Black Hills, SD & Custer Area: Mount Rushmore & Chief Crazy Horse (May 26, 2022)

We were surprised how much there is to see in such a concentrated area of the Black Hills area and Custer State Park. We camped outside the town of Custer and were able to visit all of these sites within an hour’s drive, depending on how many times we stopped on the scenic roads. I can’t believe we had never been to this area as it is only 6 hours from our house!

We drove through Custer State Park to get over to Iron Mountain Road for the premier view through the tunnels as we approached Mount Rushmore. We continued our loop trip from Mount Rushmore National Monument through Hill City, SD and down to Crazy Horse Memorial and then back to Custer. I thought Mount Rushmore was quite amazing and impressive that I expected and the history behind Crazy Horse Memorial well worth understanding.

Mount Rushmore National Monument

Mount Rushmore and Visitors Center in foreground from Iron Mountain Road
Tunnel View
Another Tunnel View–I was surprised how far away you could see Mount Rushmore
Hum, how would our heads look up on Mount Rushmore? Hah!
Renee and I getting ready for the hike up to the close up views of Mount Rushmore
Avenue of Flags with Mount Rushmore in the background. All the states’ and territories’ flags are represented. Note the Colorado flag on the right!
1st big view
We keep getting closer and closer!
I couldn’t believe how real their eyes looked!
I was surprised how close we were able to get to the faces!
View outside of Mount Rushmore Visitors Area
Peak-a-boo view of George on the road out of Mount Rushmore
Interesting angle of Goerge
Near our picnic spot on our way to Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse Memorial

Chief Henry Standing Bear envisioned a Memorial to pay tribute to indigenous people. Standing Bear and Native elders chose and invited Korczak Ziolkowski to carve a Monument in South Dakota’s sacred Black Hills. With a handshake, a promise was made and a dream was born. Crazy Horse Memorial is funded with private funds and they have refused all state and federal funding

You can see the trucks and where they are working on the memorial. Also the white lines on the side of the mountain indicate where they will blast rock at some point.
Gate into the Crazy Horse Memorial
Progress of Crazy Horse carving
Mock-up of Crazy Horse sculpture