Experience the trifecta of iconic western South Dakota landmarks on a narrated tour of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park. Enjoy a comfortable ride from Rapid City and see the best of the Black Hills.
Begin your tour at the iconic Mount Rushmore. Watch a 14-minute video narrated by Tom Brokaw about the carving, the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, and workers. Visit the Lincoln Borglum Museum to see displays about Borglum, his family and his works, the mountain and machinery, and the workers.
Walk the Presidential Trail to see the faces in the rock rubble with great spots for pictures of the individual faces. Continue to the Avenue of Flags, representing all 50 states and the territories, and their respective dates of admission to the Union.
Stop at the Carvers’ Café and an ice cream shop for refreshments. As you leave, stop for a picture at the side profile of George Washington.
Next, drive to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Watch a 20-minute video about the carving and the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and his family that are doing the work. Visit the North American Indian Museum to see items from many different Indian tribes, with 90% of the items being donated.
Walk through Ziolkowski’s workshop and the log home he built, filled with antiques. See a Native American Cultural Centre where you can watch Natives making items for sale, as well as display items to see and touch.
Stop at the brass Nature Gate and a huge statue of Fighting Stallions. For an additional $4, take a bus that delivers you to the base of the mountain so you can take a full picture of the face of Chief Crazy Horse.
After leaving Crazy Horse, drive through the city of Custer, the oldest town in the Black Hills, and down into Custer State Park. Drive the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road. In the spring, see around 1300 buffalo including newborn calves in the park.
See antelope, deer, prairie dogs, begging burros, and breathtaking scenery. Make a comfort stop by the State Game Lodge area at Coolidge Inn Store or Peter Norbeck Visitor Centre, then drive back to Rapid City.
