MOUNT RUSHMORE & CUSTER STATE PARK

June 4, 2011… A bit of history and a bit of nature

Mount Rushmore

Next stop, Mount Rushmore, which hardly needs any description, being as famous as it is,! However…Mount Rushmore National Memorial, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota and is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. Carved into the granite face of the mountain, the memorial features the massive 60-foot-tall sculptures of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These figures were chosen to represent the founding, growth, preservation, and development of the nation. It is a pretty amazing thing to see in person!

Mount Rushmore

We also took a hiking trail which wound down to the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage Village and continued along the base of the mountain which gives some different perspectives on the sculptures.

Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage Village at Mount Rushmore

President Roosevelt from the hiking trail

Custer State Park

Leaving Mount Rushmore we took a loop south through Custer State Park. Also, located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is one of the largest state parks in the U.S., spanning over 71,000 acres. The landscape is stunning, with rolling plains, rugged mountains, pristine lakes and winding streams.

Custer State Park

We checked out a couple of the scenic drives, including the The Iron Mountain Road, which is a work of art in itself. The highway connects Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Black Hills, including three tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore in the distance. The road is famous for the “Pigtail Bridges” that allow travelers to drop or gain altitude quickly with a reasonable grade.

Pigtali Bridge in Custer State Park

Gideon Tunnel on Iron Mountain Rd, Custer State Park

Mt Rishmore framed by the Gideon Tunnels on Iron Mountain Rd, Custer State Park

The Wildlife Loop Road twists and turns its way through the prairie and Ponderosa pine-studded hills where many of the park’s wildlife species are found. The park is famous for its diverse wildlife, particularly its herd of over 1,350 bison, as well as elk, deer, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs as well as a herd of the park’s feral burros.