Mount Rushmore National Memorial, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, shows the sculpted faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln; the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center has museum exhibits, a film and a bookstore, and the sculpture is illuminated nightly year-round. The National Park Service states that there is no entrance fee, but the concession-operated parking facility charges $10* per vehicle ($5* for seniors 62 and older, free for active-duty military), and the ticket allows a non-commercial vehicle unlimited entry for one year; federal annual passes do not cover this concession fee. No reservations are needed and overnight parking is not allowed. For October the NPS lists the grounds and parking structure as open 6:00 am to 9:00 pm and the visitor center 8:00 am to 6:00 pm (Mountain time); the evening lighting program runs late May through September.
Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway runs through here: the Federal Highway Administration designates it a National Scenic Byway, 68 miles through SD.
*Fees subject to change, please check nps.gov for updated information.
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Mount Rushmore National Memorial, not drive time.
- Rapid City Regional (RAP) — 23 miles
- Chadron Municipal (CDR) — 74 miles
- Northeast Wyoming Regional (GCC) — 108 miles
Live Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
We checked fees, reservations, opening hours and seasonal opening on 2026-10-14. These change without notice — confirm with nps.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 6 claims, 6 checked against the source
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Parking fee operated by concessioner Xanterra: $10 per vehicle, $5 for seniors 62 and older, free for active duty military; a parking ticket entitles a non-commercial vehicle to unlimited entry for one year from purchase; no entrance fee; annual federal passes do not cover the parking fee (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Mount Rushmore — Parking | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| No reservations are needed to visit the Memorial, including the Evening Lighting Program; no entrance fee but a parking fee is required (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Mount Rushmore — Fees and Passes | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| October 1-31: parking structure and grounds 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and Information Center 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, mountain time; open all year except December 25 for buildings (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Mount Rushmore — Operating Hours and Seasons | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Evening lighting program held nightly late May through end of September; October 1 to May 22 the sculpture is illuminated nightly at sunset without a program (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Mount Rushmore — Operating Hours and Seasons | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center: park information, film, museum exhibits and a bookstore (read in a browser 2026-10-14; the listing loads by script) | NPS Mount Rushmore — Places To Go | Checked |
| Designated a National Scenic Byway by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation; 68 miles in SD; FHWA suggests: Allow four hours to drive the byway or one day to experience the entire byway. Distance from this stop to the route measured against the published byway centreline on the U.S. Department of Transportation map service (geo.dot.gov), which carries no stated licence and predates the 2021 designations; the measurement is ours, the line is theirs and is not reproduced here. 0.1 miles (checked 2026-10-29) | Federal Highway Administration: Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway | Checked |