Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse in One Day

If you are driving through South Dakota it is pretty much a given that you are going to see Mount Rushmore. It is basically your American duty to do so. And yes, it is fascinating how they sculpted it and how it will be there for tens of thousands of years. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT go through South Dakota without also stopping at Crazy Horse!

I almost hate to say this, but Mount Rushmore wasn’t even that cool. I don’t know how to explain it, but I always thought it would be bigger. Like, for sure it is big but I didn’t get the wow factor I was expecting. And in some aspects, the same can be said for Crazy Horse. The difference being, Crazy Horse isn’t even finished yet!

Okay, enough rambling though. Let’s get into the details.

Mount Rushmore

Let it be known first and foremost that you have to pay for parking. We had been lucky to avoid fees on our trip thanks to our National Parks Pass. They did not care that we had the pass, everyone pays for parking. After that entrance into the park is free for all.

When you first walk in there is a gift shop, information center, and some food choices. Right there at the center is a perfect outlook to Mount Rushmore. This is where most tourists take their pictures.

From there you can walk the trail near the mountain to get a better view of each face. At the end of the trail is a theater room where a speaker is giving detailed information about how Mount Rushmore was built. It is worth the stop and was hands down my favorite part of the park!

After that, you’ve pretty much seen the whole thing and you can make your way over to Crazy Horse!

Crazy Horse

About a 30 minute drive from Mount Rushmore is another mountain sculpture called Crazy Horse. It was designed by Korzcak Ziolkowski and is sculpted after descriptions of the Native American tribal leader, Crazy Horse. After Ziolkowski’s passing his wife and kids carried on the dream after his passing! In fact, many of his kids still work at the park today!

One reason I liked Crazy Horse more than Mount Rushmore is because of the museum. When you first arrive you go into this museum that holds many Native American artifacts. You could spend hours there learning about their history. There is also a video you can watch in a theater that talks about the Crazy Horse sculpture!

You can actually go through about 3 mini museums while at this park. Each building having its own unique take on either the Native American culture or the sculptor and his family life.

Another cool aspect to Crazy Horse is all of the coincidences that have happened around it! One of my favorite fun facts is that the mountain the chose to carve has the highest iron content of all the mountains in the Black Forest. This has caused the sculpture to turn red which is fitting for a red skinned man! There are more but I want to leave you in suspense so that you go visit!

And I suppose my favorite park of Crazy Horse is that it is still a work in progress. A work in progress that will one day be the largest mountain carving in the world. I cannot express how much I hope they finish this carving before I die so that I can go back and see it finished!

Conclusion

Okay, so yes, if you are a true American you are obligated to visit Mount Rushmore. But don’t spend too much of your day there because you are going to want to spend a few hours exploring Crazy Horse!

Now get out and explore! Stay safe & have the best time ever.