What to Do in Keystone, South Dakota Home of Mt. Rushmore
For more information about each of the following activities click on the links below. Each link will take you to the website for the attraction.
What to do in Keystone? #1 Visit Mt. Rushmore
Gutzon Borglum is the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore. You can learn more about his work and about the national monument by visiting Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.
We found this to be a busy place on a crowed summer weekend. Plan to go early. Parking is a steep $10 per vehicle. It is for an annual pass but is good only at this location. Unless you are local to the Keystone area you probably won't use it more than once. Annual passes are not honored since this is a parking fee and not an entrance fee.
Other things to know about the Mt Rushmore National Memorial are:
There is only one restaurant in the park so you may want to bring a picnic lunch. Visitors must walk only on the marked trails. Pets are only allowed in the parking area. Bags for picking up are provided. We did not see any kennels.
If you only want to see the memorial and are not interested in the static exhibits on Gutzon Borglum you may want to look for pullouts. There are several places that will give you a good view of the mountain. These are easily spotted when traveling to Mt. Rushmore from Keystone.
What to do in Keystone? #2 Mt. Rushmore Cave
If you like touring caves then the Mt. Rushmore Cave can be an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. It takes about an hour to tour the ½ mile walkway in the cavern. There are some stairs to be climbed but these are easily managed. Tickets are $12 for each adult and $7 for kids.
What to do in Keystone? #3 1880 Train Ride
You can pick this up in Hill City. The 1880 Train is a fully restored steam locomotive. The round trip ride takes just over 2 hours and takes you through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Allow extra time to board. Ticket prices vary with the season and date.
What to do in Keystone? #4 Dining
We found numerous touristy dining options in Keystone. There seemed to be everything from fast food to upscale. Family dining options were common. Most of the restaurants seemed to be in keeping with the tourism flavor of the town.
There are many options of things to see and do in Keystone. If you decide to visit Mt. Rushmore be sure to take in some of the sights in the town. You are sure to not be disappointed.
Source:
Personal Experience
Chamber of Commerce
Black Hills Badlands Tourism Site
SD Welcome Center
National Park Service
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Published by Gayle Crabtree
Gayle is an expert in budget and family travel. She is a trained mission team leader who has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Her road trips experiences include traveling with di... View profile
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- Parking at the Mt Rushmore National Memorial is $10 for an annual pass.
- Passes for entrance fees are not accepted at Mt. Rushmore.
- The town has an interesting tourist flavor.
5 Comments
Post a CommentCool place!
Very cool - I hope someday to go there.
I didn't know there was so much to do besides Mt. Rushmore. Thanks Gayle.
Lol at Greenhill's comment. Your article about dining and other options in Greenhill, South Carolina is full of useful info. Thanks!
I thought you just look at the rocks, boy was I wrong!