We went early right when it opened and it was perfect. There was no one there and it was nice and quiet so we were able to really take it all in. When we went by later there was a line and a huge crowd. It was really interesting to see the graves of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock.
It was so sad seeing people just go up to the overlook and not going to this trail. It gives you some really interesting views of the heads.
Mount Rushmore was a fantastic stop. The walk up to it is great especially with the flags. However, the presidential trail was the best part. There was so many people just walking to the overlook then leaving. DO NOT DO THAT! The presidential trail is not a long hike and it gets you even closer the memorial. Also, the ice cream in the food court area is the best. Parking was kind of a pain I would not recommend buying a parking pass before going. They made a big to do about it and it would have just been easier to pay there. If I was to go again I would definitely go in the evening.
This is a fun drive. Toward the end it gives you a great view of Mt. Rushmore at the rest stop.
Such an amazing hike! It took us all morning to get up there and back with a 2 year old but it was totally worth it. We did not feel the need to rush because there was so much to see along the trail. We saw lots of wildlife and I would highly recommend going in the early morning or evening. Make sure you pack lots of water and snacks. It is mostly uphill especially at the end. The actual tower was a nice place to sit and relax.
The artifacts that they have in the museum are very interesting. The live performances were really fun to watch and our 2 year old loved them. I wish we had done one the tours up to the carving but hopefully we will get to next time.
One of the best scenic drives I have driven. It is definitely a nail bitter but as long as you go slow and stay in low gear it is fine. There are lots of pull offs but it is hard to get back on the road once you pull off. Again the earlier in the day you go the less people there are.
This is a nice little drive that takes you around to see lots of different wildlife (duh wildlife loop) but it also takes you to the area where the buffalo are. There were tons of people driving up to the herd but we just watched from a distance. I would recommend coming in the early morning or late evening when the wildlife is more active.
It was a beautiful drive in. You HAVE to get there early. We were there 45 minutes before they even opened and there was already a line formed with at least 50 people. It took us 30 minutes to get into the building once they opened and the tour we wanted was already full. We ended up just taking the Natural Entrance tour and it was really interesting hearing about all of the history. It was our 2 year olds first cave and she loved it. She did not get scared and even walked by herself most of the time. The honeycomb formations were worth the wait they were so intricate and interesting. Overall it was a great experience just get there early!
It is a steep hike up a couple of flights of stairs but they are pretty cool especially for our dinosaur loving 2 year old.