Black Hills Day Trip: Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse & Custer State PK!

Our 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! We spend about 2 hours driving time that is interspersed between the sites we visit as outlined below. Along the way, we 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.

Our first 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.

Leaving Mount Rushmore, we wind our way over to Crazy Horse Memorial passing by Horsethief Lake, a beautiful mountain lake, and Black Elk Mountain, the highest peak in SD at 7,244 feet above sea level.

Crazy Horse Memorial is the largest carving in the world, depicting the Oglala Lakota war chief, Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land. Housed within the Crazy Horse Memorial complex, is the Indian Museum of North American.

Next stop is in the small town of Custer for lunch. You’re on your own for lunch here, having the opportunity to choose the restaurant of your choosing. Custer is the oldest and first permanent settlement established in the Black Hills by European Americans.

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.

We will stop here for a short break to stretch our legs, watch a 20 minute film on the history of Custer State Park (narrated by Kevin Costner), then head out to find the buffalo and other wildlife on the Wildlife Loop Road.

The Iron Mountain Road is one of the most scenic and unique roads in America! 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. It was built to connect Custer State Park with Mount Rushmore. It was intentionally engineered to make travelers slow down to enjoy the beauty of the area. Along the way, we drive through the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, a wilderness designated area.

Iron Mountain Summit, also called the Peter Norbeck Scenic Overlook. From the summit at 5,450 feet above sea level, we are at the same elevation as Mount Rushmore which can be seen in the distance across the valley below, about 1 mile away. A breathtaking view! We 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.

Our last stop of the tour is Keystone, dropping off any guests we picked up here before heading back to Rapid City.