Mount Rushmore Discovery Tour

The entire day trip is within the Black Hills National Forest that covers an area 125 miles long and 65 miles wide, a 1.25-million-acre forest! You spend about 2 hours driving time that is interspersed between the sites you visit as outlined below. Along the way, you take in the beauty of the Black Hills that encompasses rugged rock formations, canyons, gulches, open grassland, and mountain lakes, including learning about the rich history of the area, including Custer's expedition to the area in 1874.

You will stop here for a short break to stretch the legs, watch a film on the history of Custer State Park, then head out to find the buffalo and other wildlife on the Wildlife Loop Road.

Next stop is Custer State Park, a 72,000 acre state park and wildlife refuge. The park is home to a herd of 1,500 bison and a variety of other wildlife that roam free over the varied terrain that includes rolling prairie grasslands and rugged mountains.

This is an overlook of one of the more beautiful overlooks in Custer State Park. The Mount Coolidge Fire Lookout Tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corp's in the late 1930's is in view.

You stop for about an hour at the Legion Lake Restaurant for lunch. There is a sit down restaurant, a snack bar, and a coffee shop to choose from. Eat inside or enjoy a short stroll around the lake.

You drive the Iron Mountain Road, one of the most scenic and beautiful drives in the Black Hills! It winds through the countryside, traversing through three tunnels, navigating up and down switch-backs and pig-tail-bridges with views of Mount Rushmore along the way. The summit, also called the Peter Norbeck Scenic Overlook, provides a wonderful view of Mount Rushmore about a mile away. A breathtaking view! You can also see Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota at 7,200 feet above sea level. It is also the highest peak east of the Rockies.

The last stop is Mount Rushmore National Memorial where the rich history of the United States is told through the lives of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham enshrined on Mount Rushmore. Through their lives we learn about the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. The memorial is surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills.

You drive through this little historic mining town before heading back to the pickup locations at the Heartland RV & Campground and Rapid City.

The tour ends back in Rapid City at your pickup locations.