NATIONAL PARKS ROAD TRIP 2026 PART 1- MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL

Two weeks ago we pulled out for a giant road trip and were gone 12 days!  This is a version of a trip we had planned to do this time last Fall but had to change plans last minutes due to circumstances beyond our control (but we got to go here and here instead).  We had a general idea of the stops we wanted to include in this trip but it had a lot of moving parts and components to figure out.  I'm excited to share our first stop with you today, our visit to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial! 

As we thought about the places we wanted to visit on this trip, Ray had always had Mount Rushmore on his list.  I went along with the idea, but from what we've heard from others it was "neat but you see it, acknowledge it, and move on" kind of destination.  We'd heard it didn't require much time, so we added it more or less to "check the box" that we had been there.  While researching travel details, I found out that in the evenings there is a "Lighting Ceremony" of the monuments.  That sounded so cool and we decided to make the effort to leave extra early to get on the road on Day 1 so we could make it there by the 8:00 p.m. program time.  

I AM SO GLAD we did!  The evening program honestly ended up being one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.  There's a presentation by a ranger, a video presentation, then the monument is lit and the entire audience sings the Star Spangled Banner.  

There is also a recognition of active duty military, Veterans, and Gold Star Families which is very moving.  They were invited to lower the flag at the end of the ceremony. 

Road Trip Travel Day Outfit Linked Here 

We stayed long after everyone else had left, continuing to take it all in until they were closing the doors. 

As we headed back to our hotel for the night, we noticed George visible from the road and had to stop on a turnout to take a better look. 

The stargazing was INCREDIBLE with such dark skies, and I don't think I've ever been in a more completely quiet spot than that side of the road turnout.  It was marvelous. 

It's a patriotic, meaningful, memorable program that I would highly encourage you not to miss if you go!  I also really liked that we did the night time viewing first- it seemed to make it even more special since this was our first time to be there. 

The next day, we made our way back to see the memorial in the daytime.  Although not quite as magical as the night time lighting, it is definitely inspiring to see the spectacular feat that sculptor Gutzon Borglum created out of this mountainside and everything that's around it in the light of day.

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Entering through the Avenue of Flags is an impressive walk that frames the monument and makes a great photo opp! 

There are so many viewpoints to see the statues, it's interesting to notice differences in the sculpture depending on where you are viewing from.

Don't miss walking the Presidential Trail to get a closer look! This trail loops the amphitheater and gives a more up close and personal look at the carvings. 

 If you're standing at the back of the amphitheater facing the monument, the left half of the trail is accessible and an easy paved walk, the right half has a lot of stairs but also leads to the Sculptor's Studio which is a neat spot to learn more about how the sculptor worked on such a massive project. 

If you're walking counter clockwise (starting on the left side) when you get almost halfway around and see the stairs to what looks like a little cave, go in for the most incredible view of George through the rocks!

Up close on the Presidential Trail- it's fascinating to see all of the rocks discarded as the sculptor chipped away on the statues, how they remain where they fell as he worked. 

Caleb and Kenzi have also done some National Parks traveling and gave us a heads up about the "Passport" Book you can buy to record your NP visits.  All of the National Parks and many of the Memorials and Monuments have a "stamp station" where you can stamp your book to record the place and date you were there, as well as make notes about your visit if you wish.  There are a couple of "official" passport books in the gift shops to purchase and several available online, but I preferred this one that also included multiple pages for National Monuments that you might want to record as well.  The size was nice, not too bulky to fit in a purse or backpack, it's a fun little tangible way to keep track of visits and memories! 

While we're at it, I'd also highly recommend getting a NP America the Beautiful Annual Pass if you're planning a trip like this.  We visited several parks and our pass more than paid for itself on this trip, and it's good for a whole year if we want to hit any more parks.  Mount Rushmore does not have an entrance fee so we didn't need it there, but there is a $10 parking fee (good for a year I believe so keep the ticket if you're going multiple days).

  

I will disagree with friends who have implied this is a "quick stop- one and done" destination- we absolutely loved it and once we discovered how fabulous the surrounding area was as well, we agreed we could have spent our entire vacation there!  The Black Hills, Custer State Park and surrounding area that makes them up are a stunning destination, and even though we didn't get to spend time there this trip other than an overnight stay, the nearby town of Custer is charming!

In an effort not to make these posts too long, next time I'll share the rest of what we did while we were in the Black Hills- we definitely discovered some gems and surprises!  

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