe and America’s original ice cream. It had a very different taste than the typical vanilla and was quite possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted! The ice cream may be expensive, but the cones are huge, making it very easy to share.

After our ice cream stop, we had completed everything there was to see. The whole stop took approximately 2.5 hours, finishing us up at around noon. I’d suggest heading back up to Keystone for a fun lunch spot or planning a picnic in the Black Hills National Forrest.

Mt. Rushmore

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