Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial featuring a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (Lakota: Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe Pahá, or Six Grandfathers Mountain) in the Black Hills, about 2 mi (3 km) southwest of Keystone, South Dakota, United States. Visits in 2025 reached 1.9M. Top of the list nearby is Crazy Horse Memorial, 8.7 mi away.
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A national memorial, 2 mi southwest of Keystone
77% of visits come in Jun–Sep
July is the busiest month, with about 536,009 visitors. January sees about 19,136. When to go ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 1.1M people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 99% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 14°, with about 59" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Keystone is inside the park
Keystone sits inside the park’s boundary. Where to stay ↓
Keystone is the nearest base
Keystone is 2 miles northeast, with 32 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Visits and weather by month
A visit to Mount Rushmore can follow the busy and quiet months below.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial featuring a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (Lakota: Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe Pahá, or Six Grandfathers Mountain) in the Black Hills, about 2 mi (3 km) southwest of Keystone, South Dakota, United States. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, named it the Shrine of Democracy, and oversaw the execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum. The sculpture features 60-foot-tall (18 m) depictions of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, respectively chosen to represent the nation's foundation, expansion, development, and preservation. Mount Rushmore attracts more than two million visitors annually to the memorial park which covers 1,278 acres (2.00 sq mi; 517 hectares).
- Type
- National Memorial
- Elevation
- 5,725 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.1M a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/moru
How to visit
Where to base yourself for Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The first towns with rooms are Keystone (32) and Hill City (38).
- 1Crazy Horse Memorial
- 2Black Elk Peak
- 3Custer
- 4Wind Cave
- 5Jewel Cave
- 6Black Hills National Forest
- 7Black Hills Central Railroad
Keystone
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
268 people
2 mi northeast of Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center
Rapid City
80,589 people
18 mi northeast of Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center · 16 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone | inside the park | 5 min | 32 16 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 268 | $264K | — |
| Hill City | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 38 16 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 938 | $286K | — |
| Custer | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 42 14 hotels · 3 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 14 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 1,803 | $236K | — |
| Rapid City | 18 mi northeast | 25 min | 76 58 hotels · 8 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 80,589 | $299K | D− |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 12 mi northeast | 20 min | 10 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 2,609 | $407K | — |
| Johnson Siding | 14 mi north | 20 min | 6 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 campgrounds | 704 | $472K | — |
| Hermosa | 14 mi east | 20 min | 3 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 370 | $149K | — |
| Piedmont | 24 mi north | 35 min | 5 1 lodge or cabins · 4 campgrounds | 1,245 | $324K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Close to Mount Rushmore
These well-known sights sit within 49 miles.
Big draw19 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
24 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
39 mi State parkCuster State Park
49 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
422 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a year521 mi National MonumentJewel Cave National Monument111K visitors a year
614 mi National forestBlack Hills National Forest
77 mi Scenic railwayBlack Hills Central RailroadPhoto credits
Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain · Black Hills National Forest: Vocaro at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black Hills Central Railroad: Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
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The 2025 count: 1,905,649
Visits each year from 2016 to 2025.
What people ask about Mount Rushmore
What town is Mount Rushmore National Memorial near?
Keystone, SD, about 2 miles northeast.
When is the best time to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial?
June, July, August and September, with highs of 71–81°. July is the busiest month (about 536,009 visitors).
How many people visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial each year?
1,905,649 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 2,525,868, set in 2021.
What is the closest airport to Mount Rushmore National Memorial?
Rapid City Regional (RAP), about 23 miles away.
Where should I stay near Mount Rushmore National Memorial?
Keystone (2 mi, 32 places to stay), Hill City (7 mi, 38 places to stay) and Custer (11 mi, 42 places to stay).
What locals in Keystone say
Start the conversation in Keystone’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.